What is a driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR)?

What is a driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR)?

A driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) is a formal record that confirms that a driver has inspected their commercial motor vehicle (CMV) before and after taking it out on the road. These are called pre-trip and post-trip inspections. Drivers must complete a DVIR for each vehicle every day of its use.

A DVIR’s main purpose is to alert organizations of potential defects or issues that could impact the safe operation of a vehicle. The DVIR provides documentation of the defect so fleet managers take steps to get the issue fixed, reassign drivers to other vehicles, and plan around maintenance.

Maintaining and managing inspection reports are an important part of fleet management and essential for DVIR compliance.

DVIR regulations and oversight

In the United States, DVIRs are required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency within the Department of Transportation (DOT). There are two laws that regulate DVIRs.

Federal law 49 CFR §396.11 specifies that drivers must complete a DVIR on their vehicle at the end of their shift. If the driver operates more than one vehicle, a separate DVIR needs to be completed for each vehicle.

Federal law 49 CFR §396.13 outlines that drivers must review that last DVIR completed on the vehicle. If any defects are noted, they must be inspected and signed off.

According to the FMCSA, interstate drivers of non-passenger-carrying CMVs are no longer required to submit an inspection report if no defects or deficiencies are found. DOT found that 95% of all DVIRs completed were listed as “no defects.” This update, which reduces the burden of collecting information without compromising safety, will save industries an estimated $1.7 billion annually.

DOT extended this ruling in 2020 by rescinding the order for interstate passenger-carrying CMVs, saving industries $74 million annually. While these changes affect organizations involved in interstate commerce, intrastate operators should check with state laws on the ruling.

In 2024, the FMCSA implemented the DVIR Requirement Rescission, eliminating the mandate for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers—excluding those operating passenger-carrying CMVs—to submit and for motor carriers to retain DVIRs when no vehicle defects or issues are identified or reported by the driver. This change aims to reduce unnecessary paperwork and align pre- and post-trip inspection requirements​ for CMVs.

Canadian DVIR regulation

Individual provinces in Canada regulate their own inspection rules. Currently, the no-defect ruling does not extend into Canada. U.S.-based drivers in Canada must complete a DVIR. Canada will also accept a previous day’s post-trip inspection report from the U.S., but it must be no more than 24 hours old.

On January 1, 2025, amendments to regulations under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act came into effect, aiming to enhance the accessibility of safety recall information for fleets in Canada. These amendments require companies to:

• Publish Recall Details Online: Companies must make safety recall information available on their websites promptly, no later than 60 days after notifying the Minister of Transport.

• Maintain Information Accessibility: The published recall information must remain accessible for at least 15 years.

• VIN-Based Recall Search Tool: Designated companies are required to provide a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) search tool on their websites, enabling users to check for specific recall information related to their vehicle.

Who needs to complete a DVIR?

DVIR regulation applies to most commercial vehicle drivers. This includes vehicles that:

• Have a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 4,537 kg (10,001 lb) or more, whichever is greater.

• Are designed or used to transport between 9 and 15 passengers (including the driver) for compensation.

• Are designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers.

• Are designed for or used in transporting hazardous materials per the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.

DVIR exemptions: Who’s exempt from regulation?

DVIR regulations do not apply to:

• Driveaway-towaway operations: Situations where the vehicle being driven is the commodity being transported.

• Single-vehicle motor carriers: Motor carriers that operate only one commercial motor vehicle.

• Private passenger-carrying motor carriers: Private carriers that transport passengers but not as a business operation.

DVIR non-compliance and penalties

Violating DOT federal regulation comes with steep fines for failing to complete DVIR, falsifying records, and failing to repair reported defects. In 2025, the FMCSA raised fines for failing to comply with DVIR regulations, reflecting a 2.598% increase:

General civil penalties:

• Violation of FMCSA regulations: The penalty for general violations has increased from $1,544 to $1,584.

• Recordkeeping violations: Penalties for failing to maintain required records have been adjusted from $1,544 to $1,584 per violation.

Out-of-service order violations:

• Drivers operating during out-of-service period: The penalty for drivers who operate a commercial motor vehicle during an out-of-service period has increased from $3,174 to $3,257.

• Employers allowing operation during out-of-service period: Employers who allow or require drivers to operate during an out-of-service period now face penalties increased from $17,416 to $17,870.

Hazardous materials violations:

• General violations: Penalties for violations related to the transportation of hazardous materials have been adjusted from $89,678 to $91,999.

• Training violations: Failure to provide required training can result in penalties increased from $502 to $515 per violation.

Aside from fines, non-compliance with DVIR regulations can result in a vehicle and driver being placed out of service in the event a defect or deficiency is uncovered during a roadside inspection. Besides the loss revenue from unexpected vehicle downtime, being placed out of service can affect a carrier’s CSA scores, damaging their reputation.

How long do organizations have to keep DVIR?

To stay in compliance, fleet managers must maintain DVIR, certification of repairs, and the driver's review for three months from the date the original report was created.

How the DVIR process works

The inspection process can be completed in several steps.

1. Inspect the vehicle. The driver conducts a walkaround examination of the vehicle. They must check under the hood, test brakes and lights, and look for other defects or damage. (See inspection report checklist.)

2. Report defects. The driver must report any defects or deficiencies that could impact safe operation or lead to a breakdown.

3. Sign-off. The driver must sign-off on the report and submit it to the motor carrier. If there are two drivers, only one needs to sign the DVIR as long as both drivers agree to the defects identified.

4. Corrective action and certification of repairs. When a defect or deficiency is reported, the motor carrier must take immediate action to repair the vehicle issues that would affect safe operation. They must do this before allowing a driver to operate the CMV again. 

The carrier should also certify on the DVIR that identifies the problem that the defect or deficiency has been repaired (or that the repair is unnecessary.)

Inspection report checklist and content

CFR §396.11 specifies that the inspection report must include assessment of:

• Brakes and air system

• Steering mechanism

• Lights and reflectors

• Tires, wheels, and rims

• Windshield wipers

• Rear view mirrors

• Coupling equipment and fifth wheels

• Emergency equipment

• Power unit and trailer (if applicable)

How electronic DVIRs can help ensure compliance and improve efficiency

Electronic DVIRs (eDVIR) are paperless, digital versions of inspection reports. Just like with paper DVIRs, drivers must complete this report for their post-trip and pre-trip inspections and submit them electronically via smartphone or tablet mobile app. 

Instead of manually filling our DVIRs, many organizations are now leveraging innovative technology like electronic DVIR solutions to accelerate resolutions and reduce breakdowns. In fact, by 2025, 1 in 6 operations employees are predicted to be doing jobs that don’t exist today. This helps illustrate why more than half (52%) of leaders in physical operations report training, upskilling, and reskilling employees to use new technologies such as eDVIRs as a top priority moving forward. 

Today, many electronic DVIR solutions are combined with an electronic logging device (ELD). These telematics devices record driving time, hours of service, miles driven, and real-time vehicle engine data. Together, they ensure that all FMCSA record keeping requirements are met.

Electronic DVIR solutions like Samsara enable fleets to ensure safety and compliance, streamlining the vehicle inspection process and improving operational efficiency. A few benefits of Samsara’s DVIR solution include:

• Improve driver productivity: Drivers can submit DVIRs directly from their fingertips using the Samsara Driver App, saving precious time for more strategic tasks. 

• Centralize maintenance and reporting: DVIRs instantly appear in the Samsara, making it easy for mechanics to prioritize the most urgent issues and sign the DVIR for the next driver to verify, completing the FMCSA requirement.

• Optimize your DVIR operations: Samsara DVIR gives the ability to design your DVIR using different fields, using customization to generate new insights and scale DVIR processes.

Certarus, a leader in low carbon energy solutions in Canada and the United States, leveraged Samsara’s DVIR solution to optimize efficiency and provide a best-in-class experience for their customers. Prior to Samsara, drivers sometimes missed vehicle defects when completing paper-based DVIRs. They were responsible for physically taking the reports to the maintenance team, which put the company at risk for DOT fines and compromised vehicle safety.   

By adopting Samsara across their fleet, Certarus has been able to improve their vehicle maintenance processes. Instead of manually passing off DVIRs to the maintenance team, work orders are now automatically triggered in their maintenance software when drivers log defects in digital DVIRs using the Driver App, as well as when vehicles reach utilization thresholds instead of time-based thresholds. Now, Certarus has a more intelligent approach to preventative maintenance, saving $500,000 in maintenance costs in just one year by integrating Samsara with their existing software.

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Check out our 2023 State of Connected Operations Report to see how leaders are leveraging cutting-edge technologies like eDVIRs to stay ahead of the curve. Or, if you'd like to learn more about how Samsara can help your fleet, explore our DVIR solution and speak with our team today.