DEFINITION
A DVIR is the written record a commercial driver completes documenting the condition of a vehicle. Under FMCSA 49 CFR 396.11, a driver must prepare a report at the end of each driving day on every vehicle operated, noting any defect that would affect safe operation.
ALSO KNOWN AS · Driver Vehicle Inspection Report · post-trip inspection report · FMCSA 396.11
The Driver Vehicle Inspection Report is the cornerstone of the FMCSA's daily commercial-vehicle inspection regime. 49 CFR 396.11 requires the driver to prepare a written report at the completion of each day's work for every motor vehicle they operated. The report must list any defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver that would affect safe operation or result in a mechanical breakdown — covering at minimum the service and parking brakes, steering, lighting and reflectors, tires, horn, windshield wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment.
If no defect is found, the regulation still allows (but does not require) a 'no defects' report. Where a defect IS noted, 49 CFR 396.13 governs what happens next: before the vehicle is driven again, the motor carrier (or its agent) must repair the listed defect or certify in writing on the report that the defect does not require correction for safe operation, and the next driver must review and sign the prior report.
The DVIR is fundamentally a chain-of-certification document: the driver certifies the vehicle's condition at end of day, the carrier or mechanic certifies the repair or non-repair, and the next driver certifies they reviewed it. That signed, dated chain is what an FMCSA roadside inspector or auditor looks for — a missing or unsigned DVIR is a frequent out-of-service and CSA-points finding.
Carriers must retain the original DVIR and the certification of repairs for at least three months. A pre-trip inspection (the driver's own check before driving, required by 396.13) is a distinct obligation from the post-trip DVIR — many fleets run both, with the digital DVIR doubling as the pre-trip checklist.
AUTHORITATIVE · SOURCE
49 CFR 396.11 — Driver vehicle inspection report(s) (eCFR)RELATED · CHECKLIST
CDL Truck Pre-Trip (DVIR) Inspection Checklist
FREQUENTLY · ASKED
A post-trip DVIR is required at the end of each day a driver operates a commercial motor vehicle, for every vehicle operated. Under FMCSA's no-defect rule the report itself may be omitted if no defect was found and the carrier uses the optional 'no-defect' allowance, but most fleets document daily regardless for the audit trail.
Three parties certify it: the driver who found (or did not find) defects, the carrier or mechanic who certifies the defect was repaired or doesn't require repair, and the next driver who reviews and signs the prior report before operating the vehicle.
Motor carriers must retain the original DVIR and the certification of repairs for at least three months from the date the report was prepared, per 49 CFR 396.11(c).
A pre-trip inspection is the driver's own check before driving (396.13). A DVIR is the written post-trip report at end of day (396.11). They are separate obligations, though a digital inspection app commonly satisfies both with one signed record.
RELATED · TERMS
A pre-trip inspection is the safety check a commercial driver performs before operating a vehicle. Under FMCSA 49 CFR 396.13, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition, review the last DVIR, and confirm any noted defects were repaired before driving.
The DOT annual inspection is the periodic inspection required by FMCSA 49 CFR 396.17. Every commercial motor vehicle must pass a comprehensive inspection at least once every 12 months, performed and documented by a qualified inspector against the minimum standards in Appendix A to Part 396.
A red tag marks equipment as out of service and unsafe to operate until a defect is corrected. When an inspection finds a safety-affecting deficiency, the equipment is red-tagged and removed from service so no one can use it before the repair is verified.
PUT · IT · TO · WORK
DigiDocs ships free inspection checklists built to OSHA, FMCSA, ASME, and ANSI. Download the PDF, or run it digitally on any phone — photo capture on failures, automatic deficiency logging, and a signed audit-trail record.