Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR)
The driver's written record of a vehicle inspection: the vehicle and trailer identified, every part and accessory checked, each defect that could affect safe operation or cause a breakdown, the driver's signature, and the repair certification and next driver's review.
ReportDraft Safety from $12 a month. 14-day free trial with your first report and up to 5 template downloads. Card required, nothing charged today, cancel anytime. Need just one? One driver vehicle inspection report for $19, no subscription.
Sample notes, 82 words
Carrier: Ridgeline Freight Driver: Marcus Hale Date: 10/06/2026, 6:40pm, end of day at the Elm St yard Unit 214, trailer 5310 Odometer 412,883 ...
We sorted 12 items into 3 sections and flagged 1 to fix soon.
- Fix soonParts and accessories
Audible air leak at the trailer gladhand seal
- Worth watchingParts and accessories
Right steer tire worn to the wear bars on the outer edge
Still to add
- RecommendedNotes for remarks
Filled in for you
14 days free, nothing to pay today. After your first report, your name, license and company details fill in by themselves. Or preview your own notes first, no sign-up.
What goes in it
Every driver vehicle inspection report from ReportDraft follows the same professional structure, so clients and reviewers find things where they expect them.
- Parts and accessoriesService brakes, including trailer brake connections, Parking brake, Steering mechanism, Lighting devices and reflectors, Tires, Horn, Windshield wipers, Rear vision mirrors, Coupling devices (fifth wheel, kingpin, hitch), Wheels and rims, Emergency equipment
- Other items checkedEngine compartment, belts, hoses and fluid leaks, Air compressor, air lines and air pressure build-up, Fuel system and exhaust, Frame, suspension and axles, Windshield, windows, doors and seat belts, Gauges, warning lights, defroster and heater, Cargo securement, body, doors and floor, Trailer landing gear
- Repairs or action takenWhat was done about the defects: who they were reported to and when, repairs made, parts replaced, and any work order number.
- RemarksAnything else the driver noted about the vehicle or the inspection.
How it works
1. Add your notes. Type or paste what you saw. Rate items with one tap if you like.
2. Get a draft. Findings, recommendations and a summary are written for you, in your report's structure.
3. Check, sign, send. A completeness list shows anything missing. Sign to lock the PDF and download Word too.
Why it pays for itself
What United States federal rules require
- Every motor carrier requires its drivers to report, and every driver prepares a report in writing, at the completion of each day's work on each vehicle operated (intermodal equipment tendered by an intermodal equipment provider has its own reporting process)49 CFR 396.11 (a) (1)
- The report covers at least these parts and accessories: service brakes including trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering mechanism, lighting devices and reflectors, tires, horn, windshield wipers, rear vision mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment49 CFR 396.11 (a) (1) (i) to (xi)
- The report identifies the vehicle and lists any defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver which would affect the safety of operation of the vehicle or result in its mechanical breakdown; a driver who operates more than one vehicle during the day prepares a report for each, and no report is required if no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to the driver49 CFR 396.11 (a) (2) (i)
- The driver signs the report; on two-driver operations only one driver needs to sign, provided both drivers agree as to the defects or deficiencies identified49 CFR 396.11 (a) (2) (ii)
- Before requiring or permitting a driver to operate the vehicle, the motor carrier or its agent repairs any listed defect or deficiency likely to affect safe operation, and certifies on the report that each listed defect or deficiency has been repaired or that repair is unnecessary before the vehicle is operated again49 CFR 396.11 (a) (3)
- Before driving, the driver is satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition, reviews the last driver vehicle inspection report if one was required, and signs it to acknowledge the review and that there is a certification that the required repairs were performed (not required for listed defects on a towed unit no longer part of the vehicle combination)49 CFR 396.13
- The motor carrier keeps the driver vehicle inspection report, the certification of repairs and the certification of the driver's review for three months from the date the written report was prepared49 CFR 396.11 (a) (4)
- The report rules do not apply to a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), a driveaway-towaway operation, or any motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle49 CFR 396.11 (a) (5)
- The report may be created and kept in electronic form and signed with an electronic signature, if the record accurately reflects the required information, can be kept and accurately reproduced for anyone entitled to it, and includes proof of consent where 15 U.S.C. 7001 (c) requires it49 CFR 396.11 (a) (6) · 49 CFR 390.32
- No commercial motor vehicle is driven unless the driver is satisfied that the service brakes (including trailer brake connections), parking brake, steering mechanism, lighting devices and reflectors, tires, horn, windshield wipers, rear-vision mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment are in good working order49 CFR 392.7 (a)
- The federal rules apply to employers, employees and commercial motor vehicles transporting property or passengers in interstate commerce; a commercial motor vehicle has a gross vehicle or combination weight or weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, or is designed or used to carry more than 8 passengers including the driver for compensation (more than 15 if not for compensation), or carries hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards49 CFR 390.3 (a) · 49 CFR 390.5 (commercial motor vehicle)
- Nothing in the federal rules stops an employer from requiring and enforcing more stringent requirements relating to safety of operation49 CFR 390.3 (d)
- A driver or motor carrier returning intermodal equipment reports any known damage, defects or deficiencies to the intermodal equipment provider, covering at least brakes, lights and markers, wheels, rims, lugs and tires, air line connections, hoses and couplers, the king pin upper coupling device, rails or support frames, tie down bolsters, locking pins, clevises, clamps or hooks, and sliders, with the carrier's name and USDOT number, the provider's USDOT number, the equipment's number, the date and time, and the driver's signature49 CFR 396.11 (b)
In the United States, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations decide what a driver vehicle inspection report covers, who signs it, what happens to the defects on it and how long it is kept. Here is each rule with a link to the official text.
When a DVIR is required
Every motor carrier requires its drivers to prepare a written report at the end of each day's work on each vehicle they drove. The report identifies the vehicle and lists every defect or deficiency the driver found or was told about that would affect safe operation or could cause a mechanical breakdown. A driver who drives more than one vehicle in a day writes one for each. When nothing is found or reported, the federal rule does not require a report, and a carrier may still require one.
It covers at least the service brakes including trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering mechanism, lighting devices and reflectors, tires, horn, windshield wipers, rear vision mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment. These are the same parts a driver must be satisfied are in good working order before driving.
Signatures, repairs and the next driver
The driver signs the report. On a two-driver team, one signature is enough if both agree on the defects.
Before the vehicle goes out again, the carrier or its agent repairs any listed defect likely to affect safe operation, and certifies on the report that each listed defect was repaired or that repair is unnecessary. The next driver reviews the last report and signs it to acknowledge the review and that the repair certification is there.
Keeping reports, and who is covered
The carrier keeps each report, its repair certification and the next driver's review for three months from the day the report was written. Reports may be made, kept and signed electronically if they hold the required information and can be reproduced when needed.
The rules apply to commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce: a vehicle rated or weighing 10,001 pounds or more, one built or used to carry more than 8 people including the driver for pay (more than 15 without pay), or one carrying hazardous materials that need placards. Private passenger carriers (nonbusiness), driveaway-towaway operations and carriers running only one commercial motor vehicle are outside the report rule.
From walkaround notes to a DVIR
Note each defect as you find it, with the unit it is on. ReportDraft rates every required part and accessory, writes each defect up on the right unit with what happens next, and prints the driver's signature line, the repair certification and the next driver's review line, as a PDF and an editable Word file.
Common mistakes
- Writing one report for two vehicles driven the same day.
- Leaving a trailer's defects off because they are on a different unit.
- Sending the vehicle out before the carrier has repaired safety defects and certified the report.
- The next driver skipping the review and signature on the last report.
- Throwing reports away before three months have passed.
Sources
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (1), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (1) (i) to (xi), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (2) (i), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (2) (ii), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (3), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.13, checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (4), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (5), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (a) (6), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 390.32, checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 392.7 (a), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 390.3 (a), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 390.5 (commercial motor vehicle), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 390.3 (d), checked October 11, 2026
- 49 CFR 396.11 (b), checked October 11, 2026
Last reviewed October 11, 2026. Next review due January 11, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs. State rules can add to these.
Template preview
Questions
What goes in a driver vehicle inspection report?
The driver's written record of a vehicle inspection: the vehicle and trailer identified, every part and accessory checked, each defect that could affect safe operation or cause a breakdown, the driver's signature, and the repair certification and next driver's review. ReportDraft lays it out in 4 sections: parts and accessories, other items checked, repairs or action taken, remarks.
Do my state's rules change the report?
Pick your state when you start. Where we have checked a local requirement against official sources, it is added to your completeness list with a link to the source.
Can I edit the draft?
Yes. Every finding, rating and sentence is editable before you sign. Your own entries always win over anything drafted from your notes.
What do I get at the end?
A signed, locked PDF for your client and an editable Word file, both with your company details. Signed reports keep a fingerprint so later changes are visible.
Which plan covers it?
ReportDraft Safety covers a driver vehicle inspection report along with workplace safety inspections, incident reports, fire extinguisher inspections, forklift inspections. Vehicle Inspections (DVIR) is also sold on its own.
Is a DVIR required if no defects are found?
Under the federal rule, no: a driver does not have to prepare a report when no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to them. A carrier may still require one.
How long must DVIRs be kept?
Three months from the date the report was prepared, together with the certification of repairs and the certification of the driver's review.
Can a DVIR be electronic?
Yes. It may be created, kept and signed electronically, as long as it accurately reflects the required information and can be kept and reproduced for anyone entitled to it.
Part of ReportDraft Safety
Safety and workplace management: every report and plan