The Driver Vehicle Inspection Report is the daily paper trail that proves your truck was safe to drive. Here's when you actually have to file one — and what auditors look for.
A DVIR (Driver Vehicle Inspection Report) documents the condition of your commercial vehicle and any defects found during inspection. It's separate from your hours-of-service logs — the DVIR is about the equipment, not your driving time.
At the end of each driving day the driver must inspect the vehicle and, if a defect or deficiency is found, prepare a written report covering at minimum: service brakes, parking brake, steering, lighting, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels/rims, and emergency equipment. No defect found means no written report is technically required under §396.11 — but many fleets require a "no defects" DVIR anyway.
Before driving, the next driver must review the last DVIR and confirm any defect that would affect safety was repaired and certified. This is why a missing or unsigned prior DVIR can stop the next trip cold.
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Keep the DVIR + repair certification | At least 3 months |
| Written report | Only when a defect is found (§396.11) |
| Pre-trip review of last report | Required every day (§396.13) |
Paper DVIRs get lost, and a missing repair certification is a common audit finding. An electronic DVIR timestamps the inspection, attaches it to the right truck and driver, and keeps the last-8-days history one tap away for a roadside inspector — the same place your logs live.
Do your DVIR in the app — start for $1 →A post-trip inspection is expected daily, but under §396.11 a written report is only required when you find a defect. Many carriers still require a "no defects" report for their records.
The post-trip DVIR (§396.11) is completed after the day's work. The pre-trip review (§396.13) is the next driver confirming any listed defects were repaired before driving.
The carrier must keep the DVIR and the certification of repairs for at least three months.