A DVIR (driver vehicle inspection report) is the written report a commercial driver completes at the end of each day's work on each vehicle, listing any defect that would affect safe operation. Under 49 CFR 396.11, the carrier must repair or clear each listed defect before the truck runs again, and keep the report for three months.
What does a DVIR have to cover?
A DVIR has to cover at least 11 parts and accessories. It's the same list a driver checks before driving (49 CFR 392.7):
- 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
- Emergency equipment
The report has to identify the vehicle and list any defect or deficiency the driver found, or that someone reported to them, that would affect safe operation or cause a breakdown. A driver who ran three trucks that day owes a report for each one. The driver signs it. On a two-driver operation, one signature is enough if both agree on the defects (49 CFR 396.11).
That list is a federal minimum written for every kind of truck. It says nothing about a hoist, a packer blade, or a riding step, which is where a lot of refuse truck defects live. We cover those in the checklist below.
What is the difference between a pre-trip inspection and a DVIR?
A pre-trip inspection happens before the truck leaves: the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is safe, and must review and sign the last DVIR if one was required. The DVIR is the post-trip report, written once the day's work is done, listing defects. Pre-trip catches what's wrong now. The DVIR hands what went wrong to the shop.
| Pre-trip inspection | Post-trip DVIR | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before driving | At the end of each day's work, for each vehicle |
| What the driver does | Checks the vehicle is safe to operate; reviews the last DVIR and signs that the repairs were certified | Inspects the vehicle and writes up any defect that affects safety or could cause a breakdown |
| Written report required? | No, beyond signing the last DVIR | Yes, when a defect is found or reported |
| Rule | 396.13, 392.7 | 396.11 |
The two work as a loop. Tonight's DVIR is tomorrow morning's pre-trip paperwork. If the evening driver writes up a brake light and the shop never signs it off, the morning driver is supposed to catch that before rolling.
Do you need a DVIR if there are no defects?
No. Under the current text of 49 CFR 396.11(a)(2)(i), a driver isn't required to prepare a report if no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to them. A truck that comes back clean needs no paperwork. A truck with even one safety-related defect needs a written report.
That rule has a side effect worth knowing. If your drivers only write a report when something's wrong, you have no record that anyone looked at the trucks that came back clean. Many operators ask for a report on every vehicle anyway, defects or not. It costs a driver a minute and gives you a complete record of who inspected what, and when.
What happens after a driver reports a defect?
After a driver reports a defect, the carrier owns it:
- Repair: fix any defect likely to affect safe operation before the vehicle is driven again.
- Certify: sign the report to show the defect was repaired or that repair is unnecessary.
- Review: the next driver reviews the report and certification, and signs.
- Keep: hold all three for three months.
Those four steps come from 396.11(a)(3) and (a)(4) and 396.13. The certification can come from the motor carrier "or its agent," which in practice usually means the shop. The retention clock starts on the date the driver prepared the report, and all three pieces (the report, the repair certification, and the next driver's signed review) are kept together.
This is where paper DVIRs tend to break down. The report gets turned in at the end of the week, the shop sees the defect after the truck has already run, and the certification is a signature nobody can find at audit time. The rule assumes the defect reaches the shop the same day. Paper rarely gets it there that fast.
Who has to complete DVIRs?
Drivers of commercial motor vehicles operated in interstate commerce. For property carriers, that means a vehicle with a weight rating or actual weight of 10,001 pounds or more, which covers every roll off, front load, and rear load truck. The rule exempts carriers operating only one commercial vehicle, driveaway-towaway operations, and private nonbusiness passenger carriers.
The commercial vehicle definition is in 49 CFR 390.5. It also covers vehicles designed to carry more than 8 passengers for pay, or more than 15 not for pay, and any vehicle hauling placarded hazardous materials. Trucks that never leave your state may be under state rules instead. Most states adopt the federal rules for intrastate carriers, but the weight thresholds and exemptions vary, so check your state's version before you drop a truck from the program.
What should a pre-trip inspection checklist include for a garbage truck?
A pre-trip inspection checklist for a garbage truck should cover the 11 federal items, then the body: hoist, cables, or arms; the packer and hydraulics; and anything a helper rides or stands on. The federal list was written for a tractor and trailer. Most refuse truck defects that sideline a route are on the body, not the chassis.
The table below is our suggested addition to the federal minimum, by body type. It's a starting point to adapt to your fleet and your manufacturers' manuals, not a regulatory list.
| Check | Roll off | Front load | Rear load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal 11 (every truck) | Service and parking brakes, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, emergency equipment | ||
| Lifting system | Hoist or hook arm, cylinders, cable or chain, winch, latch | Arms, forks, fork pins, arm cylinders | Cart tippers or winch, if fitted |
| Packer and body | Rails, rollers, container hold-downs | Packer blade, hopper, body and tailgate seals and locks | Packer blade, sweep panel, hopper, tailgate props and locks |
| Hydraulics | Hoses and fittings for leaks, fluid level | Hoses and fittings for leaks, fluid level | Hoses and fittings for leaks, fluid level |
| Controls | Hoist controls, PTO engagement | Arm and packer controls in the cab | Packer controls and emergency stops at the hopper |
| People on the truck | Steps and grab handles to the cab | Steps and grab handles to the cab | Riding steps, grab handles, step sensors if fitted |
| Seeing and being seen | Backup alarm, cameras, strobes | Backup alarm, cameras, strobes, overhead clearance light if fitted | Backup alarm, cameras, strobes |
| Load | Tarp system, container secured | Hopper clear before the first lift | Hopper clear before the first stop |
Two habits make the list work. Inspect in the same order every day, so nothing gets skipped when the yard is busy. And write the defect in words the shop can act on: "rear left brake light out" gets fixed, "lights" doesn't.
Can DVIRs be electronic?
Yes. The rule says the DVIR and the next driver's review "may be created and maintained in electronic format," under 49 CFR 390.32. An electronic DVIR has to carry the same content and signatures as paper. What it adds is speed: the defect reaches the shop when it's written, not when the paper is turned in.
The things to look for in electronic DVIRs are practical ones. Drivers should be able to finish an inspection from any device, including with no signal at the back of the lot. Defects should notify the shop and the supervisor right away. Repair certifications and driver reviews should attach to the same record, so the three-month file builds itself.
How do DVIRs improve preventive maintenance?
DVIRs improve preventive maintenance (PM) by showing the shop what breaks between scheduled services. A PM is a snapshot taken every few weeks or every few thousand miles. A DVIR is a check on the same truck every day it runs. Put the two side by side and the DVIRs become a running grade on how good each PM was.
- Defects that show up soon after a PM: a brake or light defect written up three days after a service is a sign the PM missed it or the repair didn't hold. Tracked by unit and by shop, it shows where PM quality is slipping.
- The same defect across the fleet: if drivers keep writing up the same component on the same kind of truck, the PM checklist or interval needs to change, not just the part.
- Deferred items: defects that don't affect safe operation still get written down, so they can be scheduled into the next PM instead of turning into a road call.
- One maintenance record: carriers already have to systematically inspect, repair, and maintain their vehicles and keep records of it (49 CFR 396.3). DVIR repairs and PM work in the same history make that record complete.
The result is fewer surprises on route. Trucks that come out of a PM stay out longer, and the shop spends its time on the work the trucks actually need.
Why are DVIR defects a leading indicator?
DVIR defects are a leading indicator because each one is a hazard found before it causes a breakdown or a crash. A brake defect written up and fixed today doesn't become a DOT accident next month. Tracked over time, defects per truck and time-to-repair show which units and which shops need attention first.
The numbers worth watching are simple: defects reported per vehicle per month, the share repaired before the next shift, defects reported within 30 days of a PM, and the share of reports with a repair certification on file. A fleet that reports almost no defects usually isn't defect-free. Its drivers have stopped writing them down. The same is true of safety observations and near misses: a quiet log is a warning sign, not a good result.
That's the gap we built SCOPE to close. Drivers complete electronic DVIRs from any device. A defect is logged the moment it's seen, the supervisor knows right away, and the inspection sits in the same record as the driver's qualification file, training, and incidents, next to TRIR and DART. Read more in Introducing SCOPE, or see where DVIRs sit in the full program in What is EHS?
Frequently asked questions
How long do you have to keep a DVIR?+
Three months from the date the report was prepared. The carrier keeps the DVIR, the certification of repairs, and the next driver's signed review together for that period, under 49 CFR 396.11(a)(4).
Who signs a DVIR?+
Three signatures can be involved. The driver who found the defect signs the report. The carrier or its agent, usually the shop, certifies the repair. The next driver signs to show they reviewed the report and the repair certification before driving.
Does a pre-trip inspection have to be written down?+
Not under the federal rule. Before driving, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is safe and must review and sign the last DVIR if one was required. Many operators still require a written or electronic pre-trip, because it is the only proof the inspection happened.
Can DVIRs be electronic?+
Yes. Both the DVIR and the next driver's review may be created and kept electronically under 49 CFR 396.11(a)(6) and 396.13(d). The content and signature requirements are the same as on paper.
Do pickup trucks need a DVIR?+
Usually not. The federal rule applies to commercial motor vehicles, which for property carriers means 10,001 pounds or more used in interstate commerce. Most pickups and supervisor vehicles fall below that, though your state's rules for intrastate vehicles can differ.
This article summarizes federal rules as of November 2026 for general information. It isn't legal advice. Check the linked regulation and your state's rules before acting on a specific requirement.
Kyle has 15+ years in data, analytics, and technology. In waste, he led BI strategy and enterprise KPIs at WIN Waste Innovations and designed the first best-practice data architecture and Power BI suite for a national portable services operator across 20+ locations. He holds an MBA and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.