Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) template
A DVIR records a commercial motor vehicle defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver that could affect safe operation or cause mechanical breakdown. Under the current federal 49 CFR §396.11, a covered driver prepares and signs the written report at the end of the day's work for each vehicle operated when such a defect is found. A federal written no-defect DVIR is not required under the current text. Use the fillable form below for a reportable defect and for the carrier's repair or “repair unnecessary” certification. Check state and intrastate requirements and the carrier's own policy separately.
This is a US federal motor-carrier form, focused on equipment supplied by the carrier under §396.11(a). It is not the UK daily vehicle check template, and it does not replace an annual inspection, a maintenance program, a roadside inspection response or a safe pre-trip decision. Intermodal equipment provided by a separate provider has its own §396.11(b) report process.
Check whether the federal form requirement applies
Before mandating a daily written report for every driver, read the operation and the current rule. §396.11(a)(5) excludes a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), a driveaway-towaway operation and a motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle from that section. The one-CMV language appears in the current eCFR text, which shows a 2026 amendment. Document the actual fleet and operation; do not assume a one-vehicle exception applies to a larger carrier simply because one vehicle is assigned to a particular driver.
Older online summaries may still state that passenger-carrying CMVs must file no-defect DVIRs. The current §396.11(a)(2)(i) says drivers are not required to prepare a report when no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to them. The eCFR is the source to recheck for publication and fleet instructions. A carrier may choose additional internal checks, and a state may impose different requirements, but label those as policy or state law rather than the federal §396.11 written-report duty.
Even when a written DVIR is not required, §396.13 requires a driver before driving to be satisfied the motor vehicle is in safe operating condition. Where a previous DVIR is required, the driver reviews it and acknowledges the certified repair as specified. A no-report exception is not permission to drive a vehicle with a known unsafe defect.
Copyable DVIR defect-report form
A. Driver, vehicle and day
| Field | Enter the actual information |
|---|---|
| Carrier legal name / USDOT number | |
| Driver name and employee/driver ID | |
| Report date and end-of-work time | |
| Power-unit ID, plate and VIN or fleet number | |
| Trailer or other operated vehicle ID, if relevant | |
| Odometer/hours (useful carrier record, not asserted as a §396.11 mandatory field) | |
| Place where defect found and vehicle parked | |
| Dispatcher/maintenance contact notified and time | |
| Current operation: property, passenger, other; federal applicability/exception checked |
The regulation requires vehicle identification and a signed report of qualifying defects. The extra management fields help the carrier find the unit, repair it and prevent dispatch before close-out. Do not present every optional field as federally mandated.
B. Defect or deficiency
| Part/system and vehicle | Observed defect, symptoms or warning | When/how discovered or reported | Effect on safe operation or breakdown risk | Driver's immediate action and whom notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes/trailer connections | ||||
| Parking brake | ||||
| Steering | ||||
| Lights/reflectors | ||||
| Tyres, wheels or rims | ||||
| Horn, wipers or mirrors | ||||
| Coupling device | ||||
| Emergency equipment | ||||
| Other safety-related defect |
Use only the rows that reflect the actual defect. §396.11(a)(1) lists the minimum parts and accessories the report covers; the written report must list defects that affect safe operation or may cause breakdown. Attach a photograph or work order if it improves clarity, but use words that identify the fault and vehicle. “Check brakes” or “light issue” may not tell maintenance what must be inspected.
Driver certification: I have reported the defects or deficiencies discovered by or reported to me for the vehicle(s) identified above. Driver name: ______ Signature: ______ Date/time: ______. In a two-driver operation, the current rule permits one driver to sign if both agree on the reported defects; record that agreement under the carrier's process.
C. Carrier corrective action and release
| Item | Carrier/agent entry |
|---|---|
| Vehicle taken out of service or otherwise restricted? | |
| Work order/inspection reference and technician | |
| Defect repaired: description, completion date and evidence | |
| Or repair unnecessary before operation: reason and competent decision | |
| Carrier/agent certification, name, signature and date | |
| Person authorizing vehicle return to service | |
| Next driver reviewed report and certification before driving | |
| Next driver acknowledgement/signature where required |
Under §396.11(a)(3), the carrier or its agent must repair a listed defect likely to affect safe operation before requiring or permitting the vehicle to operate, and certify on the report that the defect was repaired or that repair is unnecessary before operation. Do not use “repair unnecessary” as a way to close a genuine safety defect without a defensible technical decision. If the vehicle was declared out of service under a separate enforcement process, follow those restrictions as well.
The next driver must check safe operating condition before driving. If a prior report exists and §396.13 requires review, the driver should verify the repair certification and sign the acknowledgement specified by the rule. The form's release field helps prevent a reported defect from disappearing between shifts.
D. Record control
| Field | Carrier entry |
|---|---|
| Final report/repair/driver-review record location | |
| Date report prepared | |
| Retention end date under applicable rule/policy | |
| Reviewer of completeness and corrective action | |
| Related repeat defects or maintenance trend |
§396.11(a)(4) requires the carrier to retain the DVIR, repair certification and next-driver review certification for three months from the date the written report was prepared. Other maintenance or state records can have different periods. Electronic reports are permitted under the section when they meet the referenced 49 CFR §390.32 conditions. A digital form still needs the required content, signatures/certifications and retrievable records.
Practical reporting workflow
1. Check the vehicle before driving. The driver should be satisfied it is safe under §396.13, review any required prior defect report and not depart with an unresolved safety problem. The carrier should have a process for reporting defects discovered during the day, not only at the end.
2. Describe the defect precisely. Identify the vehicle and affected component, what happened and when, and whether operation must stop. For a trailer fault, include the trailer identifier. Notify dispatch or maintenance promptly rather than relying on someone reading the form later.
3. Prevent unsafe reuse. The carrier assesses the issue, repairs what must be repaired, documents the work and certifies repair or a defensible no-repair-needed decision. The vehicle should not be reassigned until the required release is complete.
4. Review on the next use. The next driver checks condition and the previous defect close-out. A signature on a blank form is not a substitute for seeing the vehicle and repair status.
5. Keep the evidence. Store the report, repair certification and review acknowledgement for the federal period if the rule applies, alongside any additional maintenance records. Trend repeated defects so the maintenance system addresses causes rather than just each individual report.
Example: trailer lighting defect
A driver notices that a trailer's rear lamp intermittently fails after a delivery. The driver identifies the tractor and trailer, notes the lamp and when the failure occurred, tells dispatch and signs a DVIR at the end of work. Maintenance inspects the circuit, replaces a damaged connector, tests the lamp and records the repair certification. The next driver checks the trailer and reviews the certified repair before departure. If the lamp still fails, the vehicle is not released just because the form was signed.
This example is illustrative. The carrier must determine the safety and out-of-service implications of its actual defect under current rules.
Common mistakes
- Making every driver file a federal no-defect report. Current §396.11 says no report is required if no defect/deficiency was found or reported.
- Missing the 2026 one-CMV exception. Check the carrier's actual operation and current law; do not assume the exception applies to every owner-operator or leased arrangement.
- Using a UK walkaround form as a US DVIR. The legal sources, vehicle scope, reporting and retention differ.
- Confusing pre-trip safe-condition check with the post-trip DVIR. Both matter, but they are not the same record.
- Reporting a defect without close-out. Carrier repair or “repair unnecessary” certification and next-driver review matter.
- Treating the DVIR as the whole maintenance program. Part 396 requires systematic inspection, repair and maintenance beyond one report.
- Copying old passenger-carrier advice. The current eCFR text controls the no-defect question.
How Complys fits
The observed US site is getcomplys.com/us. The proposed /us/dvir-software route and any DVIR-specific workflow were not implementation-verified during this writer-side pass. Do not claim that Complys automatically judges federal applicability, produces compliant electronic signatures, certifies repairs, checks vehicle defects or dispatch-blocks unsafe units until those exact functions are confirmed. A verified document and asset record system may help organize reports, repair evidence and due dates, but the carrier remains responsible for inspection and release.
Next step: determine whether §396.11 applies to your operation, use the form for reportable defects, document the carrier's corrective action and check the current rule before adopting it across the fleet.
Source, claim and writer-side QA register — checked 5 October 2026
| Material claim | Primary source | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Covered written DVIR, component list, no-defect rule, signature, repair certification, three-month retention and exceptions | Current eCFR 49 CFR §396.11 | eCFR displayed current through 1 October 2026; recheck on publication day. |
| Before driving, driver must be satisfied vehicle is safe and review/sign prior required report | Current eCFR 49 CFR §396.13 | Applies according to the rule; not equivalent to mandatory no-defect DVIR. |
| Electronic reporting permitted under stated conditions | Current eCFR §396.11 and §390.32 | Product implementation must independently satisfy requirements. |
| FMCSA supplies a sample DVIR form | FMCSA Forms Library | Older guidance pages may not reflect 2026 changes; current regulation governs. |
Cannibalisation: no exact live Complys US DVIR form observed; UK vehicle-check template has a different jurisdiction. Check current repo/unpublished owner. Product truth: US DVIR money route and features unverified; no digital-signature or dispatch-block claim. Jurisdiction: federal US motor-carrier rule, with state/intrastate variation and intermodal distinction. Links/CTA: current eCFR/FMCSA and verified US homepage only until commercial route verified. Writer-side QA: usable defect, repair, review and retention form; 2026 exception and no-defect rule checked against current primary legal text; source and publication-day gates recorded. Independent whole-page and repo QA remain outstanding.