It’s a relatively simple document that causes a lot of confusion in the motor carrier world: The driver vehicle inspection report — also known as the DVIR. The DVIR is very important for our Idealease service managers as this is the communication between your driver and our service team as to what is going on with the unit. With this information from your drivers we can service and repair your unit faster resulting in a higher level of uptime! It is very important that you as the motor carrier make sure drivers are complying with the DVIR requirements as outlined below. Who needs to complete the DVIR? When does it need to be completed? What needs to be included on the DVIR? How long does it need to be kept? These are just some of the questions many motor carriers have when it comes to this document, which is required per Section 396.11 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR).
The Basics
Who: The DVIR requirements apply to all commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) as defined in Section 390.5 of the FMCSR. This definition includes:
- A vehicle or combination of vehicles rated or weighing
- 10,001 pounds or more
- A vehicle of any size transporting placardable hazmat
- A vehicle designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation
- A vehicle designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver, and is not used to transport passengers for compensation
When: When to complete a DVIR depends on the type of vehicle being operated.
- Drivers of passenger-carrying vehicles must complete a DVIR at the end of each day’s work on each vehicle operated, whether a defect exists or not
- Drivers of all other CMVs must complete a DVIR whenever a defect is discovered by or reported to the driver or when company policies otherwise require it. Keep in mind that a vehicle may require multiple DVIRs in a single day if more than one person operates the vehicle that day.
What: The report must identify the vehicle and cover (at least) the following parts and accessories:
- Service brakes including trailer brake connections
- Parking (hand) brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lighting devices and reflectors
- Tires
- Horn
- Windshield wipers
- Rear vision mirrors
- Coupling devices
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment
No specific format is required; however, the form must include space for three signatures:
- The signature of the driver who prepared the report
- The motor carrier’s or mechanic’s signature certifying that the reported defects or deficiencies have been corrected or that no correction is necessary
- The reviewing driver’s signature acknowledging the corrective action taken by the motor carrier
DVIR’s are available from your Idealease location (IL-700)