What changed

Texas Department of Public Safety published the 2025 commercial vehicle inspection report on February 1, 2026. Total inspections 1.14 million - up 4% over 2024. Out-of-service rate held at 17.4% (national average 19.6%, so Texas trends slightly cleaner). Driver out-of-service rate 5.8%; vehicle out-of-service rate 21.7%.

Top violation categories (citations issued, not just warnings): ELD compliance issues at 28%, brake adjustments at 18%, lighting (lamps and reflectors) at 11%, tires (tread depth and damage) at 9%, and HOS-related (false logs, missing duty status changes) at 8%.

Why ELD violations dominate

ELD-related citations have climbed steadily since the 2017 mandate phase-in completed in 2019. Common citations: failure to produce the device on demand, malfunctioning device without backup paper logs, incorrect duty-status assignments (yard move on highway, personal conveyance during dispatched runs), and unverified driver-name assignments.

Texas DPS officers are aggressively trained on ELD inspection procedures. A driver who hands over a malfunctioning iPad without paper-log backup is virtually guaranteed a citation.

How to reduce inspection violations

Pre-trip inspection discipline is the leading lever - most brake, lighting, and tire violations are catchable before leaving the yard. Standardize a DVIR pre-trip checklist and audit driver compliance monthly.

For ELD violations: verify every device on the FMCSA Approved List, train drivers on duty-status selection, and keep 8 days of backup paper logs in every cab as fallback.

What to do next

Texas-running carriers should benchmark their 12-month inspection history against the state averages. Carriers above 21.7% vehicle OOS rate need a maintenance program review; carriers above 5.8% driver OOS rate need a training program review.