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DVIR - Driver Vehicle Inspection Report
Pre-trip and post-trip driver vehicle inspection report aligned with 49 CFR §396.11. Print, fill, sign, retain - every element FMCSA expects when an investigator asks for the prior-day post-trip DVIR.
Download free templateFile: dvir-driver-vehicle-inspection-report.docx· No email required.
What's inside
- Driver, carrier, vehicle ID, date, location header block
- Service brakes - drum, air pressure, slack adjusters
- Parking (hand) brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lighting devices - headlamps, marker lamps, signals, brake lamps
- Tires - tread depth, sidewall condition, pressure
- Horn
- Windshield wipers
- Rear-vision mirrors
- Coupling devices - fifth wheel, kingpin, safety chains
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment - fire extinguisher, spare fuses, warning triangles
- Trailer specific items (lights, wheels, tires, brakes, coupling)
- Defects identified + corrective action signature block
- Driver and mechanic signature lines
Who needs this template
Every CDL driver and motor carrier. 49 CFR §396.11 requires post-trip DVIRs at the end of each driving day for any commercial motor vehicle. Pre-trip inspections under §396.13 are not strictly required to produce a written DVIR but most carriers retain one for consistency.
Why we built this
DVIRs are one of the items roadside inspectors and FMCSA investigators ask for first. “Show me yesterday's post-trip” is a standard prompt. If you don't have one, that's a §396.11 violation; if the one you do have is a generic checkbox form that doesn't cover every item §396.11(a) lists, you may still get cited.
Most ELD providers offer electronic DVIRs and most carriers should use them. But there are edge cases: a yard truck without an ELD, a temporary tractor swap, a backup paper workflow when the device fails. This template is the paper backup - print pads of these and keep them in every cab. Drivers fill them out at end-of-day, mechanics sign off any defect corrections, and the form gets archived for 90 days minimum (longer for §396.11(c) flagged defects that affect safety).
We aligned the inspection items to the exact §396.11(a) list. If the item is on the form, FMCSA expects you to inspect it. If it's not, the inspector will ask why. Use this as the canonical list and add specific items only if your equipment requires them (lift gates, refrigeration units, on-board hydraulics, etc.).
Use this template freely. Attribution welcome but not required. If you publish a guide referencing it, a link back to https://www.fasttruckingcompliance.com/resources/dvir-driver-vehicle-inspection-reportis the way we'd love it cited.