DVIR
What is a DVIR (driver vehicle inspection report)?
A DVIR, driver vehicle inspection report, is the written report a commercial driver makes at the end of the day's work on a vehicle, covering the parts federal rules list (brakes, steering, lights, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, emergency equipment) and any defect found. Under FMCSA rules, drivers of property-carrying vehicles must file one when a defect is found or reported, and passenger carriers file one every day. A reported defect that affects safety must be repaired, or certified as not needing repair, before the vehicle runs again.
What happens when a defect is written down
- The driver lists the defect on the report at the end of the day.
- Before the vehicle runs again, the carrier repairs any defect that affects safe operation, or certifies that repair is not needed.
- The carrier keeps the report and the repair certification for three months.
- The next driver reviews the last report and signs it before driving; reports can be electronic.
Why it is not just paperwork
The DVIR is the earliest signal a fleet has about its equipment: brake complaints, lighting faults and tire wear show up here weeks before a breakdown. Fleets that read the reports as data (which vehicles, which defects, how often) find the pattern; fleets that file them as PDFs find out at the roadside inspection.