What is DVIR?

A DVIR is a Driver Vehicle Inspection Report, which needs to be completed daily by drivers for any commercial vehicle they operate, as specified by Federal Law 49 CFR 396.11 and 396.13 and enforced by the DOT.

• At the start of a driver's shift they must review the last DVIR completed on the vehicle. If there are defects noted these must be inspected and signed off. If the defects have not been corrected they must be repaired before the vehicle can be used. This is often referred to as the pre-trip inspection and outlined in Federal Law 49 CFR 396.13.
• At the completion of the day's work, the driver must complete a DVIR on the vehicle. This is specified by Federal Law 49 CFR 396.11. If the driver operates more than one vehicle a separate DVIR must be completed for each vehicle.

A commercial driver must sight the last DVIR for the vehicle and sign off on any defects prior to starting their shift (referred to as the pre-trip inspection). A DVIR checks around 15 aspects of the vehicle's mechanical fitness including brakes, lights, couplings and tires.

DVIRs need to be kept for a minimum of three months.

DVIRs can be completed electronically using a smartphone or tablet with features that force drivers to physically inspect the vehicle rather than just 'pencil whipping' the form.