3 Tips for Completing Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports

Safety should always be a top priority for any fleet. Though each company can enforce its own fleet practices, industry regulations ensure that a standard of safety is followed by every American fleet.

Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) are required by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to promote safety for fleets and every driver on the road. According to Regulation 396.11, “Every driver shall prepare a report in writing at the completion of each day’s work on each vehicle operated.” Each report must include a check of the following parts:

• Brakes – Parking & Service
• Tires, Wheels, & Rims
• Mirrors
• Lights
• Reflectors
• Horn
• Emergency Equipment
• Coupling Devices

These inspections can help prevent accidents and dangerous situations from equipment malfunctions and failures. To make sure you are complying with DVIR regulations and keeping your fleet safe, encourage your drivers to use these tips while making inspections.

1. Create a routine

The best way to avoid incomplete reports is to establish a routine for inspections. Create a checklist or company-wide order for all vehicle inspections and add it to your driver training. If you use Geotab Go7 devices in your fleet, you can use the Geotab Drive app to create consistent, ordered reports with data from your telematics devices.

2. Put safety first

All vehicle inspections should occur in a location that does not pose danger to the driver. Encourage your drivers to avoid areas with traffic, such as the side of the road, unless absolutely necessary. In these situations, drivers should stay vigilant and aware of other vehicles and the danger they pose. If there is any chance that the vehicle might move, avoid getting behind, beneath, or in front of it. On inclines, use wheel chocks. Drivers should have the ignition key under control at all times.

3. Don’t get complacent

Daily tasks can quickly become mindless actions, so encourage your drivers to stay aware of the importance of these inspections. Carefully follow the routine for each inspection and always report problems quickly. Fleet managers should stay on top of these reports and make sure repairs are made quickly and correctly. You can also encourage your drivers to start each day with a quick visual inspection of their vehicles. If a vehicle issue isn’t reported or addressed correctly, this pre-inspection can prevent drivers from using faulty vehicles.

How do you address your fleet’s DVIRs? Tell us in the comments!