How to Use eDVIR Tools to Keep Your Fleet Compliant

To stay compliant with federal mandates, fleet operations are required to keep a Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) for each commercial motor vehicle in their fleet.  

These are completed by drivers both before and after a route, resulting in pre-trip and post-trip inspections. Drivers must complete these each day to keep the operation compliant and to ensure all vehicles are safe to be on the roads.  

Get tips on why these inspections are performed, how to stay compliant, and how using eDVIRs can make the process more efficient. 

Why Inspections are Performed 

Vehicle inspections are performed with the goal of reducing the number of crashes – and corresponding injuries – involving commercial vehicles. Conducting inspections ensures the vehicle is safe to drive and isn’t a threat to the driver or other vehicles on the road. 

If an issue is found during an inspection that needs to be repaired, the operation must certify that the repair was made, or issue corrected before the vehicle can return to the roads. If the operation feels a repair wasn’t needed, it must also document that and explain why.  

Operations must keep records of all DVIRs and certifications for repairs for at least three months.  

How to Stay Compliant 

To keep the vehicle and operation compliant, drivers must complete all steps of the DVIR process before and after a route. This can include: 

• Inspecting the vehicle by performing a circle check, looking under the hood and looking for any physical damage on the vehicle. He or she should then start the vehicle and ensure key elements like the brakes and lights are in good working condition. 
• If the driver observes any issues that could impact the safety of the vehicle or its functionality, he or she must document and inform the operation.  
• The driver needs to sign the report before sending it to the shop. Then the operation can look at the notes and determine how to make the repairs. 
• Operations must document that repairs have been made on a vehicle and it is fit to return to service. 

Failing to comply with the federal regulations can result in fines and vehicles can be sidelined until necessary repairs are made. 

Benefits of Using eDVIRs 

To simplify this process and streamline the paperwork and information, fleet operations can use electronic DVIRs (eDVIRs). This lets operations keep records and store all inspection information in a device, such as a phone or tablet. This allows drivers to easily input the data, and it can be synced to the operation’s fleet management software to allow information to be easily accessed by technicians and fleet managers at the shop. 

Some of the additional benefits of using eDVIRs are: 

• Time savings: eDVIRs allow drivers to more quickly complete inspections since they don’t have to fill out handwritten forms. It also saves time in notifying the technicians of what issues need to be repaired on the vehicle when it comes back into the shop. 
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• Increased communications: Drivers and technicians can communicate easily through the eDVIR device, allowing drivers to notify them of what issues need to be repaired. It also let’s technicians update the vehicle status in the app to inform drivers when the vehicle is ready.  

• Take photos: Drivers can take photos of any issues on the vehicles with their mobile devices.  This added detail and visualization can help technicians pinpoint the defects. 
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• No lost papers: Keeping track of paper forms can be troublesome. These forms are expected to go from the driver to the technicians, and then get filed away at the shop and stored for three months.  Electronic DVIRs simplify this process by eliminating paper forms and keeping all information digitally. 

Simplify your fleet operation’s DVIR process with RTA Inspect, RTA's eDVIR solution. Contact us to learn more.