§ 396.11 Driver vehicle inspection report(s).

(a) ReportEquipment required—provided by motor carrier. (1) MotorReport Carriersrequired. Every motor carrier shall require its drivers to report, and every driver shall prepare a report in writing at the completion of each day's work on each vehicle operated, except for intermodal equipment tendered by an intermodal equipment provider. The report shall cover at least the following parts and accessories:
—(i) Service brakes including trailer brake connections;
—(ii) Parking brake;
—(iii) Steering mechanism;
—(iv) Lighting devices and reflectors;
—(v) Tires;
—(vi) Horn;
—(vii) Windshield wipers;
—(viii) Rear vision mirrors;
—(ix) Coupling devices;
—(x) Wheels and rims;
—(xi) Emergency equipment.
(2) IntermodalReport content. (i) The report must identify the vehicle and list any defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver which would affect the safety of operation of the vehicle or result in its mechanical breakdown. If a driver operates more than one vehicle during the day, a report must be prepared for each vehicle operated. Drivers are not required to prepare a report if no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to the driver.
(ii) The driver must sign the report. On two-driver operations, only one driver needs to sign the driver vehicle inspection report, provided both drivers agree as to the defects or deficiencies identified.
(3) Corrective action. (i) Prior to requiring or permitting a driver to operate a vehicle, every motor carrier or its agent shall repair any defect or deficiency listed on the driver vehicle inspection report which would be likely to affect the safety of operation of the vehicle.
(ii) Every motor carrier or its agent shall certify on the driver vehicle inspection report which lists any defect or deficiency that the defect or deficiency has been repaired or that repair is unnecessary before the vehicle is operated again.
(4) Retention period for reports. Every motor carrier shall maintain the driver vehicle inspection report, the certification of repairs, and the certification of the driver's review for three months from the date the written report was prepared.
(5) Exceptions. The rules in this section shall not apply to a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), a driveaway-towaway operation, or any motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle.
(6) Electronic reporting. The report required by this paragraph (a) may be created and maintained in electronic format, in accordance with 49 CFR 390.32.
(b) Equipment provided by intermodal equipment providersprovider. (1) Report required. Every intermodal equipment provider must have a process to receive driver reports of, and each driver or motor carrier transporting intermodal equipment must report to the intermodal equipment provider or its designated agent, any known damage, defects, or deficiencies in the intermodal equipment operated.at Thethe drivertime mustthe reportequipment on,is andreturned to the processprovider toor receivethe reportsprovider's designated agent. The report must coverinclude, at leasta minimum, the following parts and accessories:
—(i) Brakes;
—(ii) Lighting devices, lamps, markers, and conspicuity marking material;
—(iii) Wheels, rims, lugs, tires;
—(iv) Air line connections, hoses, and couplers;
—(v) King pin upper coupling device;
—(vi) Rails or support frames;
—(vii) Tie down bolsters;
—(viii) Locking pins, clevises, clamps, or hooks;
—(ix) Sliders or sliding frame lock.
(b2) Report content. The(i) reportName shallof identifythe motor carrier responsible for the vehicleoperation andof listthe anyintermodal defectequipment at the time the damage, defects, or deficiencydeficiencies were discovered by, or reported to, the driver.
(ii) whichMotor wouldcarrier's affectUSDOT thenumber; safetyintermodal ofequipment operationprovider's ofUSDOT thenumber, vehicleand ora resultunique inidentifying itsnumber mechanicalfor breakdown.the Ifitem noof defectintermodal orequipment.
(iii) deficiencyDate isand discoveredtime bythe orreport reportedwas tosubmitted.
(iv) theAll driverdamage, thedefects, reportor shalldeficiencies soof indicate.the Inintermodal allequipment instances,reported to the driverequipment shallprovider signand thediscovered report.by, Onor two-driverreported operationsto, onlythe onemotor drivercarrier needsor toits sign the driver vehiclewhich inspectionwould
(A) report,Affect providedthe bothsafety driversof agreeoperation asof to the defectsintermodal equipment, or
(B) deficienciesResult identified.in Ifits amechanical driverbreakdown operateswhile moretransported thanon onepublic vehicleroads.
(v) duringThe thesignature day,of athe reportdriver shallwho be prepared forthe each vehicle operatedreport.
(c3) Corrective action. (i) Prior to requiringallowing or permitting a drivermotor carrier to operatetransport a vehicle,piece everyof intermodal equipment for which a motor carrier or itsdriver agenthas shallsubmitted repaira anyreport defectabout damage, defects or deficiencydeficiencies, listedeach onintermodal equipment provider or its agent must repair the driverreported vehicledamage, inspectiondefects, reportor whichdeficiencies wouldthat beare likely to affect the safety of operation of the vehicle.
(1ii) EveryEach motorintermodal carrierequipment provider or its agent shallmust certify on the original driver's vehicle inspection report which lists any defectdamage, defects, or deficiencydeficiencies of the intermodal equipment that the defectreported damage, defects, or deficiencydeficiencies hashave been repaired, or that repair is unnecessary, before the vehicle is operated again.
(24) EveryRetention motorperiod carrierfor shallreports. Each intermodal equipment provider must maintain theall originaldocumentation driverrequired vehicleby inspectionthis reportsection, including the certificationdriver ofreport repairs, and the certification of therepairs driver'son reviewall intermodal equipment, for a period of three months from the date thethat writtena reportmotor wascarrier prepared.
(d)or Exceptions.its Thedriver rulessubmits inthe thisreport sectionto shallthe notintermodal applyequipment toprovider aor privateits motoragent.
(5) carrierElectronic ofreporting. passengersThe report required by this paragraph (nonbusinessb), amay driveaway-towawaybe operation,created orand anymaintained motorin carrierelectronic operatingformat, onlyin oneaccordance commercialwith motor49 vehicleCFR 390.32.
[44 FR 38526, July 2, 1979, as amended at 45 FR 46425, July 10, 1980; 53 FR 18058, May 19, 1988; 59 FR 8753, Feb. 23, 1994; 63 FR 33279, June 18, 1998; 73 FR 76824, Dec. 17, 2008; 74 FR 68709, Dec. 29, 2009; 77 FR 34852, June 12, 2012; 77 FR 59828, Oct. 1, 2012; 78 FR 58485, Sept. 24, 2013; 79 FR 75449, Dec. 18, 2014; 83 FR 16227, Apr. 16, 2018; 85 FR 50793, Aug. 18, 2020; 91 FR 7896, Feb. 19, 2026]