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Annual Vehicle Inspection Report
A one-page DOT annual inspection form for a truck, tractor, trailer or bus. It lists the 15 component groups in Appendix A to Part 396 with OK, Needs repair and Repaired columns, and carries the inspector's certification that 49 CFR 396.21 asks for. It comes as a PDF to print and a Word file to edit.
No signup needed. Print one for each vehicle; it fits a single US Letter page.
What's on the form
The top block names the motor carrier and its address, the date, the vehicle (unit number, year and make, serial number, plate and odometer), the kind of vehicle and the inspector. The body lists every component in Appendix A to Part 396 in the appendix's order, 56 lines in 15 groups:
- Brake system, including antilock brakes and automatic brake adjusters
- Coupling devices
- Exhaust system
- Fuel system
- Lighting devices and reflectors
- Safe loading
- Steering mechanism
- Suspension
- Frame
- Tires
- Wheels and rims
- Windshield glazing
- Windshield wipers
- Motorcoach seats
- Rear impact guard
Each line has an OK box, a Needs repair box and a column for the date it was repaired. Below are two lines for the components that did not meet the standards and the repairs made, then the certification and the inspector's signature.
What the report has to show
Section 396.21(a) lists six things, and the form has a place for each: who performed the inspection, the motor carrier operating the vehicle, the date, the vehicle inspected, the components inspected with the results, including any that did not meet the Appendix A standards, and a certification that the inspection is accurate and complete.
How to fill out the annual vehicle inspection report
- One report per vehicle. A tractor and its trailer get a report each.
- Work down the list. Tick OK or Needs repair on every line. Strike through lines for equipment the vehicle doesn't have, such as motorcoach seats on a truck or coupling devices on a straight truck.
- Write up what failed. Name each component that did not meet the standard and the repair made.
- Date the repairs. When a failed item is fixed, enter the date in the Repaired column.
- Certify and sign. Once every line passes, the inspector ticks the certification, signs and dates the report.
Who can do the inspection
A carrier may inspect its own vehicles or have a commercial garage, fleet leasing company or truck stop do it (§396.17(d), (e)). Either way the inspector has to understand the inspection criteria, know the methods and tools, and be qualified by training or experience: a federal or state training program or certificate, or at least a year of training or experience as a mechanic or inspector (§396.19). The carrier keeps evidence of those qualifications.
Proof on the vehicle: the report or a sticker
A vehicle can't be used unless it passed within the preceding 12 months and documentation of the inspection is on the vehicle. That can be this report, or a sticker or decal showing the date of inspection, the name and address of whoever keeps the report, information identifying the vehicle if it isn't clearly marked, and a certification that it passed under §396.17 (§396.17(c)).
How long to keep it
Keep the original or a copy for 14 months from the date of the report, where the vehicle is housed or maintained, and have it available when a federal, state or local official asks for it (§396.21(b)). The truck maintenance log has a Vehicles sheet that works out when each unit's next annual inspection is due.
Questions
Does a trailer need its own annual inspection report?
Yes. Each vehicle in a combination is inspected on its own: the tractor, the semitrailer, and a full trailer with its converter dolly (49 CFR 396.17(a)). Use one report for each.
Can our own mechanic do the annual inspection?
Yes, if they meet the inspector qualifications in 49 CFR 396.19 and you keep evidence of those qualifications while they inspect for you and for one year after.
Does a state inspection count as the annual inspection?
A vehicle that passes a periodic inspection under a state program meeting the Appendix A standards is treated as having met the annual inspection for 12 months from the last day of the month it was inspected (49 CFR 396.17(f)).
How long do we keep the report?
Fourteen months from the date of the report, where the vehicle is housed or maintained (49 CFR 396.21(b)).
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