The maintenance file (one per vehicle)
- Identification: company number, make, serial number, year, tire size.
- Owner information if the vehicle is leased.
- A written schedule of inspection, repair and maintenance intervals.
- Inspection, repair and maintenance records showing date and nature of work.
- Annual/periodic inspection reports.
- Retention: 12 months while in service, plus 6 months after the vehicle leaves your control.
DVIRs
Drivers must complete a written post-trip DVIR whenever a defect is found. If a defect is reported, the carrier must certify the repair (or that no repair is needed) before the vehicle goes out again, and the DVIR is kept for 3 months.
Pre-trip inspections are still required every day — the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is safe and must review the last DVIR if one exists.
Annual periodic inspection
Every CMV, including trailers, needs a periodic inspection at least every 12 months, performed by a qualified inspector meeting 396.19 qualification standards. Keep the report or the decal. A CVSA inspection with no defects can satisfy this requirement if documented.
Operating a vehicle after it was placed out of service, before the repair, is an automatic audit failure and a serious violation.
State-specific: California BIT
California carriers face the Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) program administered by CHP. Expect terminal inspections every 25 months (or more often with a poor rating), with maintenance records, driver records and hours reviewed on-site. Keep 90 days of maintenance records at the terminal.