A plain guide to FMCSA rules 49 CFR 396.11 and 396.13 for US fleets: who completes a DVIR, when, what it covers, who certifies repairs and how long to keep it. Then what PreStart records, and what stays with you.
In short: Under FMCSA rule 49 CFR 396.11, motor carriers must have drivers prepare a driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) at the end of each day's work on each vehicle when a defect is found or reported. Since 2014 (property carriers) and 2020 (passenger carriers), no report is required when there are no defects. The carrier repairs and certifies listed defects before the vehicle runs again, the next driver reviews and signs the report, and reports are kept for 3 months. PreStart records each daily inspection, every defect with notes and photos, and the workshop's repair notes. Carriers remain responsible for meeting the rules.
Every motor carrier subject to 49 CFR 396.11 must require its drivers to report on each vehicle they drive. It does not apply to a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), a driveaway-towaway operation, or a carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle. Part 396 covers commercial motor vehicles as defined in 49 CFR 390.5. States set the rules for intrastate operations.
At the end of each day's work, for each vehicle driven, with a separate report for each vehicle if a driver drives more than one. Since a December 2014 final rule, drivers of property-carrying vehicles do not prepare a report when no defect is found or reported to them. An August 2020 final rule extended this to passenger-carrying vehicles.
It identifies the vehicle and lists any defect or deficiency, found by or reported to the driver, that would affect safe operation or result in a mechanical breakdown. It must cover at least the 11 parts and accessories in the checklist below. The driver signs it; in a team operation, one signature is enough if both drivers agree on the defects.
Before a driver is required or permitted to drive the vehicle, the motor carrier or its agent must repair any listed defect likely to affect safe operation, and certify on the original report that each defect was repaired or that repair is unnecessary.
Under 49 CFR 396.13, before driving, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition, review the last report where one was required, and sign it to acknowledge the review and that the required repairs were certified.
The motor carrier keeps the original report, the certification of repairs and the certification of the driver's review for three months from the date the report was prepared. Reports may be prepared and kept electronically in line with 49 CFR 390.32, which a February 2026 final rule made explicit.
Section 396.11(a)(1) lists the parts and accessories the report must cover, at a minimum:
PreStart is a daily vehicle check and defect reporting app. Here is how it lines up with each part of the rule, including the parts it does not cover.
| What the rule asks | What PreStart records |
|---|---|
| A report on each vehicle driven | The driver picks the vehicle, enters the odometer reading and marks every item Pass, Fail or N/A. Each check is saved against the vehicle and the driver's own sign-in, with the date and time. |
| List each defect | Each failed item becomes its own defect with the driver's note, a severity and up to 3 photos, and goes straight into the workshop queue. |
| No report needed with no defects | Optional under the federal rule. PreStart saves every check, including checks where everything passed, so you have a daily record if you want one. |
| Driver signs the report | Pro: driver declaration with typed name and finger signature on each check. Lite: each check is tied to the driver's sign-in but has no signature. |
| Repair before the vehicle is driven again | The workshop starts work, adds notes and marks each fault fixed. A critical fault takes the vehicle off the road until it is fixed. For a major fault the driver is told not to drive until a supervisor or the workshop says it is safe. Pro adds defect assignment with a fix-by date and instant email for critical faults. |
| Certify repairs on the report | Not a separate step in PreStart. The fix notes record what the workshop did. Decide how you certify each repair, for example the mechanic's name and "repaired" or "repair unnecessary" in the fix note, or a signature on the printed report (Pro). |
| Next driver reviews and signs | Open faults on the vehicle are shown first when the next driver picks it. PreStart does not capture an acknowledgement signature for the previous report, so handle that signature outside the app. |
| Keep records for 3 months | Full check and defect history stays in your own Cloudflare database. Pro adds printable check reports and CSV export, so you can produce records for an audit. |
You stay responsible. PreStart records inspections, defects and repairs. It does not make a fleet compliant, and it is not approved or certified by FMCSA. The motor carrier remains responsible for meeting 49 CFR Part 396 and any state rules, including how repairs are certified, how the next driver acknowledges the report and how long records are kept.
The demo runs PreStart Pro with a sample fleet. Sign in as a driver, fail an item and add a photo, sign the declaration, then switch to the workshop and mark the fault fixed. It resets every night.
The full check and defect workflow: Pass, Fail or N/A with photos for each fault, clear next steps for drivers, ready-made checklists, the defect queue, the off-road rule, fleet list, check history and roles. Open source under the MIT license. You run it in your own Cloudflare account.
Download free on GitHub$149 USD once for one business, no monthly fee. On sale now.
Everything in Lite, plus:
PreStart installed in your own Cloudflare account, with your business name, vehicles, checklist and first team members set up and ready for drivers. Turnaround is within 1 to 5 days, depending on complexity and workload.
$499 USD, paid once.
Book the Turnkey SetupA driver vehicle inspection report is a written report a commercial motor vehicle driver prepares at the end of each day's work on each vehicle they drove. It identifies the vehicle and lists any defect or deficiency, found by or reported to the driver, that would affect safe operation or result in a mechanical breakdown. The rule is 49 CFR 396.11.
Under the current text of 49 CFR 396.11, no. A December 2014 FMCSA final rule removed the no-defect report for property-carrying vehicles, and an August 2020 final rule did the same for passenger-carrying vehicles. A report is still required when a defect is found by or reported to the driver. Many fleets still keep a daily record with no defects for their own purposes, and PreStart saves every check, including checks where everything passed.
Motor carriers subject to 49 CFR Part 396 must require their drivers to prepare the report. The section does not apply to a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), a driveaway-towaway operation, or a motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle. States set the rules for intrastate operations, so check with your state as well.
For three months from the date the report was prepared. The motor carrier keeps the original report, the certification of repairs and the certification of the driver's review (49 CFR 396.11(a)(4)).
The motor carrier or its agent must repair any listed defect likely to affect safe operation before the vehicle is driven again, and certify on the original report that the defect was repaired or that repair is unnecessary. In PreStart the workshop adds notes and marks each fault fixed. PreStart does not have a separate signed certification step, so decide how your fleet records it: for example, the mechanic writes "repaired" or "repair unnecessary" and their name in the fix note, or signs a printed check report (Pro). Confirm your method with your safety advisor.
Yes, where a report was required. Under 49 CFR 396.13, before driving, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition, review the last report and sign it to acknowledge the review and that the required repairs were certified. PreStart shows open faults first when the next driver picks the vehicle, but it does not capture a separate acknowledgement signature, so handle that signature outside the app, for example on the printed report.
Yes. Sections 396.11 and 396.13 allow the report, and the next driver's acknowledgement, to be prepared and kept electronically in line with 49 CFR 390.32. A February 2026 FMCSA final rule made this explicit. Paper reports are still allowed. Check that your electronic records meet section 390.32.
No app can do that on its own, and PreStart is not approved or certified by FMCSA. PreStart records daily inspections, defects with photos, and repair notes in your own Cloudflare account. The motor carrier remains responsible for meeting 49 CFR Part 396 and any state rules, including repair certification, the next driver's review and keeping records.
PreStart Lite is free and open source. PreStart Pro is $149 USD once for one business, with no monthly fee, and adds driver signatures, the Today board, missed-check email, defect assignment with fix-by dates, printable reports, CSV export and offline checks. The Turnkey Setup, where PreStart is installed for you with your vehicles and checklist, is $499 USD.