Compliance

A monthly DOT compliance checklist for fleets

Safety Real Time18 June 20263 min read

A monthly routine beats a scramble before an audit. This checklist gives you the routine, with the rule behind each item. It is general information, not legal advice. Check your own operation against the current rules in 49 CFR parts 382 and 390 to 396.

FMCSA's CSA program scores carriers from roadside inspection, crash and investigation data, so problems that show up at the roadside are worth finding first.

1. Driver qualification files

Confirm each driver's CDL is valid and medical certification is current. Most medical exams run up to 24 months (49 CFR 391.45).
For CDL holders, medical certification status comes from the state driver record since June 23, 2025. Confirm how each driver's state reports it.
Confirm a motor vehicle record (MVR) was requested and reviewed within the last 12 months, with a note of who reviewed it and when in the file (49 CFR 391.25).
Run the annual Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query for each driver subject to testing (49 CFR 382.701).
Keep each file while the driver works for you and for three years after (49 CFR 391.51).
Flag anything expiring in the next 60 days. That window is a suggestion, not a rule.

2. Hours of service and ELD

Most carriers must use ELDs. A driver who needs a record of duty status on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period can use paper logs (49 CFR 395.8).
Review unassigned drive time. The carrier must see that it is annotated or reassigned to the right driver, and keep it at least 6 months (49 CFR 395.32).
Review edits. Each change needs an annotation, the driver must confirm any edit the carrier proposes, and a carrier cannot coerce a driver to certify false records (49 CFR 395.30).
Keep ELD records for 6 months, with a backup copy on a separate device (49 CFR 395.22).
Coach drivers who repeat the same hours-of-service violation. This is good practice, not a rule.

3. Vehicle inspections and maintenance

Check that each defect a driver found or reported is on a signed DVIR, and that the repair, or "repair not needed", was certified before the unit ran again (49 CFR 396.11). A day with no defects needs no report.
Check that every commercial motor vehicle passed an annual inspection in the last 12 months, with the report or a label on the vehicle (49 CFR 396.17).
Check that preventive maintenance follows your schedule (49 CFR 396.3).

4. Records

Know the retention periods and keep the records where an auditor can ask for them:

DVIR, repair certification and driver review: 3 months (49 CFR 396.11)
Annual inspection report: 14 months (49 CFR 396.21)
Inspection, repair and maintenance records: 1 year, and 6 months after the vehicle leaves your control (49 CFR 396.3)
Records of duty status and supporting documents: 6 months (49 CFR 395.8)
Driver qualification file: while employed plus 3 years (49 CFR 391.51)

Keep permits and other required filings where you can find them too.

Turn the checklist into a routine

A calendar and a binder work if someone owns them. Software can capture inspections digitally, route defects and remind you before documents expire. Safety Real Time compliance is built for that.

See it on your own fleet: Request a demo.