Fleet Vehicle Condition Checklist

Open the ELD (Motive, Samsara, Garmin, etc.) and confirm available driving hours under the 11/14/60-70 limits. Review any unassigned drive time or HOS exceptions from the prior day; annotate or correct before logging on-duty so the dispatcher's review queue stays clean.

Key on; verify oil pressure, voltage, coolant temp, fuel, and DEF gauges read normal once started. Confirm no MIL, DPF, or aftertreatment warning lights remain illuminated after self-test.

Glove-box accident packet should include witness cards, camera-disposable or phone-photo guide, claim phone numbers, and the post-accident drug/alcohol testing instruction card per Part 382.303. Replace anything missing before leaving the yard.

Walk the cab perimeter looking for new body damage and loose grab handles or steps. Windshield cracks longer than 1/4 inch in the wiper sweep, or any crack intersecting another, are CVSA out-of-service per 49 CFR 393.60.

Pull the dipstick on level ground; top off if below the add mark. Verify coolant in the surge tank and DEF tank above 1/4 — running DEF dry triggers a 5 mph derate that will strand the unit on the shoulder.

Squeeze coolant hoses for soft spots; check serpentine belt for glazing, cracking, or missing ribs. Battery terminals should be free of corrosion and tight — a loose ground is a common no-start at the customer's dock.

Steer tires must measure at least 4/32 inch in any major tread groove (49 CFR 393.75). Record the lowest reading; anything at 5/32 or below should be flagged for replacement scheduling at the next PM.

Drive and trailer tires require at least 2/32 inch. Look for irregular wear patterns — cupping points to shock issues, feathering points to alignment, river wear points to under-inflation.

Look for rust streaks behind lug nuts (a tell-tale of looseness), cracked or bent rims, and missing or damaged valve stems and caps. Any missing lug nut puts the unit OOS.

Get under and look — jaws fully closed around the kingpin shank, locking lever seated, no daylight gap between trailer apron and fifth wheel plate. Tug-test in low gear against trailer brakes to confirm.

Both red (emergency) and blue (service) gladhands seated and locked, seals intact. Air lines free of cuts, abrasion, or rubbing on the catwalk. Pigtail electrical connector clean and locked into the trailer receptacle.

Landing gear fully cranked up, handle stowed and pinned. Walk the trailer suspension for broken leaves, loose U-bolts, leaking shocks, or sagging air bags.

Use a helper or back the rig against a wall to confirm. Tractor and trailer must both display brake light response simultaneously — a delayed trailer indicates a wiring or relay issue.

Trailer ABS warning lamp on the curb side should illuminate at key-on and extinguish once rolling. Lamp staying lit = ABS fault and trailer must go to the shop before next dispatch.

With engine off and brakes released, fan the service brake to bleed air. Low-air warning (buzzer + lamp) must activate before pressure drops to 55 psi — typically around 60 psi. Failure here is an immediate OOS.

Continue fanning brakes; tractor protection valve and spring brakes should pop out (apply automatically) somewhere between 20 and 45 psi. If they don't pop, the trailer can roll free during a real air loss.

With air pressure at 90-100 psi and brakes applied, measure pushrod travel. Type 30 chambers (most common): 2 inches max stroke. Any chamber over the readjustment limit is OOS under CVSA criteria.

Per Part 396.11 and 396.13, the DVIR must honestly reflect what you found. Resist the copy-paste 'no defects' habit — a tractor with a known air leak signed off as defect-free destroys both the FMCSA defense and the insurance defense after an incident.

Log the defect in Fleetio, Whip Around, or your shop ticket system so the next PM cycle picks it up. Include the unit number, defect, and DVIR ID so the mechanic can trace it back.

Hang the OOS tag on the steering wheel, pull the keys, and call the shop manager directly — text alone is not enough. Dispatch needs to recover the load with a different unit; do not depart on a major defect even if the customer is screaming.

Driver signature on the DVIR closes the inspection record (retained 3 months per Part 396.11). Switch ELD status to on-duty driving once dispatch confirms the load and BOL.