Fleet Management Checklist

Run the PM-due report in Fleetio (or RTA / Whip Around / Dossier — whichever you use) filtered to units within 1,000 miles or 14 days of their next A, B, or C service. Cross-check odometer against ELD telematics — drivers occasionally forget to push fuel-up odometer readings and units drift out of cycle.

Coordinate with the shop manager to slot A-services (oil, filters, lube, basic inspection) and B-services (A items plus brake adjustment, driveline, suspension) without yanking trucks off revenue lanes. Aim for dropoff during home-time rather than mid-dispatch.

Per Part 396.17, every CMV needs an annual inspection with a current decal. Pull the inspection-expiry list and flag any unit within 60 days. Roadside inspection on an expired sticker is automatic OOS.

Schedule the FHWA / annual inspection at the in-house bay or contracted shop. Inspector must be qualified per 396.19. File the new inspection report in the unit's maintenance file for 14 months.

Pull the prior-month DVIR log from Motive / Samsara / KeepTruckin. Any defect that affects safe operation must be repaired and signed off before next dispatch — air leaks, brake-stroke out of adjustment, lighting, tires below 4/32" steers or 2/32" drives.

Each cab needs: current registration, cab card (IRP), insurance ID, IFTA decals on both sides, USDOT marking, and a copy of the accident packet. Replace any missing or expired item before the unit goes back out.

IRP cab cards renew annually per jurisdiction; IFTA decals renew calendar-year with a Jan-Feb grace. A unit operating with prior-year decals after March 1 is a citation waiting at the scale house.

Per Part 393.95: three reflective triangles, fire extinguisher (charged, securely mounted, with current inspection tag), spare fuses if applicable. Hazmat units add placards for assigned commodities. Replace anything expired or missing on the spot.

Pull the device-status report in Motive / Samsara. Flag any unit showing diagnostic events, malfunction codes, or disconnects in the last 30 days. Per 395.34, malfunctioning ELDs must be repaired or replaced within 8 days.

Pull every active driver's DQ file from Foley / J.J. Keller / Tenstreet. Flag any medical card, MVR, road-test certificate, or Clearinghouse query expiring in the next 60 days. Missing annual MVR is the most common Compliance Review finding.

Run the annual MVR per 391.25 for any driver whose prior MVR is approaching one year. Run the annual limited Clearinghouse query (full query needed at pre-employment only). File results in the DQ file with the query date logged.

Pull the HOS violation report from the ELD platform: 11-hour driving, 14-hour duty, 30-minute break, 60/70-hour weekly. Annotate every unassigned-driving event and counsel any driver with more than two violations in the period.

Meet with each flagged driver, review the specific events on the ELD, and have them sign a counseling form acknowledging the issue and corrective action. File in the driver's safety file — this is the paper trail that protects you at a Compliance Review.

Confirm with the consortium / TPA that the year-to-date random selection rate is on pace for 50% drugs and 10% alcohol of average driver count. Carriers running behind by Q3 face a year-end scramble and audit exposure.

Pull the safety scorecard from Motive / Samsara / Geotab — harsh braking, speeding, following distance, seat-belt events. Flag drivers in the bottom decile for ride-alongs or refresher training.

Compare Comdata / EFS / WEX transactions to ELD miles by unit. Unusual MPG patterns flag fuel theft, idling problems, or DPF/aftertreatment issues that haven't thrown a code yet.

Push completed loads from McLeod / AscendTMS / Truckbase / Tailwind to QuickBooks or Sage. Reconcile detention and accessorials — drivers who don't note arrival/departure leave detention revenue on the table.

IFTA returns are due the last day of the month following quarter-end (Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31, Jan 31). Confirm jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction miles and fuel purchases tie out before filing.

Submit the return through the base-jurisdiction portal. Pay any net tax due. Save the confirmation and jurisdictional summary for four years — IFTA audit lookback is typically three years plus current.

Pull the SMS snapshot from the FMCSA portal. Track Unsafe Driving, HOS Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, and Driver Fitness BASICs month-over-month. Rising scores trigger insurance-renewal and shipper-relationship pain long before they trigger an audit.

Compile the month's findings — PM compliance %, DVIR defect count, HOS violations, CSA trend, IFTA status — into a one-page summary for the Director of Operations or owner. This is the artifact that proves the program is being run.