FMCSA proposes elimination of ‘burdensome’ truck-inspection requirement

Washington – Eliminating a “burdensome” paperwork requirement for truck inspections will save the trucking industry $1.7 billion annually, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in a notice of proposed rulemaking announced Aug. 1.

Under the proposal, professional truckers would no longer be required to complete driver vehicle inspection reports when the vehicle has no known defects.

Currently, drivers must file DVIRs after each daily inspection, but under the proposal, the reports would be required only if defects or deficiencies were found during an inspection. According to FMCSA, truck drivers spend approximately 47.2 million hours yearly completing no-defect DVIRs.

The proposal also stated that passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle operators would not be exempted from filing no-defect DVIRs until further public comment. Comments will be accepted for 60 days after the NPRM is published in the Federal Register.