DOT Inspection & Roadcheck Readiness Checklist
Inspect your truck the way a CVSA officer will. Work through the checklist for your vehicle type, see your readiness score, and download or print it for the driver, especially before Roadcheck week.
100% free · no signup · nothing to install
Every spring, CVSA inspectors run a three-day, continent-wide blitz, roughly 15 trucks inspected every minute across North America. Brakes, tires and hours of service drive most of the out-of-service orders, and CVSA announces a specific focus area each year. Vehicles placed out of service during the blitz land violations on your Vehicle Maintenance BASIC that stay visible for two years. Run this checklist on every unit the week before, not the morning of.
- Current CDL with the right class and endorsements
- Medical examiner's certificate (or CDLIS self-certification on file)
- Record of duty status, ELD display, transfer capability, and the ELD instruction sheet
- Blank paper logs for at least 8 days in the cab
- Current registration / cab card for the power unit and trailer
- Proof of annual inspection (396.17) for every unit
- Proof of insurance and IFTA license copy
- Bills of lading / shipping papers matching the load
- Pushrod stroke within adjustment limits at every wheel
- No audible air leaks; governor cut-in/cut-out correct
- Air loss rate within limits with brakes applied
- Lining thickness above minimum, no cracks or contamination
- ABS malfunction lamps working and going out
- Low-air warning device functional at 60 psi
- Trailer emergency brake applies when the supply line is disconnected
- Tread depth: 4/32" steer, 2/32" all other positions
- No exposed belt material, sidewall cuts or bulges
- Correct inflation, no flats or audible leaks
- No cracked, broken or missing wheel studs, lugs or rims
- Suspension: no broken leaves, shifted axles, or leaking air bags
- All required lamps working: headlamps, tail, stop, turn, clearance, ID and marker
- Reflective tape/conspicuity present and not damaged
- No frayed or unsecured wiring; trailer cord in good shape
- Fifth wheel locked, jaws fully closed, no excessive play
- Mounting bolts and locking pins present and tight
- Frame rails, crossmembers and landing gear free of cracks and damage
- Air and electric lines secured, not chafing or leaking
- Enough tiedowns for the length and weight of the load (49 CFR 393)
- Working load limits total at least 50% of cargo weight
- No cut, frayed or knotted straps or chains
- Doors, tailgates and headerboards secure
- Seat belt in use and in good condition
- Three warning devices / reflective triangles
- Fire extinguisher, charged and securely mounted
- Spare fuses (unless circuit breakers)
- Windshield free of cracks in the swept area; wipers and horn working
- Last driver vehicle inspection report addressed and signed off
Out-of-service violations follow you for two years.
Roadside inspections feed your Vehicle Maintenance and Driver Fitness BASICs. We help carriers clean up inspection history, challenge bad data through DataQs and build the maintenance records that keep the next inspection short.