The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed a rule to eliminate the requirement that drivers file a Driver Vehicle Inspection Report for pre- and post-trip inspections if no defects or deficiencies are found.
The agency says the rule could save the trucking industry $1.7 billion a year in paperwork costs.
Current regulations require that drivers perform both a pre- and post-trip inspection on their trucks — which will not change under the new rule — but drivers will only have to file DVIR for inspections in which they find an issue with their truck.
“We can better focus on the 5 percent of problematic truck inspection reports by eliminating the 95 percent that report the status quo,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “Moving to a defect-only reporting system would reduce a significant paperwork burden facing truck drivers and save the industry billions without compromising safety.”
Public comments will be accepted on the rule until Sept. 3.
The rule had been expected and was included in the Department of Transportation’s semi-annual roundup last month of rules to be expected this year. The rule has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval.
The agency issued a similar rule last year that eliminated the requirement of no-defect DVIR to be filed for drivers operating intermodal equipment trailers.
Click here to view the proposed rule.
