DOT Vehicle Maintenance Records: What Every File Needs
Every truck you control should have a file that tells its whole story. Auditors open it to see whether you run a real maintenance program.
What belongs in each vehicle file
- Vehicle identification — make, year, VIN, and your company unit number, plus tire size
- Annual inspection — a current periodic inspection on file for the unit
- Inspection, repair, and maintenance history — a record of the work done and the dates
- DVIRs — connecting driver-reported defects to the repairs that fixed them
A systematic program
The point is not just storing receipts — it is showing you inspect, repair, and maintain vehicles on a schedule. Recurring roadside defects in the same system are a signal that a program is missing.
How long to keep it
Maintenance history is generally kept while the vehicle is under your control and for a period after it leaves the fleet; the annual inspection documentation is kept for roughly 14 months. See the full retention cheat sheet.
Frequently asked questions
What goes in a DOT vehicle maintenance file?
Vehicle identification, a current annual inspection, the inspection/repair/maintenance history, and the DVIRs that tie driver-reported defects to repairs.
How long do I keep maintenance records?
Generally while the vehicle is under your control plus a period after it leaves the fleet; annual inspection documentation is typically kept for about 14 months.
See where your records stand
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