Rules of the road
Updated September 27, 2026
Before you drive, federal rules say you must be satisfied the truck is safe to run. You also review and sign the last inspection report if it listed a problem. A pre-trip inspection is how you get there.
This checklist covers the Class A walkaround, the driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) rules behind it, and the extra checks a car hauler makes before rolling.
A car hauler’s pre-trip is a Class A walkaround plus one more job: making sure every vehicle on the rig stays put. Here is the whole routine, in the order you walk it.
What the Rules Require Before You Drive
Two federal rules set up your pre-trip. Under 49 CFR 396.13, before you drive you must:
- Be satisfied the truck is safe. The rule says “in safe operating condition.”
- Review the last DVIR. Do this if the last driver had to write one.
- Sign it. Your signature says you reviewed it and that repairs were certified.
Under 49 CFR 392.7, you may not drive unless you are satisfied these parts work: service brakes and trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment.
Your pre-trip also counts as work. Inspecting your truck is on-duty time under the hours-of-service rules. See hours of service for car haulers.
The Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist
Start with the parts the law names. Then walk the rig in the same order every day, so nothing gets skipped. The groups below follow the FMCSA sample DVIR form.
The 11 Parts Every DVIR Covers
- Service brakes, including trailer brake connections
- Parking brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lights and reflectors
- Tires
- Horn
- Windshield wipers
- Rear vision mirrors
- Coupling devices
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment
From 49 CFR 396.11. The walkaround below covers each of them.
Under the Hood
- Engine: look for leaks, and loose or damaged parts.
- Radiator and battery.
- Air compressor.
- Steering: look over the steering parts you can see.
In the Cab
- Gauges, including oil pressure.
- Horn, wipers, defroster and heater.
- Mirrors and windows: clean, set, and not cracked.
- Parking brake: set, and it holds.
- Emergency equipment: fire extinguisher, warning devices, spare fuses.
- Last DVIR: read it, and sign it if it listed a defect.
Lights and Reflectors
- Headlights, stop lights, tail lights and turn signals.
- Reflectors on the tractor and the trailer.
Brakes and Air
- Air lines: no leaks, rubbing or damage.
- Service brakes and trailer brake connections.
- Brake parts you can see, including brake adjustment.
Brake adjustment matters at the scale too. It is one of the things an officer checks at a Level 1 DOT inspection.
Tires, Wheels and Suspension
- Tires: inflation, tread and damage.
- Wheels and rims: cracks and loose or missing lug nuts.
- Springs, front axle and fuel tanks.
Coupling
- Fifth wheel: locked and secure.
- Kingpin and trailer brake connections.
The Trailer
- Brakes and brake connections.
- All lights.
- Tires, wheels and springs.
Annual Inspection Proof
- Tractor: sticker or report aboard, dated within 12 months.
- Trailer: its own sticker or report, dated within 12 months.
Every tractor and trailer must pass a periodic inspection at least once every 12 months, with proof on the vehicle. Our guide to DOT inspection levels covers the annual inspection.
In Winter: Chains
- Chains and spares aboard, if your route needs them.
- Road status checked for every state on your route.
Some western states make trucks carry chains all winter, and others make you chain up when the signs say so. Our guide to chain laws by state lists the rules.
This checklist is a guide. Your carrier may have its own list, and your equipment may need more checks. Follow your carrier’s list and the maker’s manuals too.
Extra Checks for Car Haulers
On a car hauler, the load is part of the truck. These checks come straight from the federal securement rules:
Your Load
- Every vehicle, front and rear. Under 49 CFR 393.128, each car, light truck or van must be restrained at the front and the rear, against side-to-side, forward, backward and up-and-down movement, with at least two tiedowns.
- The right mounting points. Tiedowns that attach to the vehicle’s structure must use the points the maker designed for that purpose.
- Wheel tiedowns. Tiedowns that go over or around the wheels must hold the vehicle side to side, front to back, and up and down.
- Tiedowns in good shape. Under 393.104, no cuts, cracks or weak parts, and no knots. Each one must be fastened so it cannot come loose on the road.
- Your view and your exit. Under 392.9, no cargo may block your view ahead or to the sides, or keep you from getting out of the cab.
- Loose gear. The same rule says your spare tire and other equipment must be secured, not just the load.
The automobile rule covers vehicles of 10,000 pounds or less each. A heavier vehicle on your deck falls under a different section, 393.130, so check that rule before you load one. One small relief: edge protectors are not required where webbing touches the tires.
Most of our rigs carry a truck package, the rack that lets you load cars on the tractor as well as the trailer. Those cars need the same checks as the ones on the trailer. See the rigs you would inspect, and our guide to cargo securement for car haulers.
Already run a clean nine-car pre-trip? Haul cars with Accelerated.
Checking the Load After You Roll
Your inspection does not end at the gate. Under 49 CFR 392.9, the driver of a truck or tractor must check the cargo and the tiedowns:
- Before you drive. Be sure the load is spread and secured right.
- Within the first 50 miles. Tighten or add tiedowns as needed.
- Again as you go. Check whenever you change duty status, or after 3 hours or 150 miles of driving, whichever comes first.
The rule does not apply to a sealed load you were told not to open, or to a load that cannot practically be inspected.
Post-Trip Inspection and the DVIR
The post-trip closes the loop. Under 49 CFR 396.11, at the end of each day’s work you write a report on each vehicle you drove. It covers the 11 parts above.
- What goes in it: the vehicle, and any defect found by you or reported to you that would affect safety or cause a breakdown.
- No defects, no report. You do not have to write a report if no defect was found or reported to you.
- Sign it. On a team, one signature is enough if both drivers agree on the defects.
- Repairs first. The carrier must fix any defect likely to affect safety before the truck runs again, and certify it on the report.
- Records. The carrier keeps the report, the repair note and the next driver’s review for three months.
- Paper or electronic. Since March 2026, the rules say the report may be kept in electronic form.
Then the next driver reviews and signs it at the next pre-trip, and the cycle starts again. The rule does not apply to driveaway-towaway operations or to carriers running only one truck.
FMCSA’s sample DVIR form still has a “condition satisfactory” line. The current rule does not require a report when there are no defects. Your carrier may still ask for one every day.
Class A Pre-Trip: the CDL Test vs the Job
The Class A pre-trip on your CDL skills test follows your state’s CDL manual. The lists and the words you must say vary by state, so study your own state’s manual, not a list from another state.
On the job, the goal is different. Nobody grades your script. The rules ask that you are satisfied the truck is safe and the load is secured, every trip.
Haul Cars With Accelerated
We hire drivers with 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience. All of our contract drivers keep 82% of the truck’s gross. See car hauler jobs at Accelerated, or start your application now.
The application takes a few minutes from your phone. Own your truck? See sub-hauling with Accelerated.
Pre-Trip Inspection FAQs
What is a pre-trip inspection?
It is the check you do before you drive. Federal rules say you must be satisfied the truck is in safe operating condition, review the last inspection report if one was required, and sign it.
What is a DVIR?
A driver vehicle inspection report. Under 49 CFR 396.11, you write one at the end of each day’s work on each vehicle you drove, listing any defect that would affect safety or cause a breakdown.
Do I need a DVIR if nothing is wrong?
Not under the federal rule. You do not have to write a report if no defect was found by you or reported to you. Your carrier may still ask for one.
How long does the carrier keep a DVIR?
Three months from the date it was written, along with the repair certification and the next driver’s review.
How often do I have to check my load?
Before you drive, within the first 50 miles, and then whenever you change duty status or after 3 hours or 150 miles of driving, whichever comes first.
Sources
Last checked September 27, 2026. Federal rules change. Confirm the current rules with FMCSA and the eCFR. This guide is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.
- 49 CFR 396.13, Driver inspection
- 49 CFR 396.11, Driver vehicle inspection reports
- 49 CFR 392.7, Equipment, inspection and use
- 49 CFR 392.9, Inspection of cargo and securement
- 49 CFR 393.128, Automobiles, light trucks and vans, and 393.104, Tiedowns
- FMCSA, sample Driver’s Vehicle Inspection Report (PDF)