How to set up a DVIR workflow

Driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIR) helps organizations stay on top of potential vehicle defects or issues. Besides being required by the FMCSA to stay compliant, DVIRs can prevent vehicle downtime and loss of revenue.

By creating a workflow to manage DVIRs, you can:

• Catch maintenance and safety concerns early
• Ensure defects are resolved consistently and in a timely manner
• Stay compliant with regulatory requirements

We recommend creating alerts to kick-off the workflow so you can assess reported defects across vehicles in your fleet, decide what action needs to be taken, and perform the needed service to resolve the defect. Our larger customers review their DVIR Reports every day but the daily cadence may be too frequent depending on your fleet’s needs. 

DVIR for Compliance

To stay in compliance with HOS regulations, fleet managers must maintain DVIR, certification of repairs, and the driver's review for three months from the date the original report was created.

In addition to the recommended steps below, here are a few compliance-specific tips:

• Update your settings to require DVIRs to be marked as pre or post-trip
• Schedule a Missing DVIR Report

To get started:

1. Configure a DVIR Submitted alert to notify you when DVIRs are submitted.
2. Review the DVIRs Report to access individual inspection details, assess the defects, and coordinate service needed to resolve the defect.
3. View the DVIR Defects List to identify which vehicles are Unsafe and audit whether defects are resolved in a timely manner.

See it in action:

1. Configure a DVIR Submitted alert to notify you when DVIRs are submitted.
   
   
   

   Alerts can help you answer the questions: Are DVIRs being created? And are they being created correctly? Here are some common use cases and how to create alerts to be notified in those situations.

   Use Case	Alert Guidance
   Notify me when a vehicle has been marked as unsafe	Create an DVIR Submitted alert for Unsafe DVIRs
   Notify me when a vehicle has a defect	Create a DVIR Defect alert
   Notify me when a vehicle has a defect but not marked as unsafe	Create a DVIR Submitted alert for Safe DVIR (with Defects)
   Notify me when a rushed DVIR has been submitted Recommended for ELD compliance.	Create a DVIR Submitted alert and set the duration for the desired threshold of time

   Things to consider:
   • Who to contact: Who’s the correct person to take action on an unsafe vehicle? Ensure the correct recipient is selected for the alert.
   • What to do next: What steps should be followed when an alert is received? Will you need to coordinate a disruption in the driver’s schedule with a dispatcher and secure a replacement vehicle for their day?
   • How to resolve issues: How will you address the unsafe maintenance concern? Will you need to make an appointment with a 3rd-party shop?
   • DVIR submission guidelines: How long should a thorough DVIR take your drivers?
   • Addressing DVIR process: How will you respond to rushed DVIR submissions from your drivers? Who will be responsible for coaching the driver?
     
     
2. Review the DVIRs Report to access individual inspection details, assess the defects, and coordinate service needed to resolve the defect.
   
   
   
   

   You can view all details submitted in the DVIR including photos, defects, notes, and signatures.

   Best practices for resolving a defect:
   • The mechanic performing the service should add relevant service notes via the “+ Add mechanic note” field.
   • Defects should be marked as resolved in real-time as service is being completed.
   • The person performing the service shoudl be the user resolving the defect. This will make the mechanic signature field more meaningful.
   • If applicable, once all safety hazard defects have been addressed, update the safety status of the vehicle to “resolved”.
     
     
3. View the DVIR Defects List to identify which vehicles are Unsafe and audit whether defects are resolved in a timely manner.
   
   
   
   

   Once you have a workflow set up to review DVIRs and take the necessary action for service, you can audit how your team is doing with the DVIR Defects List. This report helps you identify Unsafe vehicles and make sure that defects are being fixed quickly.

   Things to consider:

   • Access and permissions: Who needs access to this page? Do they have the appropriate permissions to make use of this view?
   • Defect review cadence: How often should this page be reviewed by someone on your staff? Daily to help identify priority concerns or weekly/monthly as a way to verify that defects are being addressed on a regular basis?

Take it to the next level:

• Update your DVIR settings based on the recommended settings below to standardize and streamline your drivers’ workflows

Recommended DVIR Setting	Description
Require comments on DVIR Defects	Ensures drivers include relevant notes about the defects they report during DVIRs.
Require DVIRs to be marked as pre or post trip Must be enabled for ELD compliance.	Provides relevant details about the inspection. Allows your Samsara dashboard to track instances when these inspections are not being performed.
Require at least 1 DVIR photo	Ensures drivers include at least one image while completing a DVIR.
Require all DVIR photos	Increases the number of required DVIR photos to 4+ (one for each side of the vehicle).
Prevent drivers from marking unsafe DVIRs with vehicle defects as safe or resolved	Drivers will no longer have the option to mark a previously marked unsage vehicle as safe during their inspection. This is useful in scenarios where you want to have tighter control over who and how a vehicle’s safety status is determined.

• Consider additional DVIR settings to minimize errors or omissions:
  • Mandatory Checklist
  • Prevent drivers from resolving existing DVIR vehicle defects
  • Prevent drivers from choosing a photo from their mobile library
  • Show all inspected items in completed DVIRs