The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) no-defect DVIR rule goes into effect on Thursday December 18, 2014. The rule will eliminate the requirement for truck drivers, when operating in the United States, to complete daily vehicle inspection reports (DVIR) if no defects are present on the vehicle.
The intent of this rule is to eliminate burdensome paperwork requirements. It was initiated by the US government with support from the trucking industry in the U.S.
Although this rule will be in effect in the United States, there will be no change to the trip inspection requirements in Canada, regardless of domicile of the driver or vehicle. In this respect Canadian jurisdictions will accept the pre- and post-trip inspection reports (paper or electronically generated) prepared by U.S. base plated motor carriers as fully compliant with the requirements of NSC Standard 13 on Trip Inspection provided such motor carriers carry, and produce upon demand, a post-trip inspection report (in paper or electronic format) that is not more than 24 hours old. If a driver does not have access to the vehicle’s previous post-trip inspection report, the driver will prepare and produce the report for the purpose of Canadian operations.
Canadian carriers operating in the U.S. may elect to follow the no-defect DVIR reporting allowance by FMCSA or they can continue to operate business as usual by completing trip inspection reports on a daily basis – either course of action is acceptable.
Should carriers elect to follow FMCSA’s new direction, upon re-entry to Canada, they would be required to come into compliance with Canadian trip inspection requirements. It is expected all jurisdictions will require a trip inspection be completed prior to arrival as per Canadian requirements, however the specific compliance requirements may vary slightly by jurisdiction. It is expected this requirement will be enforced at roadside as is the current situation for US domicile drivers and vehicles entering Canada. It is also expected, upon facility audit, the results of the audit will be respectful of the FMCSA provisions as well as the Canadian trip inspection requirements spelled out by Canadian jurisdictions. Carriers looking to exercise this option may wish to consult with their respective provincial associations or governments for details.
For complete details, please see the FMCSA link.