Pre-trip, in the order you walk it
The regulation lists eleven parts and accessories. It does not list them in the order you walk around the truck. Here is the text, and then the walking order.
- Author
- Relay Dispatch Desk
- Published
- 17 Aug 2026
- Verified
- 15 Aug 2026
- Re-checked
- quarterly
Key takeaways
- Eleven items are named in § 392.7(a), and the list is short enough to quote in full.
- Being satisfied the vehicle is safe is a separate duty from filing a report — § 396.13 requires the check and the review of the last report.
- You only prepare a driver vehicle inspection report when there is a defect to report.
- There is no official FMCSA DVIR form; what the report must contain is the standard.
What the regulation says
No commercial motor vehicle shall be driven unless the driver is satisfied that the following parts and accessories are in good working order …
49 CFR § 392.7(a)
- Service brakes, including trailer brake connections
- Parking (hand) brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lighting devices and reflectors
- Tires
- Horn
- Windshield wiper or wipers
- Rear-vision mirror or mirrors
- Coupling devices
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment
Relay's line
The order above is the order the regulation prints, not the order you walk. Take the items in the seven-step sequence your state CDL manual tested you on — overview, engine compartment, in-cab with the engine running, lights off and checked, walk-around, signal lights, then the air-brake check — and all eleven fall out without doubling back.
Two separate duties sit alongside the walk-around. Before driving you must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition, and you must review the last driver vehicle inspection report — signing it to acknowledge the review where one was required.
You do not file a report every day. A driver vehicle inspection report is prepared when a defect or deficiency is discovered by, or reported to, the driver — one that would affect safe operation or result in a mechanical breakdown. No defect, no report.
Sources
- eCFR (GPO/OFR) · 49 CFR § 392.7 — Equipment, inspection and use · 49 CFR § 392.7 · accessed 15 Aug 2026
- eCFR (GPO/OFR) · 49 CFR § 396.11 — Driver vehicle inspection report(s) · 49 CFR § 396.11 · accessed 15 Aug 2026
- eCFR (GPO/OFR) · 49 CFR § 396.13 — Driver inspection · 49 CFR § 396.13 · accessed 15 Aug 2026
- State licensing agencies (AAMVA model manual) · Commercial Driver License Manual, section 2.1 · accessed 15 Aug 2026 · © 2005 AAMVA. Reproduction licensed to state licensing agencies only — linked, never mirrored.
Re-verified quarterly. Educational summary — the regulation controls. Not legal advice.
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