What has to be in the cab
Nine things, and for most of them the regulation names the exact document. Here is the list, with the section that requires each one.
- Author
- Relay Dispatch Desk
- Published
- 18 Aug 2026
- Verified
- 15 Aug 2026
- Re-checked
- quarterly
Key takeaways
- The ELD packet is three items, and one of them is eight days of blank paper log grids.
- A copy of the lease — or a statement certifying it — rides on the equipment when you are leased to a carrier.
- Proof of the last periodic inspection has to be on the vehicle, not in a folder at home.
- Two of the nine are your carrier's paperwork rather than the regulation's; ask for them before you need them.
What the regulation says
A supply of blank driver's records of duty status graph-grids sufficient to record the driver's duty status and other related information for a minimum of 8 days.
49 CFR § 395.22(h)(3)
The list
| Item | Required by |
|---|---|
| Commercial driver's licence, with any endorsements the load needs | Part 383 |
| Medical examiner's certificate, if you are required to carry the paper copy | Part 391 |
| ELD data-transfer instruction sheet | § 395.22(h)(1) |
| ELD malfunction instruction sheet | § 395.22(h)(2) |
| Eight days of blank record-of-duty-status graph-grids | § 395.22(h)(3) |
| A copy of the lease, or a statement certifying it, when leased on | § 376.11(c) |
| Evidence of the last periodic inspection | § 396.17(c) |
| Emergency equipment — extinguisher, spare fuses, warning devices | § 393.95 |
| Shipping papers and, for hazardous materials, emergency response information | Carrier and 49 CFR Subchapter C |
The lease copy is the one drivers are most often caught without. When you operate equipment under another carrier's authority, either the lease itself or a statement certifying it exists has to be carried on the equipment during the term of the lease.
Sources
- eCFR (GPO/OFR) · 49 CFR § 395.22 — Motor carrier responsibilities: in general · 49 CFR § 395.22 · accessed 15 Aug 2026
- eCFR (GPO/OFR) · 49 CFR § 396.17 — Periodic inspection · 49 CFR § 396.17 · accessed 15 Aug 2026
- eCFR (GPO/OFR) · 49 CFR § 376.11 — General leasing requirements · 49 CFR § 376.11(c) · accessed 15 Aug 2026
Re-verified quarterly. Educational summary — the regulation controls. Not legal advice.
Found a broken link? Tell us.
One flat 12%, and a dispatcher who answers.
We plan the week around your hours and your equipment — and we keep the compliance calendar so it stops ambushing you.