Inspection Reports - Truck and Trailer Daily Inspection (Trip) and Maintenance Requirements

Overview

Inspection reports serve as communication between drivers, the operator and the operator's maintenance department. Reports are used to verify inspections, record defects, report defects and may be used to verify repairs. Reports are completed immediately following an inspection.

Types of Inspection Reports

In this document two types of inspection reports are referenced:

• single-day sheet report (single report)
  a single report can consist of a single sheet of paper containing one day's report. This type of report can be located on the rear of an hours-of-service logbook or be in a snap set where one report is removed for each day, etc.
• multi-day report book (report book)
  a report book is a book which contains lines for each day that the vehicle is inspected. The book is assigned to one vehicle and may remain in the vehicle until the book is full. The basic vehicle information is written once on the front cover or elsewhere within the book and the book may contain the vehicle's inspection schedule.
• where information is provided about inspection reports or report, it applies to both types of reports, unless the report type is specifically named. Samples of reports are shown later in this document.

Completing Inspection Reports

The driver is required to complete and sign a report upon completion of the inspection.

If the driver did not conduct the original inspection, the driver and each subsequent driver must sign the report. Reports that are used by more than one driver require additional lines where subsequent drivers can sign.

Any number of trailers may be inspected and added to a single report if the report contains additional lines for additional trailers.

All information required to be on a report must be accurately completed in full.

Validity Period of Inspection Reports

A report certifying a Schedule 1 inspection is valid for 24 hours from the time of inspection.

Carry And Produce Reports

Drivers must carry and produce inspection reports to an officer when requested.

Drivers who have completed or received a report for a truck, and also received a separate report for the trailer will need to carry and produce both reports.

Operator Required To Supply Drivers With Reports

Operators are required to supply drivers with blank inspection reports.

Passing On Valid Reports To Another Driver

A driver may pass on a valid original copy of a report to another driver who is driving for the same operator. The second driver is obligated to submit the report to the operator.

A driver may pass on a duplicate copy of the original report or hand written re-production of the original report to a driver working for a different operator. In this case each driver must submit a report to their respective operators.

There is no legal obligation under the Highway Traffic Act for a driver to pass along a report to another driver, whether or not he or she drives for the same operator. However, there may be a contractual or an employment law obligation to pass along a report to another driver.

A driver who receives a valid daily report for a vehicle that was inspected by another person may rely on the report as proof that the inspection was conducted as required, unless the driver has reason to believe otherwise.

Submitting Reports

Single Reports

Expired reports are forwarded to the operator as soon as possible but no later than 20 days after the last date for which the inspection was valid.

Reports are forwarded to the operator's principal place of business or to a terminal or business address specified by the operator.

Report Books

Report books that are full or have passed the operator's pre-determined end-date or use period are forwarded to the operator's principal place of business or to a terminal or business address specified by the operator.

Special Reports Issued By Officers

A driver is required to submit a roadside inspection report and notice to submit a vehicle for inspection when the report or notice has been issued by an enforcement officer or government official of another jurisdiction.

These reports and notices are forwarded to the operator as soon as possible but no later than 20 days after receiving them. The operator is required to retain these documents for two years.

Contents of Inspection Reports

Both single reports and report books must contain the following minimum line items:

• the licence plate number and plate jurisdiction of the vehicle,
• the operator's name,
• the date and time of the inspection,
• the city, town, village or highway location where the inspection was conducted,
• the printed name of the person who conducted the inspection,
• the odometer reading of the commercial motor vehicle,
• list of major and minor defects found during the inspection, if any,
• a statement that no major or minor defects were found, if none,
• major and minor defects found while en route,
• a statement, signed by the person who conducted the inspection, that the vehicle was inspected in accordance with this Regulation, and
• signature of each driver who did not conduct the initial inspection.

Line item language may be altered to a "like meaning". Any altered language must continue to indicate what the completed information means. Operators are free to add and re-arrange line items.

The Ministry of Transportation does not approve blank inspection reports for operators. Operators are required to produce a report that complies with the requirements of the Regulation. Reports that comply with this document will also be acceptable.

Combining Inspection Reports With Schedules

An inspection report and a schedule may be combined on the same document.

Combining Single Reports With Hours-of-Service Logbooks.

Operators who choose to combine daily inspection report line items on the same page as hours-of-service logbook line items should only do so with full knowledge of daily vehicle inspection and the hours-of-service logbook line item requirements.

For example, the daily inspection report requires a line item for the odometer reading. The logbook requires the driver to record the odometer readings at the start and end of the driver's shift/trip. Also, if the driver uses the vehicle for personal transportation to a place of lodging, etc. during the trip, the driver is required to enter the start and finish odometer readings for the personal use distance travelled.

A combined daily report and logbook may therefore require five different odometer line items representing five different readings if the daily inspection was conducted at a different distance from when the driver started the trip and the vehicle was used for personal purposes during the trip.

If a vehicle is never used for personal purposes during a trip it is not necessary to have these odometer line items on either a logbook report or a combined report. Also, if the vehicle is always inspected at the same distance as the driver's trip or shift starts, a check box may be used to indicate that the entered odometer reading applies to the inspection reading as well as the driver's start reading.

For examples:

Odometer reading, start of driver's day (enter value) and odometer reading at time of inspection.

Odometer reading, start of driver's day and at time of inspection (enter value)

Another example, when combining inspection reports and logbooks, is "time of vehicle inspection" and "driver's start time".

Where To Get Inspection Reports

The ministry does not supply reports. Sample reports offered within this document may be copied and reproduced without consent of the ministry. (Sample reports, in Word format are also available.) Certain companies, associations and organizations also produce and sell these documents.

Sample Inspection Reports

Inspection report format and layout are not prescribed by regulation. The regulation sets out a minimum of information to be recorded on a report.

Reports may, at the option of the operator, contain an inspection checklist and additional information.

Single reports may be printed on the rear of hours-of-service logbooks.

Where required information, such as operator's name, plate number, etc. does not change, the information may be permanently printed on the reports.

Reports may also be printed with the vehicle's inspection schedule(s).

Reports other than report books may be produced in carbon or carbonless sets that automatically create extra copies when the top copy is completed. Some operators may prefer to use multi-copied reports for internal distribution purposes. Also, valid legible copies of these reports may be passed on to the next driver of a vehicle while the person who inspected the vehicle retains the original.

Many variations of a report are possible depending on the operation of the vehicles and inspection personnel. Operators are free to create a report that best meets the needs of their operation. Operators may also add non regulated line items to a report.

In the following samples, "Signature of each driver who was not the inspection person" may be removed if the vehicle is inspected by the driver and not driven by a second driver.

Sample Single Reports

For each of the following sample reports, the information to be collected is described.

It is not a requirement for drivers to indicate on an inspection report that a recorded defect is either major or minor. However, operators may add additional lines to a report for the driver to indicate that a defect is either major or minor.

Certification of Repairs

Ontario operators may include a "certification of repairs" section on inspection reports to track defects and repairs.

When a report lists a defect and the defect was repaired without the operator creating a separate repair order for the repair, the repair and any parts used must be noted on the report. In this case the report becomes a maintenance record and is retained for two years.

Reports that list defects, which are determined not in need of repair or declared not to be a defect are also retained for two years.

This applies whether or not the report contains a separate "certification of repairs" section.

Sample Report Books

Report books may only be used for a vehicle that returns at the end of the day to a location where the operator has access to the vehicle and the book. The operator must be able to produce the book to an officer upon an officer's request. Also, defects written in the book must be reported to the operator verbally or by phone, etc. when the book is not handed into the operator as notification of having a defect.

A report book must be carried and produced to an officer. If the inspection schedule is not contained within the book the driver is required to carry and produce the applicable schedule.

The following information must be printed somewhere on or in the book; operator's name, licence plate number and plate jurisdiction of the vehicle.

Sample optional information items that may be printed somewhere on or in the book: unit number, vehicle identification number, make of vehicle, year of vehicle and period covered, from (enter value) to (enter value).

To prepare a report book, draw a table consisting of a number of vertical columns. Several columns are needed, so it may be necessary to use two pages: both the left and right facing pages of a book. Details of each inspection are entered on a separate row (horizontal line) of this table.

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