DOT annual inspection and 72-hour rule due date tracker

Annual DOT inspection: the 12-month rule

Every commercial motor vehicle, truck and trailer, must pass a periodic inspection at least once every 12 months. Source The vehicle can't be operated unless the last passed inspection falls inside the preceding 12 months and proof is on board: the inspection report, or a sticker or decal based on it showing the date, the carrier and that the vehicle passed. Source

The tracker adds 12 months to the date you enter. If the truck was inspected under a state periodic program, tick the box: the 12 months then run from the last day of that month. Source

Worked example EXAMPLE

An owner-operator's tractor passed on November 15, 2025, and the trailer on October 2, 2025. On October 10, 2026, the tracker shows the trailer overdue since October 2, so it shouldn't move until it is inspected. The tractor shows due November 15, 2026, 36 days away. One calendar reminder each, and the next pair won't slip.

When is the 72-hour DOT inspection?

There is no 72-hour inspection interval in the federal rules. The phrase comes from CVSA International Roadcheck, a 72-hour enforcement event held across North America each year, when inspectors run as many roadside inspections as they can. Source The 2026 event ran May 12 to 14. CVSA publishes each year's dates and focus areas ahead of time; the 2026 focus areas included ELD tampering and cargo securement, according to coverage of the event.

You can't schedule your way out of Roadcheck, and you shouldn't need to. A truck with a current annual, a real pre-trip every day and clean logs has nothing to fear from it. Some carriers park for those days anyway; that is a business choice, not a rule.

Can I do my own annual DOT inspection?

Yes, if the person doing it is qualified. The inspector has to understand the federal inspection standards and have completed a federal or state training program, hold a state or Canadian inspection certificate, or have at least one year of combined training and experience, for example as a truck mechanic or inspector. Source The carrier keeps proof of that qualification while the person does inspections and for a year after.

Where to get an annual DOT inspection

Repair shops, dealer service departments, leasing companies and many truck stop service centers do annual inspections. Ask for a full written report and a decal, and check the report lists every component and the result. Book it before the due date, not on it: a failed brake or tire needs repair time, and a truck that fails on its due date is parked until it passes.

Annual inspection for semi truck and trailer: the paperwork

The report must name the inspector, the carrier, the date and the vehicle, list the components inspected and certify the result. Keep it, or a copy, for 14 months from the report date where the vehicle is housed or maintained. Source Each trailer needs its own inspection and its own proof; the tractor's decal doesn't cover it.

What the annual inspection covers

The inspector works through the federal minimum standards component by component: brakes, coupling devices, exhaust, fuel system, lighting, safe loading, steering, suspension, frame, tires, wheels and rims, windshield glazing and wipers. Specialty rigs add their own items to check, such as a tanker's valves, a car hauler's hydraulic decks or a livestock trailer's floor, even where those sit under other rules too. A good shop will tell you what is close to failing as well as what failed, so you can plan the repair instead of meeting it at a scale.

Annual, pre-trip and roadside

Three checks keep a truck legal. The annual is the deep inspection once a year. The pre-trip is yours before every trip; use our pre-trip inspection checklist. Roadside inspections happen whenever an officer pulls you in, Roadcheck week or not.

When you dispatch with us, your inspection dates sit on your rig card. We plan loads so a truck due for its annual ends a run near a shop instead of three states away. See our dispatch for owner-operators or send an application.