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Fleet resources

The rules that park trucks, in plain words.

Short briefings for the people who run fleets: the annual inspection, roadside out-of-service, Arizona's rules and California runs. Then the Arizona year, inspection weeks and the official links we use ourselves.

Know the rules

Plain-language briefings, checked against the official sources. They're a starting point, not legal advice: when a rule matters to a decision, the source decides.

Checked against the sources

Federal · every truck and trailer

The annual DOT inspection and your records

Every commercial truck and trailer in interstate service (generally 10,001 lb and up) needs a full inspection at least once every 12 months, done by a qualified inspector to the federal standard. The paperwork matters as much as the inspection.

The rules

  • Each power unit and each trailer, at least every 12 months (49 CFR 396.17).
  • The inspector must be qualified by training or experience (396.19). Brake work and brake inspections need a qualified brake inspector (396.25).
  • Keep the inspection report 14 months, and carry a copy or a decal on the unit (396.21).
  • Keep maintenance records for each unit for 1 year, and for 6 months after it leaves your control (396.3).
  • Keep drivers' vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) for 3 months (396.11).

What it means for you

  • At the roadside the inspector asks for proof of the annual. No decal and no report on board is a violation, and a reason to look harder.
  • An auditor asks for the records, not your memory of them. Each unit needs its own file.
  • We do the annual to the federal standard. The report and every repair land in that unit's history in ShopHub, and the next annual goes on its plan, so it shows as due before it's late.

Official sources49 CFR Part 396 (eCFR) ↗FMCSA: inspection, repair and maintenance ↗Checked 3 Nov 2026

Federal and Arizona · at the roadside

Roadside inspections and out-of-service

Any truck can be pulled in for an inspection. A Level I is the full 37-step check of driver and vehicle. If an inspector finds an out-of-service item, the unit stays parked until it's fixed, wherever it is.

The rules

  • Inspectors use the CVSA North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. Brakes, tires and lights are the vehicle items that put the most units out of service.
  • Every inspection goes on the carrier's record in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), and clean inspections count in your favour.
  • CVSA runs announced blitzes each year. In 2026: International Roadcheck 12-14 May (focus: ELD tampering and cargo securement) and Brake Safety Week 23-29 August. It also runs an unannounced Brake Safety Day.
  • Dates for 2027 come from CVSA early in the year. We post them here when they're out.

What it means for you

  • A roadside out-of-service costs a tow, a mobile call-out, a missed load and a mark on your record. A pre-inspection costs an hour in the yard.
  • Book units in for a pre-inspection in the weeks before a blitz, and look at your SMS record once a quarter.
  • Drivers' pre-trips catch most of it. We can walk your drivers through what inspectors look at first.

Official sourcesCVSA out-of-service criteria ↗FMCSA Safety Measurement System ↗CVSA International Roadcheck ↗Checked 3 Nov 2026

Arizona · on our roads

Arizona rules for fleets

Arizona enforces the federal safety rules on its highways, checks credentials at its ports of entry, and has its own playbook for monsoon dust storms.

The rules

  • Arizona DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement does roadside inspections statewide, to the same CVSA standard.
  • ADOT ports of entry check weight, size, registration and fuel tax credentials on trucks entering the state, including San Simon and Ehrenberg on I-10, Topock and Sanders on I-40, Yuma on I-8, and Nogales and Douglas at the border.
  • Trucks over 26,000 lb, or with three or more axles, that run between states need apportioned plates (IRP) and a fuel tax licence (IFTA), through ADOT Motor Carrier Services.
  • Trucks that never leave Arizona follow most of the same safety rules under state law, with some differences. If you only run inside Arizona, ask DPS what applies to you.
  • Dust storm: Pull Aside, Stay Alive. Pull off as far as you can, lights off, set the brake and take your foot off the pedal.

What it means for you

  • A missing cab card or IFTA licence turns a port stop into a parked truck. Keep current copies in every cab.
  • Monsoon season (mid-June to September) brings dust, flash floods and heat. Air filters, cooling systems and wipers get checked before it, not during it.
  • Keep your annual inspection, registration and permits on each unit's record, so renewals don't sneak up on you.

Official sourcesADOT Motor Vehicle Division ↗Arizona DPS ↗ADOT dust storm safety ↗Checked 3 Nov 2026

California · Arizona trucks on California runs

Running into California

California runs its own emissions programs, and CARB says they apply to Arizona trucks the moment they cross the line. Check four things before a unit's first California run.

The rules

  • Clean Truck Check: trucks over 14,000 lb operating in California, out-of-state included, must be registered in CARB's CTC-VIS system, pay an annual per-vehicle fee and pass periodic emissions tests (twice a year for now, more often in later years). Out-of-state test deadlines go by the last digit of the VIN.
  • Clean Truck Check is contested: in February 2026 the federal EPA approved the program only for California-registered trucks. CARB said in March 2026 that out-of-state trucks must still comply. Check CARB's current position before your next run.
  • Truck and Bus rule: since 1 January 2023, diesel trucks over 14,000 lb operating in California need a 2010 or newer engine, going by the model year on the engine label. A low-use exemption exists, but it must be reported to CARB first.
  • Reefer units (TRUs): out-of-state units operating in California must be registered in CARB's ARBER system and show their ARB ID number. Receivers check it. Fees are being challenged in court, so check ARBER for what's due.
  • Idling: diesel trucks over 10,000 lb may idle no more than 5 minutes in one place in California, with limited exceptions.

What it means for you

  • Before a unit's first California run: engine model year on the label, Clean Truck Check registration and next test date, reefer ARB ID, and drivers who know the 5-minute idling limit.
  • A truck with a pre-2010 engine has no place on a California load, whatever the paperwork says.
  • Before a Clean Truck Check test we can scan for fault codes and fix what would fail it.

Official sourcesCARB Clean Truck Check ↗CARB Truck and Bus regulation ↗CARB TRU program ↗CARB idling limits ↗Checked 3 Nov 2026

The Arizona year

Heat, monsoon dust and northern winters wear equipment in their own ways. What to check, and when.

Now
March to April

Spring wind

Wind and blowing dust, and the last cool weeks before the heat. Roadcheck comes in May.

  • Brakes adjusted, lights and reflectors working
  • Air filter and restriction gauge
  • Cooling system before the heat: hoses, belts, coolant strength
Now
May to September

Summer heat

Pavement passes 150°F. Heat kills more batteries than cold does, and generators lose power in hot air.

  • Battery load test and clean terminals
  • Coolant, fan clutch, radiator fins clear
  • Tire pressure checked cold, every week
  • A/C, so drivers stay alert
  • Generators: load against the heat rating
Now
15 June to 30 September

Monsoon

Dust storms, sudden downpours, flooded washes and lightning. In a dust storm: pull fully off the road, lights off, foot off the brake.

  • Air filters: change early after a dust storm
  • Wipers, lights and door seals
  • Grease and check brakes after water crossings
  • Wiring and connectors for water
Now
October to November

Fall catch-up

The easiest weather for bigger jobs. A good time to clear deferred repairs before winter runs north.

  • Deferred repairs and recommended work
  • Annual inspections due before year-end
  • Winter kit for units that run north
Now
December to February

Winter up north

Snow and ice on I-17 and I-40 around Flagstaff, and nights below freezing. DEF freezes at 12°F.

  • Batteries and block heaters
  • Winter-blend fuel for northern runs
  • Chains, wipers and washer fluid
  • DEF tank heater working

Roadside inspection weeks

Every year the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance runs inspection blitzes across North America. Inspectors pull units over and check them; a failed item can put the unit out of service on the spot. A pre-inspection in the weeks before costs far less than a unit parked at the roadside.

International RoadcheckUsually mid-May, 72 hoursFull Level I inspections of truck and driver. Brakes, tires, lights, cargo securement and paperwork.Dates from CVSA early each yearcvsa.org ↗ Operation Safe Driver WeekUsually JulyOfficers watch driving behavior: speeding, seat belts, distracted driving.Dates from CVSA early each yearcvsa.org ↗ Brake Safety WeekUsually late AugustBrake inspections only. Brakes are the most common out-of-service problem.Dates from CVSA early each yearcvsa.org ↗
Book a pre-inspectionFleet customers get a reminder from us about three weeks before each one.

Does something here affect your fleet?

A recall, a new rule, a California run or an inspection blitz coming up: call us and we'll check your units against it.

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