DOT annual inspection & 72-hour rule due-date tracker for every unit
Enter each unit's last annual inspection. This DOT annual inspection and 72-hour rule due-date tracker shows the next due date, warns 30 days out, and gives you calendar reminders, along with the CVSA Roadcheck dates.
Annual inspection due dates, unit by unit
EXAMPLE UNITS, SAVED IN THIS BROWSER ONLYDue by Jan 20, 2027
101 days left
Due by Nov 4, 2026
Due in 24 days
Due by Jun 30, 2027
262 days left
Unit 102 is due in 24 days. Want loads planned around the shop visit?
By Edwin Horton · Updated
How the tracker works
Every commercial motor vehicle you run must have passed an inspection of the listed components within the preceding 12 months Annual inspectionEvery 12 months49 CFR 396.17(c): a CMV may not be used unless each component in Appendix A has passed an inspection at least once in the preceding 12 months.49 CFR 396.17Checked Oct 2026. Miss it by a day and the truck can't legally be used. With several units inspected at different times of year, the dates are easy to lose.
- Due date = last annual inspection + 12 months (same day)
- Days left = due date − today
- Status = overdue if past due, amber if due within 30 days, green otherwise
- Calendar file = one all-day event per unit on its due date, with a reminder 30 days before
EXAMPLE Unit 101 was inspected January 20, 2026, so it's due by January 20, 2027. Unit 102 was inspected November 4, 2025: due November 4, 2026, which turns amber 30 days out, in early October. Unit 103, inspected June 30, 2026, is due June 30, 2027.
Your list stays in this browser only. Add units, rename them, and download the reminders so they live in your own calendar.
Roadcheck: the 72-hour event
Each year CVSA runs International Roadcheck, a 72-hour push when inspectors across North America perform as many full Level I inspections as possible. In 2026 it ran May 12-14, 2026 (72-hour inspection event)CVSA International Roadcheck 2026May 12-14, 2026 (72-hour inspection event)CVSA's annual 72-hour International Roadcheck, when inspectors across North America perform as many Level I inspections as possible. 2027 dates had not been announced when checked.CVSA, International Roadcheck, 2026Checked Oct 2026. The 2027 dates hadn't been announced when this page was updated; CVSA posts them in advance. Plan the week: trucks fresh from their annual inspection, drivers with logs and documents in order, and loads that don't push anyone's hours.
Green, amber and red units
Amber tiles: book the shop now. Plan the unit's loads so its last run before the due date ends near your shop or inspector.
Red tiles: the unit is overdue and shouldn't run until it passes. Out-of-service orders and violations cost more than a lost day.
Everything green: set the calendar reminders and move on. Pair this with a dated service list from the preventive maintenance schedule generator and fund the work with the maintenance reserve calculator. If you lease owner-operators, the driver settlement checker helps keep their maintenance escrow lines clean.
Part of a compliance system
The annual inspection is one line on our trucking company compliance checklist. If you're tracking many units, see what trucking compliance software can automate. And on our small fleet dispatch desk, each unit's inspection date is on its rules card so loads are planned around it.
Spread inspections across the year if you can. A fleet whose trucks all come due in the same month loses several trucks to the shop in the same week. Moving one unit's inspection a few months earlier resets its due date and evens out the schedule.
Keep the inspection reports with each unit's maintenance file. When an auditor or inspector asks, you want the report for that exact unit in minutes, not a search through a shoebox.
Keep the list complete
- Add every power unit and every trailer
- Use the date on the inspection report, not the decal you remember
- Download the reminders into a calendar someone checks daily
- Book the shop as soon as a tile turns amber
Annual inspection questions
01How often is a DOT annual inspection required?
At least once every 12 months. A commercial motor vehicle can't be used unless each listed component has passed an inspection within the preceding 12 months, and the inspection report or decal must be kept as the rules require.
02What is the 72-hour Roadcheck?
CVSA's International Roadcheck is a 72-hour enforcement event each year when inspectors across North America do as many full Level I inspections as they can. In 2026 it ran May 12 to 14. CVSA announces each year's dates and focus areas ahead of time.
03Can I do the annual inspection myself?
A qualified inspector must do it. That can be someone at your company who meets the qualification requirements, or a shop. Keep the inspector's qualification on file if you do it in-house.
04Where is my tracker data saved?
Only in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us. Download the calendar file to keep reminders in your own calendar.
05What happens if a truck's annual inspection is overdue?
The truck shouldn't be used until it passes. An inspector who finds an expired annual can write a violation and, depending on what else is found, put the vehicle out of service. It also counts against your safety record.
06Do trailers need annual inspections too?
Yes. Trailers are commercial motor vehicles under the rule and need their own annual inspection. Add each trailer to the tracker as its own unit.
Inspections planned, loads planned around them
Tell the desk when each unit is due. We plan its loads to end near the shop.
4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new