Trucking compliance software: what the rules require, and what software adds
By Edwin Horton · Updated
Compliance software promises to keep a trucking company audit-ready. Some of that promise is real: reminders before a medical certificate expires, a checklist that shows what's missing from a driver file, a report you can hand an auditor. But the software doesn't change what the rules require. The records are the requirement; the software is one way to keep them.
This page lays out what federal rules require a small carrier to keep and for how long, then what software adds on top, so you can decide whether you need it yet.
For how CDL testing programs work, see our guide to a DOT drug testing consortium.
The compliance file cabinet
- DRAWER 1
Driver qualification files
Spreadsheet works to a few drivers; software helps beyond
Application, MVRs, previous employer checks, road test, medical certificate, annual review.
- DRAWER 2
Drug and alcohol testing (CDL)
Usually kept by your consortium plus your copies
Policy receipts, pre-employment and random results, Clearinghouse queries.
- DRAWER 3
Maintenance and inspections
Spreadsheet per unit, or a maintenance module
Service records, annual inspection reports, driver inspection reports with defects.
- DRAWER 4
Hours of service
Your ELD stores logs; review tools are optional
Logs and supporting documents, short-haul time records where used.
- DRAWER 5
Accidents
A simple register works
Accident register and copies of reports for insurers and states.
- DRAWER 6
Company filings
Calendar reminders
Registration updates, UCR, IRP, IFTA, insurance filings, process agent.
What the rules require, and for how long
| Record | Rule | Keep for |
|---|---|---|
| Driver qualification file | 49 CFR 391.51 Driver qualification fileApplication, MVRs, road test, annual MVR review, medical certificate (and more) for every driver49 CFR 391.51(b) lists what each driver's qualification file must hold, including the employment application, MVRs from each licensing state, the road test certificate or equivalent, the annual MVR inquiry and review note, and the medical examiner's certificate.49 CFR 391.51Checked Oct 2026 | While employed and 3 years after |
| Annual MVR and review note | 49 CFR 391.25 Annual driving record inquiry and reviewAt least every 12 months: get each driver's MVR and review it, with the reviewer's name and date in the file49 CFR 391.25: at least once every 12 months the carrier obtains each driver's MVR covering the preceding 12 months, reviews it to decide whether the driver meets minimum requirements for safe driving or is disqualified under 391.15, giving great weight to violations such as speeding, reckless driving and impaired driving, and keeps the MVR and a note with the reviewer's name and date in the qualification file.49 CFR 391.25Checked Oct 2026 | In the driver file; renewed every 12 months |
| Medical examiner's certificate | 49 CFR 391.45 Medical certification intervalGenerally every 24 months; shorter when the examiner sets it49 CFR 391.45: drivers must be medically examined and certified if they have not been certified within the preceding 24 months, with shorter intervals for certain conditions and whenever an injury or illness has impaired the driver's ability to perform normal duties.49 CFR 391.45Checked Oct 2026 | Current copy in the file; generally renewed every 24 months |
| Drug and alcohol testing records (CDL) | 49 CFR 382.401 Drug and alcohol testing records retention5 years for positives, refusals and SAP records; 2 years for collection records; 1 year for negatives49 CFR 382.401: alcohol results of 0.02 or greater, verified positive drug results, refusals, SAP evaluations and referrals and similar records are kept at least five years; collection process records two years; negative and canceled results one year.49 CFR 382.401Checked Oct 2026 | 5 years for positives and refusals; 2 years for collection records; 1 year for negatives |
| Maintenance, inspection and repair records | 49 CFR 396.3 Maintenance records retentionKept 1 year where the vehicle is housed or maintained, and 6 months after it leaves your control49 CFR 396.3(c): inspection, repair and maintenance records for each vehicle controlled 30 days or more are kept where the vehicle is housed or maintained for 1 year and for 6 months after the vehicle leaves the carrier's control.49 CFR 396.3Checked Oct 2026 | 1 year, and 6 months after the truck leaves your control |
| Annual inspection report | 49 CFR 396.21 Annual inspection report retentionKeep the annual inspection report 14 months49 CFR 396.21(b)(1): the original or a copy of the periodic (annual) inspection report is retained for fourteen months from the date of the inspection report.49 CFR 396.21Checked Oct 2026 | 14 months |
| Driver vehicle inspection reports | 49 CFR 396.11 Inspection report retentionDriver vehicle inspection reports and repair certifications kept 3 months49 CFR 396.11(a)(4): carriers keep the driver vehicle inspection report, the certification of repairs and the driver's review certification for three months from the date the report was prepared.49 CFR 396.11Checked Oct 2026 | 3 months |
| Records of duty status and supporting documents | 49 CFR 395.8 Keeping logsCarrier keeps records of duty status and supporting documents 6 months; driver has the past 7 days49 CFR 395.8(k): carriers retain records of duty status and supporting documents for each driver for at least 6 months from receipt; the driver keeps the previous 7 consecutive days available for inspection while on duty.49 CFR 395.8(k)Checked Oct 2026 | 6 months |
| Accident register | 49 CFR 390.15 Accident registerKept for 3 years after each accident49 CFR 390.15(b): motor carriers maintain an accident register for 3 years after the date of each accident, with date, location, driver, injuries, fatalities and hazmat release information, plus copies of accident reports required by states or insurers.49 CFR 390.15Checked Oct 2026 | 3 years |
These are federal minimums; states, insurers and customers may ask for more.
What software adds
- Reminders before medical certificates, MVR reviews, annual inspections and registrations expire.
- Checklists that show which items are missing from each driver or truck file.
- Phone uploads, so drivers and shops can send documents directly.
- Audit reports that gather what an auditor will ask for in one place.
- Log review that flags hours-of-service problems in ELD data.
- One place for everything, instead of email, folders and paper.
What it doesn't add: the records themselves. Someone still has to order the MVR, review it, get the medical certificate, and file the maintenance invoice.
CDL and non-CDL fleets need different drawers
A fleet of non-CDL 26 ft box trucks still needs driver qualification files, maintenance and inspection records, logs or short-haul time records, and an accident register, because those rules apply to commercial motor vehicles of 10,001 lb or more in interstate commerce Commercial motor vehicle (FMCSRs)10,001 lb GVWR/GCWR or more, in interstate commerce49 CFR 390.5: a vehicle used in interstate commerce with a GVWR or GCWR (or actual weight) of 10,001 lb or more is a commercial motor vehicle for the safety regulations, including driver qualification, hours of service and inspection rules, whether or not the driver needs a CDL.49 CFR 390.5Checked Oct 2026. What it doesn't need is the DOT drug and alcohol testing drawer, which applies to CDL drivers. A mixed fleet needs both, and its software or folders should make clear which drivers are in testing.
A folder system that passes an audit
If you're not buying software yet, build the same structure with folders, paper or digital:
- One folder per driver, with subfolders for the qualification file and, for CDL drivers, testing records kept separately and confidentially.
- One folder per truck and trailer, with maintenance, repairs, annual inspection reports and driver inspection reports.
- One folder for company filings: registration updates, UCR, IRP, IFTA, insurance and process agent.
- An accident register as a simple table.
- One calendar with every expiry and renewal date, with reminders 60 days ahead.
Name files the same way every time (driver name, document, date) so anyone can find them.
A quarterly self-audit
- Open every driver file and check each required item is present and current.
- Check medical certificate and MVR review dates for the next 90 days.
- For CDL drivers, confirm random tests ran and annual Clearinghouse queries are done.
- Check every truck and trailer for an annual inspection within the last 12 months.
- Spot-check a month of driver inspection reports: were defects repaired and certified?
- Review a sample of logs for hours-of-service problems.
- Update the accident register.
An hour or two each quarter catches most problems long before an auditor does.
Gaps small fleets commonly find in their own files
- Missing previous employer checks, or no record of a good-faith attempt when an employer didn't answer.
- No annual MVR review note with the reviewer's name and date, even when the MVR itself was pulled.
- Expired medical certificates for drivers who renewed but never handed in the new card.
- Annual inspections done on trucks but missed on trailers.
- Driver inspection reports listing defects with no repair certification.
- Testing records mixed into general personnel files instead of kept separately.
Each is easy to fix once found. The quarterly self-audit above is designed to find them.
Do you need software yet?
Probably not if you have one to three drivers, one person who owns the files, and a calendar that catches every expiry date.
Probably yes if dates have slipped, files are spread across email and paper, you're hiring regularly, or an audit is coming and you can't find things quickly.
Alternatives: an outside compliance service that keeps files for you, or a trucking consultant for a one-time setup and audit preparation.
How to choose
- Check the vendor's own current pages for features and pricing, and note the date.
- Make sure its driver file checklist matches the federal list.
- Test document upload from a driver's phone.
- Ask how it handles CDL and non-CDL drivers differently.
- Ask whether it connects to your ELD for log review.
- Confirm you can export every record if you leave; the records are your responsibility under the rules.
We don't rank vendors.
EXAMPLE A five-truck carrier with seven drivers finds two expired medical certificates during a self-audit. The owner moves every driver and truck date into compliance software with reminders 60 days out, has drivers upload new certificates from their phones, and runs a monthly missing-items report. The next quarterly self-audit finds nothing missing.
Compliance and your safety scores
Good records don't just pass audits; they support the habits that keep roadside violations down. Inspections and violations feed your public safety measurement scores; see how with the CSA score estimator. The full list of what a carrier must have in place is in the trucking company compliance checklist.
Compliance beside dispatch and maintenance
Compliance records sit next to the other systems in truck fleet management, including dispatch (see trucking dispatch software) and maintenance. For how our desk works with your fleet day to day, see small fleet dispatch.
This page summarizes federal record rules in general terms; it isn't legal advice.
Compliance software questions
01What does trucking compliance software do?
It stores driver, vehicle and testing records, tracks expiry dates (medical certificates, MVR reviews, annual inspections), sends reminders, and often prepares reports for audits. Some products also review logs from your ELD.
02Is compliance software required?
No. Federal rules require the records, not a particular tool. Paper or digital folders with a reliable calendar can meet the rules for a small fleet.
03When should a small fleet buy compliance software?
When expiry dates start slipping, when driver files multiply past what one person tracks reliably, or before an audit if your records are scattered. Many fleets reach that point somewhere between three and ten drivers.
04How long must trucking records be kept?
It depends on the record: driver files while employed plus 3 years, maintenance records 1 year and 6 months after a truck leaves, inspection reports 3 months, annual inspection reports 14 months, logs 6 months, testing records 1 to 5 years, and the accident register 3 years.
05Does compliance software handle drug testing?
Some store testing records and track random selections; the testing itself is run by a consortium or third-party administrator for most small carriers. CDL drivers only are in DOT testing.
06What should I look for in compliance software?
Driver file checklists that match the rules, expiry reminders, document upload from a phone, audit-ready reports, ELD log review if you need it, exportable records, and pricing that fits your fleet size.
07What records does FMCSA check in an audit?
Commonly driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing records for CDL drivers, hours-of-service records, maintenance and inspection records, the accident register and insurance filings. The exact list depends on the type of audit or investigation.
08Can I keep compliance records digitally?
Generally yes, as long as the records are complete, legible and can be produced when requested. Several rules specifically allow electronic records; keep backups and make sure you can export them from any software you use.