INDIANAPOLIS FLEET COMPLIANCE
The DOT inspection checklist Indianapolis fleets actually use
Every commercial motor vehicle needs a passing federal annual inspection every 12 months under 49 CFR 396.17. Use this checklist to walk your own units before an officer does — then have us run the official inspection at your yard, no shop trip required.
Please note: We strictly service commercial vehicles, fleets, and contracted business accounts. We do not provide repair services for consumer automotive, SUVs, or personal passenger cars.
Protect your CSA score
Maintenance violations written at a roadside inspection follow your DOT number for two years and drive up inspection frequency and insurance scrutiny.
Inspection where it sits
We bring the inspection to your Indianapolis yard, batch multiple units per visit, and hand you the report and decal on the spot.
Repairs in the same visit
Most defects we find — lights, brakes, air leaks, seals, tires — are corrected during the same appointment instead of scheduling a second trip.
Annual DOT inspection checklist — all 10 areas
Based on the FMCSA Appendix A minimum periodic inspection standards, plus the paperwork items that trip up Central Indiana fleets during compliance reviews.
Brake system
- Service brake lining thickness and drum/rotor condition
- Slack adjuster travel and pushrod stroke within limits
- Air compressor build-up time and governor cut-in/cut-out
- Low-air warning device functional at or above 55 psi
- Air loss rate: no more than 3 psi/min single, 4 psi/min combination
- Parking / emergency brake holds and tractor protection valve works
- No cracked, contaminated, loose or missing brake components
Coupling devices
- Fifth wheel mounting, cracks and free play
- Locking jaws fully engaged on kingpin
- Pintle hooks, safety chains and drawbars secure
- Upper coupler and kingpin not worn or deformed
Exhaust and fuel system
- No leaks under the cab or sleeper
- Exhaust discharged away from fuel tanks and combustibles
- Fuel tanks securely mounted, caps present, no drips
- DPF/DEF system faults resolved, no active derate warnings
Lighting devices
- Headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps and turn signals operable
- Clearance, identification and marker lamps intact
- License plate lamp and reflex reflectors present
- Trailer cord and 7-way connector free of corrosion
Steering mechanism
- Steering wheel lash within limits for the wheel diameter
- Steering column, gear box and linkage secure
- Tie rods, ball joints and drag link free of excessive play
- Power steering fluid level and hoses leak-free
Suspension
- No cracked, broken or missing leaf springs
- Air bags free of leaks and rubbing
- U-bolts, torque rods and hangers tight
- Shock absorbers mounted and not leaking
Frame, van and open-top bodies
- No cracked, loose or sagging frame members
- Cross-members and body mounts secure
- Trailer floor and roof bows sound, no holes
- Landing gear operates and is not bent or missing a crank
Tires, wheels and rims
- Steer tires 4/32" minimum tread; all others 2/32"
- No exposed belt material, cuts or bulges
- Correct inflation across duals, no mismatched sizes
- No cracked wheels, missing or loose lug nuts, or leaking hub seals
Windshield, wipers, mirrors and emergency equipment
- Windshield free of damage in the driver's swept area
- Wipers and washers functional
- Both mirrors present, secure and adjustable
- Fire extinguisher charged, warning triangles and spare fuses on board
Paperwork and CSA exposure
- Current annual inspection report on file and decal displayed
- Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs) completed and defects certified
- Maintenance records retained per 49 CFR 396.3
- Prior violations from roadside inspections repaired and documented
From the field
Why we inspect brakes on every PM
Brake violations are the single most common reason trucks get placed out of service at roadside — and they're almost always catchable during a scheduled PM. Watch a real brake check from a StayPut on-site visit and see what we measure before a trooper does.
Push-rod travel, lining thickness, drum condition, air leaks, and slack adjuster stroke are all documented on every PM-A through PM-D so nothing surprises you at a scale house.
DOT inspection FAQs
- How often does a commercial vehicle need a DOT inspection?
- Every commercial motor vehicle must pass a federal annual (periodic) inspection at least once every 12 months under 49 CFR 396.17. That is separate from the daily pre-trip and post-trip driver inspections, which are required every day the vehicle is operated.
- Can a DOT inspection be done at our Indianapolis yard?
- Yes. StayPut Fleet Service performs annual DOT inspections on-site throughout the Greater Indianapolis market. We inspect the unit where it is parked, repair qualifying defects during the same visit when possible, and leave the inspection report and decal with you.
- What are the most common DOT violations we see on Indiana fleets?
- Lighting defects, brake adjustment and lining issues, tire tread and inflation, and missing or incomplete inspection paperwork account for the majority of out-of-service findings we catch during pre-audit inspections.
- How does a failed inspection affect our CSA score?
- Roadside inspection violations feed directly into your Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. A cluster of maintenance violations raises your CSA percentile, which increases inspection frequency, insurance scrutiny and shipper risk reviews. Catching those defects on your own lot avoids the record entirely.
- How long does a mobile DOT inspection take?
- A typical tractor or trailer inspection runs about an hour. We usually batch multiple units per visit, so a fleet can bring an entire pool current in a single scheduled block.
- Do you inspect trailers as well as power units?
- Yes — tractors, straight trucks, 53' dry vans, reefers, flatbeds and utility trailers. We can also perform pre-audit inspections ahead of a compliance review.
- What does a mobile DOT inspection cost?
- Inspections are billed at our standard $150/hr labor rate, or $125/hr for VIP Mobile Fleet Members. Members also get priority scheduling before DOT deadlines.
- Do you inspect personal vehicles?
- No. We strictly service commercial vehicles and equipment and do not provide consumer automotive repair or inspections.
Mobile DOT inspections near you
Get your fleet inspected before the DOT does
We schedule inspection blocks at your yard across the Greater Indianapolis market — tractors, straight trucks and trailers in the same visit.