How often do you need a DOT inspection?

How often do you need a DOT inspection? The annual safety inspection is once every twelve months for commercial trucks and trailers that require it. Here is how the timing works and why it sneaks up on people.

Once a year

The annual inspection is good for the year. Miss the renewal and the truck is no longer certified, which is a violation on its own, before anyone even looks at the brakes.

The date is per vehicle

Each vehicle has its own due date, so a fleet has them scattered across the calendar. That is exactly why due dates get missed. One truck is easy to remember. Eight is not.

The pre-trip is still daily

The annual inspection does not replace the driver's daily pre-trip check. Both matter, and they catch different things.

Keeping track

If you run more than a couple of trucks, tracking dates by memory does not hold up. We track inspection due dates for fleets so nothing lapses, and we can run the annual inspection and fix what it flags in one stop.