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Built on 49 CFR · verified October 27, 2026

Trucking safety compliance checklists and templates

The working tools a US trucking safety specialist uses every day, in plain English: what to check, the CFR section behind it, deadlines and how long to keep each record.

$49Safety Compliance Toolkit: all 10 tools + Start Here guide
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FreePost-Accident Protocol for every cab
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Included freein the Safety & Compliance course (61 lessons)
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Safety Compliance Toolkit: Start Here page

Checklists, guides and the tracker

Which one do I need?

ResourceCoversPrice
DQ File Checklist49 CFR 391.51 · one per driver$9
Driver Hiring Checklist49 CFR Parts 380, 382, 383, 391$9
Company Compliance ChecklistUSDOT · authority · insurance · UCR · IRP · IFTA · 2290$9
Drug & Alcohol Program Checklist49 CFR Parts 382 and 40$9
In-Cab Documents ChecklistTruck · trailer · driver · ELD$9
Unit Expiration Tracker (Excel)Drivers · trucks · trailers · company$12
Records Retention Cheat Sheet49 CFR 382, 390, 391, 395, 396 · IFTA · IRP · IRS$9
FMCSA Websites & SMS GuideSAFER · SMS · L&I · Portal · Clearinghouse · DataQs · PSP$9
Roadside Inspection PrepCVSA · 49 CFR 391, 392, 393, 395, 396$9
Audit Readiness Checklist49 CFR Part 385, Appendix A$9

Suggested first week

  1. Run the Company Compliance Checklist and the 10-minute check on SAFER, L&I and SMS.
  2. Load every driver, truck, trailer and company date into the Unit Expiration Tracker.
  3. Audit 5 DQ files at random with the DQ File Checklist.
  4. Review the drug and alcohol program and this year's random-testing pace.
  5. Put the In-Cab, Roadside and Post-Accident sheets in every truck.

Learn the why behind every checklist

The Safety & Compliance course (61 lessons, English, Romanian and Russian) explains each item step by step, with real cases, a final test and a certificate. The full Toolkit is included.