# DOT compliance software that shows what an audit would find across drivers and units today

![A carrier safety manager reviewing driver qualification files and vehicle maintenance records before a compliance audit](https://neurobird.com/dotcompliance/dotcompliance-hero.webp)
*Two populations, dozens of annual clocks, and one auditor who reads them together.*

> DOT compliance is the set of federal obligations a motor carrier carries around driver qualification, testing and vehicle maintenance. 49 CFR 391.51 sets driver qualification file contents, 49 CFR 391.25 requires an annual motor vehicle record review for every driver, the FMCSA Clearinghouse requires an annual query, and 49 CFR Part 396 governs systematic inspection and maintenance. Neurobird joins them across 140 drivers and 96 power units.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/dotcompliance/
- Product: Neurobird DOT Compliance Trucking Compliance Platform
- Niche: DOT compliance trucking
- Buyer: motor carrier safety and compliance managers
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-25

## What Neurobird DOT Compliance Trucking does

- Track driver qualification file completeness against the required contents rather than a folder
- Hold annual motor vehicle record reviews on their own per driver clock
- Keep Clearinghouse annual queries visible before the year closes
- Join vehicle maintenance and annual inspection records to the same audit view as drivers

## How it works

1. **Score the file against the list** DQ file completeness measured item by item, so incomplete is specific rather than a worry.
2. **Run the annual clocks per person** MVR review and Clearinghouse query recur from each driver's own date.
3. **Bring the units into the same view** Maintenance and annual inspection records audited beside driver files, because that is how they are audited.

## From the source material

> Motor carriers , except for a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness) , must maintain, or cause to be maintained, records for each motor vehicle they control for 30 consecutive days.

Source: 49 CFR 396.3, inspection, repair, and maintenance, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/396.3

## Industry context

- **391.25** The section requiring a carrier to obtain and review a motor vehicle record for each driver at least once every 12 months. (source: 49 CFR 391.25, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.25)
- **391.51** The section listing what a driver qualification file must contain and how long each item is retained. (source: 49 CFR 391.51, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.51)
- **Part 396** The inspection, repair and maintenance rules, requiring carriers to systematically maintain vehicles under their control and keep the records. (source: 49 CFR Part 396, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/part-396)
- **1 query** Employers must query the Clearinghouse for each driver at least annually, in addition to pre employment full queries. (source: FMCSA Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/)
- **1 agency** FMCSA administers motor carrier safety programmes and enforcement, which is where audit priorities are published. (source: FMCSA, safety programs, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety)

## Pricing

- Small fleet: 119 per month
- Carrier: 299 per month
- Fleet: 649 per month

## Questions

### What is DOT compliance for a motor carrier?

DOT compliance is the set of federal obligations a motor carrier carries around driver qualification, hours of service, drug and alcohol testing, and vehicle maintenance. The driver qualification file requirements sit in 49 CFR 391.51 and vehicle inspection and maintenance in 49 CFR Part 396.

### What is the annual MVR review?

49 CFR 391.25 requires the carrier to obtain a motor vehicle record for each driver at least once every 12 months and to review it for continued qualification. It is a recurring obligation per driver rather than an event.

### What does the Clearinghouse require annually?

Employers must run a query on each driver at least once per year, in addition to pre employment full queries. A missed annual query is a violation independent of whether the driver has any record.

### What is a systematic maintenance programme?

49 CFR Part 396 requires carriers to systematically inspect, repair and maintain vehicles under their control, and to retain records. Annual inspection is part of it, and the records are audited alongside driver files.

### Does this replace our ELD?

No. Hours of service data stays in the electronic logging device. What lives here is the qualification and maintenance layer: DQ file contents, MVR reviews, Clearinghouse queries and vehicle records, joined into one audit view.

## Sources

- [49 CFR 391.51, driver qualification files](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.51)
- [49 CFR 391.25, annual inquiry and review of driving record](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.25)
- [49 CFR Part 396, inspection, repair and maintenance](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/part-396)
- [FMCSA, Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse](https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/)
- [FMCSA, safety programs](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/