FMCSA seeks comment on renewing the inspection, repair and maintenance records collection
On July 16, 2026, FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register requesting comment on the renewal of an approved information collection titled "Inspection, Repair and Maintenance" (OMB Control Number 2126-0003, Docket No. FMCSA-2026-1553).
The collection covers the records motor carriers and drivers keep under the inspection, repair and maintenance rules in 49 CFR Part 396 — the systematic maintenance records, driver vehicle inspection reports, and periodic (annual) inspection documentation. In FMCSA's words, the agency collects this information "to ensure that motor carriers have adequate documentation of their inspection, repair, and maintenance programs necessary to reduce the likelihood of CMV crashes."
FMCSA estimates the respondents at 715,289 motor carriers and 5,793,962 CMV drivers. The notice is a Paperwork Reduction Act renewal, not a rulemaking: it does not propose changing what carriers must record or how long they must keep it. It asks the public whether the collection is necessary, whether the burden estimate is accurate, and how the burden could be reduced.
Comments must be received on or before September 14, 2026, and can be filed through the Federal eRulemaking Portal under docket FMCSA-2026-1553.
What this means for your operation
Nothing changes for your trucks today, but the notice is a useful reminder of what an auditor will ask for: a maintenance schedule and records for every unit, DVIRs with defects signed off before the next dispatch, and a current annual inspection on each power unit and trailer. Small carriers most often lose points here not because work was not done, but because it was not written down. If you have a real-world opinion on how burdensome the paperwork is, this is the window to say so. WeLink's compliance team keeps these Part 396 files organized and audit-ready for the carriers we support, so the records exist the day FMCSA or a state investigator asks for them.
Source: Federal Register (FMCSA)
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