DOT Week 2025: Five Prep Steps Every Driver Should Take Now

Short on time? Here’s the gist: DOT Week 2025 (May 13-15) will hammer hard on tires and false records of duty status (RODS). If your rubber is bald or your logbook looks like fan-fiction, expect a roadside vacation. Below are five practical moves flat-bedders can knock out this week so the only thing the inspector gives you is a shiny CVSA decal.

1. Know This Year’s Bull’s-Eye - Tires & RODS

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance picked two hot buttons for the 72-hour blitz: tire condition and faked or inaccurate duty-status records. That means inspectors will be looking for low tread, damage, and under-inflation and cross-checking your ELD data for creative editing.

2. Give Your Rubber Some Love

Pull out the gauge: tread must be ≥ 4/32" on steer tires and ≥ 2/32" on others. Check for cuts, exposed belts, mismatched sizes, and slow leaks. Under-inflated tires were among the top five vehicle out-of-service violations in 2024, so a quick air-up now beats a ticket later.

Pro tip: Carry a spare valve-stem kit and a portable inflator. Five minutes in the yard can save five hours on the shoulder.

3. Logbook Perfection = Inspector Affection

False logs accounted for 10 % of all out-of-service driver violations last year. Before you roll:

• Verify your ELD time-zone, odometer sync, and shipping docs.
• Audit the past eight days for gaps or edits that look suspicious.
• Keep supporting paperwork (fuel, tolls, BOLs) within arm’s reach.

4. Paper & People Must Match

Expect Level III driver checks, such as CDL, medical card, and Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse query. Make sure the name on your license matches the one on the RODS and that your medical card hasn’t slipped past its renewal date. A missing document can park you faster than a bad brake chamber.

5. Stage a 10-Minute Mock Inspection

Grab a buddy or your yard manager and run through the 37-point Level I list: brakes, lights, suspension, securement, emergency triangles, and seat belt. Use CVSA’s free cheat-sheet flyer to check boxes quickly. Spot something? Fix it now - parts shelves empty fast the week before the blitz. 

Need Gear Before the Blitz?

If you discover a worn strap, a cracked binder, or a tarp that’s past its prime during your pre-inspection checks, you don’t have to scramble. TarpHaus stocks flatbed tarps, winch and ratchet straps, transport chains, binders, edge protectors, and other cargo-control parts right here in Chicago - and ships nationwide the same day on most orders. Whatever you’re missing, you can count on us to have it ready so you roll into DOT Week fully prepared.