Specialty · Commercial & Fleet

Commercial & Fleet Pre-Purchase Inspection

Independent commercial vehicle and fleet pre-purchase inspection: DOT compliance spot-check, drivetrain, brake systems, body, multi-unit lot pricing. Report in 24 hours.

Specialty · Commercial & Fleet

Commercial trucks live hard. Fleet purchases — whether one box truck or twenty cargo vans — need a different procurement process and per-unit consistency you can audit later.

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Why a commercial / fleet inspection is different

Single-unit commercial buys (box truck, sprinter, cab-and-chassis) and multi-unit fleet inspections share the same diagnostic mindset: DOT compliance, drivetrain wear, brake-system integrity, body condition. The difference is volume, scheduling, and a per-unit report standard you can hand to a finance team or DOT auditor.

Scope note: We do not perform full DOT annual inspections (CFR § 396.17) — that requires a specific certified inspector at a DOT-recognized facility. Our pre-purchase scope is buyer-protection level: condition, compliance spot-checks, drivetrain wear, brake state, and documentation against advertised condition.

How a commercial / fleet inspection runs

Five-step process from booking to report. Type-specific — what we do on a commercial / fleet is different from a passenger-vehicle pre-purchase.

Pre-visit fleet manifest review
On multi-unit lots we receive the seller’s unit list, VINs, mileage, last-service dates, and any DOT-citation history. Single-unit buys: VIN run for accident records, prior-owner check, and DOT carrier history (FMCSA SAFER lookup) to flag a unit that has been in a hard-use fleet.
DOT compliance spot-check
Lights, reflective tape, mud flaps, lettering, fire extinguisher, triangle / flare kit. We document what is in compliance and what is not. This is buyer-protection scope, not a CFR § 396.17 annual — but it tells you what you would fail on at a roadside inspection the day you take delivery.
Drivetrain, brake, and body survey per unit
Cold-start, oil-pressure indicator, leak survey under the engine and transmission. Frame cross-members and weld inspection — fleet trucks crack frames and the welds get patched. Air-brake system test where applicable (CDL inspector required for full functional). Body damage, lift-gate operation, dual-tire match.
Telematics and OBD interrogation
Live OBD-II + telematics scan where supported (Geotab, Samsara, Verizon Connect dongles often left in by the seller). Fault codes, DPF status, regen history on diesels. Multi-unit lots get a unit-by-unit defect matrix you can sort by severity and use to negotiate the lot price.
Per-unit PDF report + lot condition matrix
Each unit gets its own PDF: 50+ photos, defect list with severity, DOT compliance flags, recommended pre-delivery service. Multi-unit lots also get a single condition matrix spreadsheet — sort, filter, and present to your finance / SBA / equipment-lender team without re-keying.

What we inspect

Every commercial / fleet inspection covers the items below. Add-ons (e.g. paint-thickness mapping, generator load test) available on request.

DOT compliance spot-check: lights, reflective tape, mud flaps, lettering
Body: panel damage, bed/box condition, lift-gate operation, door seals
Frame: cross-member integrity, weld inspection, prior-repair evidence
Tires: tread depth, sidewall age, rotation pattern, dual-tire match (where applicable)
Brakes: pad/shoe state, drum/rotor condition, air-brake system test (where applicable)
Engine: cold-start, oil-pressure indicator, leak survey, exhaust check
Cooling: radiator, hoses, water-pump, charge-air cooler (diesel)
Drivetrain: transmission shift quality, driveline U-joints, differential leakage
Suspension: spring condition, shocks, leaf-spring eyes, bushings
Electrical: lights, signals, harness condition, charging output
Cab: HVAC, gauges, seat, restraints, mirrors
Hours / odometer: cross-check against service records
Aftermarket equipment: lift gate, racks, ladder mounts — function + safety
Live OBD-II + telematics interrogation where supported
Service-record line-item review
Per-unit photo set: 50+ photos, organized by section
For multi-unit lot inspections: itemized condition matrix across all units

What we actually find on these

Patterns from real inspections. Not a checklist — these are the items inspectors flag most often, and the cost of missing them.

Brake-line corrosion at the frame-tunnel pass-through

Hidden behind cross-members and inside the frame channel. DOT-flag-able and a guaranteed roadside out-of-service if a state inspector finds it. Replacement is $600–1,200 per truck. Safety-critical if missed — a corroded line bursts on first hard stop.

DPF regen failures on a diesel sprinter or box truck

Stop-and-go duty cycles (delivery routes) starve the DPF of regen heat. Stored codes show repeated failed-regen events. Forced regen or DPF clean is $400–900; full DPF replacement is $3,000–7,000. Listings hide this in "runs and drives."

Frame crack with field-weld repair

Box trucks and lifted-rack vans crack frames at the cab-to-bed junction. Field-welded repairs are common and not always disclosed. A crack with a weld over it is a DOT structural-defect citation waiting to happen — and the weld itself becomes the next failure point.

Lift-gate hydraulic leak or cylinder seal failure

Lift gates are the #1 add-on defect on used commercial. Hydraulic seal kits are $200–500; full cylinder replacement is $800–1,800. A non-operational gate kills route productivity from day one.

Telematics dongle still installed from prior carrier

Geotab / Samsara / Verizon Connect dongles left in tell us the unit was on a managed fleet. We can pull recent fault codes and duty-cycle data the seller did not know was there. Sometimes that data tells a different story than the listing.

Dual-tire mismatch (different tread, age, or brand)

DOT requires duals to match closely on tread depth and circumference. Mismatched duals cause uneven wear, drivetrain stress, and ride disturbance. Set replacement is $400–1,200 per axle; left as-is, it eats the differential.

Suspension airbag leak on air-ride rear axles

Sealed-suspension air-ride bags develop slow leaks. Truck sits low on one corner overnight. Compressor cycles often, eventually fails. Bag replacement is $300–700 each plus labor; missed compressor failure is a $1,200 repair.

Charging output low on a fleet van past 100K miles

High-amp accessories (lift gates, inverters, telematics, cab-side electronics) chew alternators. Output below 13.6V at 2,000 RPM means the alternator is on borrowed time. $400–800 replacement; ignored, the truck strands a driver mid-route.

Body / box rust at the floor-to-side seam

Box trucks accumulate water along the floor seam from cargo handling. Rust there compromises structural integrity of the box. Repair is $1,000–4,000 depending on severity; full box replacement is $8K+. We document with macro photos at every seam.

50+ photos per unit

Photos delivered

24 hr

Report turnaround

Itemized

Defect log + severity

Independent

No dealer affiliations

Per-unit photo-documented PDF + an itemized condition matrix across all units in the lot.

Who runs your inspection

Commercial inspectors come from DOT / FMCSA-aware backgrounds: fleet-maintenance shop foremen, dealer truck-tech, or independent diesel specialists. Air-brake-endorsed inspectors are dispatched on Class 6+ and air-brake-equipped units. Multi-unit lot work routes to inspectors with fleet-procurement history — they know how to pace 8–20 units in a single day without skipping items. We can include CDL-holding inspectors on units requiring a road test where geography allows.

When buyers book this

Single box truck, sprinter, or cab-and-chassis purchase from a dealer / auction
Multi-unit fleet pickup (3–20 vehicles) from a lease return / off-rent lot
Pre-finance audit on a used cargo-van fleet for SBA / equipment lending

Buying from out of state

Commercial buyers are nationwide — Manheim, Ritchie Bros, IAA, and dealer / auction lot sales drive most of our inspections. We schedule 5–7 days before pickup or transport for single-unit; multi-unit lot inspections are coordinated 7–14 days out so the seller can stage units and we can plan a single-day on-site batch where geography allows. For SBA-funded or equipment-finance buyers we deliver in a format your finance team can drop directly into the loan-package PDF. We will get on a call with you on any unit that flags a structural or DOT-critical defect before transport books.

How commercial / fleet pricing works

Commercial inspections start at $349 per unit for cargo vans, sprinters, and light-duty box trucks; $449 for medium-duty (Class 4–6) box trucks and cab-and-chassis; $549–649 for heavy-duty (Class 7–8), air-brake-equipped units, and lift-gate / specialty equipment. Multi-unit lot pricing scales: 3–5 units at standard per-unit rate; 6–20 units at lot rate (call dispatch); 20+ units quoted as enterprise. Each unit gets a full report; lots also get a condition matrix.

Frequently asked

Can you do a real DOT inspection?

No — a federal annual DOT inspection (CFR § 396.17) requires a certified inspector at a DOT-recognized facility. We document condition, flag DOT compliance gaps, and recommend a DOT-certified shop for the formal annual where one is needed.

How does pricing work for multi-unit lots?

Per-unit price drops on volume. Three to five units: standard per-unit specialty rate. Six to twenty units: lot pricing (call dispatch). Twenty-plus: enterprise quote. All units get individual reports plus a lot-wide condition matrix.

Will you do a CDL pre-employment driver-vehicle inspection?

No — that is a function of the operating carrier under FMCSA regulation, not a buyer-protection pre-purchase scope. We can document vehicle condition for the carrier’s files, but the formal driver-vehicle inspection report is the carrier’s responsibility.

Do you inspect lift gates and specialty equipment?

Yes — lift-gate operation through full travel, hydraulic-leak survey, controller function, and safety-edge / cut-off interlocks. Specialty equipment (refrigeration units, auxiliary power, cargo-securement systems) is documented for condition and function; we recommend a specialty-shop quote on any unit that looks marginal.

How is this different from your Gold tier?

Gold is built for passenger vehicles. Commercial scope adds DOT compliance spot-checks, lift-gate / specialty-equipment inspection, telematics interrogation, multi-unit lot logistics, and a condition matrix format that a finance team can use directly. Different inspector pool with fleet-shop background.

What if you find something major mid-inspection?

We call you immediately. On a single unit you decide buy / negotiate / walk. On multi-unit lots we keep moving through the manifest while flagging individual units — losing one unit in a lot of twelve does not kill the deal but it changes your negotiation.

Do you provide a format my SBA / equipment lender will accept?

Yes — per-unit PDFs plus a CSV / Excel condition matrix that finance teams can drop into the loan-package directly. Several SBA-preferred lenders and equipment-finance brokers reference our reports as standard pre-funding documentation.

Do you do follow-up inspections after I close?

Yes — 30/60/90-day fleet re-checks on watch-list items, particularly on multi-unit acquisitions where you want a baseline as units enter your maintenance system.

How long does a commercial / fleet inspection take?

Two hours per unit for typical box trucks and cargo vans. Heavy-duty (Class 6+) and lift-gate / specialty trucks run closer to 3 hours. Multi-unit lots scheduled in single-day batches where geography allows.