Vehicle inspection checklist
A two-minute vehicle check catches the bald tire, the dead brake light, and the unsecured load before they become an incident, a ticket, or a DOT problem. Use this checklist for pickups, vans, and light work vehicles: walk around, tick, record defects, get them fixed.
Vehicle inspection checklist
Company: ____________
Jobsite: ____________
Date: ____________
Walk-around
| Tires: tread, pressure, no damage (including spare) | N/A · Action | |
| Lights, brake lights, and turn signals all working | N/A · Action | |
| Windshield and mirrors clean, no cracks in the driver's vision | N/A · Action | |
| Body damage noted | N/A · Action | |
| License plates and registration current | N/A · Action |
In cab
| Brakes and parking brake feel correct | N/A · Action | |
| Seat belts intact and working | N/A · Action | |
| Horn works | N/A · Action | |
| Warning lights: none showing after start | N/A · Action | |
| First aid kit stocked and in date | N/A · Action | |
| Fire extinguisher present, charged, secured | N/A · Action |
Load and equipment
| Load secured (straps, racks, cargo nets) and within limits | N/A · Action | |
| Ladders and long material flagged and tied down | N/A · Action | |
| Compressed gas cylinders upright and secured | N/A · Action | |
| Tools and material not loose in the cab | N/A · Action |
Defects
| Defects found and reported to: ____________ | N/A · Action | |
| Vehicle safe to operate: YES / NO | N/A · Action | |
| Defect fixed on (date): ____________ | N/A · Action |
Completed by: ____________________
Signature: ____________________
tailgatedocs.com · Free printable form. Not legal advice; adapt to your jobsite.
Common questions
▸How often should work vehicles be inspected?
A quick pre-drive walk-around daily or before first use, and a fuller documented check weekly or per company policy. Vehicles over 10,001 lbs GVWR or carrying certain loads may fall under DOT rules with their own inspection requirements; check what applies to your fleet.
▸Why keep the completed checklist?
The record shows the vehicle was checked and defects were handled, which matters after any incident and satisfies the maintenance questions insurers and prequal reviewers ask.
Vehicles and driving show up in your written safety program too. Generate a program with the sections reviewers expect for $149.
Forms record what happened on the job; the JHA, safety plan, or written program is what a GC, prequal portal, or inspector asks to see. Generate a verified, job-specific one in minutes.