Digital vehicle checklist: the vehicle inspection on the driver's phone
Your company builds the form with its own questions, drivers answer it before leaving, with photos and the current odometer, and managers follow everything on Drivvo Web.
- Forms your way: yes or no, multiple choice, list or text
- Photos and files attached, even without internet
- A report that flags the item that stopped passing
No credit card and no charge when the trial ends
Rated 4.8 on Google Play, with more than 5 million downloads
What is a vehicle inspection checklist
A vehicle inspection checklist is the list the driver goes through before using the vehicle: documents, tires, brakes, lights, fluids, equipment and body. Each item is marked as pass or fail, and anything wrong is noted with a photo and a comment.
In a fleet, the checklist keeps a faulty vehicle off the road, shows a problem while it is still small and keeps proof of how the vehicle was on each day and with each driver. It is the first line of preventive maintenance and the quick answer when damage shows up and nobody knows who caused it.
How to do a vehicle inspection with Drivvo
From form to report in three steps. Drivers use the app on Android or iPhone, and managers follow along in the browser.
Build the form
Write the questions for your operation and pick the answer type: single choice (yes or no, pass or fail), multiple choice, list, short text or long text. Mark the required ones and create one form for each type of vehicle.
The driver fills it in on the phone
Before leaving, the driver picks the vehicle and the form, answers item by item, enters the odometer and attaches photos of what they found. With no signal, the checklist is saved on the phone and sent when the connection is back.
You follow every inspection
The checklist goes into the vehicle history with date, time, odometer, driver, answers and attachments. On Drivvo Web, the report shows what changed from one inspection to the next and which vehicle has gone the longest without a checklist.
What a vehicle inspection checklist should include
Use this list as a vehicle inspection checklist template. For paper, print the inspection sheet and fill it in by hand. For an electronic checklist, download the example form with step-by-step instructions to set it up in Drivvo. Remove what does not apply and add what is specific to your operation.
Documents
- Vehicle registration up to date
- Driver's license valid and for the right class
- Insurance and roadside assistance contacts
Tires and wheels
- Tire pressure
- Wear, cuts and bulges
- Spare tire inflated and in good condition
- Wheel bolts and nuts
Brakes and steering
- Service brake
- Parking brake
- Brake fluid level
- Play or noise in the steering
Lights and signals
- Low and high beams
- Tail lights and license plate light
- Brake lights and reverse lights
- Turn signals and hazard lights
- Horn
Engine and fluids
- Engine oil level
- Coolant level
- Leaks under the vehicle
- Warning lights on the dashboard
- Enough fuel for the trip
Safety and equipment
- Seat belts
- Warning triangle
- Jack and lug wrench
- Fire extinguisher, where required
- Mirrors
- Wipers and washer fluid
Body, glass and cab
- New body damage
- Windshield and windows
- Doors and locks
- Cleanliness and loose objects in the cab
Cargo, on trucks and vans
- Load securing and distribution
- Tarps, doors and seals
- Tachograph working, where required
Pre-trip, post-trip or daily checklist
Each moment of the operation calls for a different checklist. In Drivvo, each one is a form, and the driver picks the right one when filling it in.
Pre-trip checklist
Done before the vehicle leaves the garage or the yard. It checks what would stop the trip: tires, brakes, lights, documents and fuel. It is the most common one and the one that prevents the most breakdowns on the road.
Post-trip checklist
Done when the vehicle is returned. It records new damage, dirt, fuel and odometer, and shows who had the vehicle when the problem appeared. Essential for shared vehicles and pool cars.
Daily or weekly checklist
For a vehicle that always stays with the same driver, one check a day or a week is enough. Items that change slowly, like the spare tire and the extinguisher, can go into a monthly form.
Checklists
Fleet inspection report
Every checklist stays in the vehicle history. On Drivvo Web, the inspections of the period are grouped by form and answer what paper cannot.
- How many times each answer was given, in numbers and percentages
- The items whose answer changed on the same vehicle, like the tire that passed and then stopped passing
- The latest answer of each vehicle to each question, in a single table
- How many vehicles were inspected and which one has gone the most days without a checklist
- The answers month by month and the drivers' notes, filtered by vehicle, period and form
Paper, spreadsheet or app checklist
Paper
Cheap and easy to start, but the sheet gets lost in the glove box, has no photo, the handwriting is not always readable and nobody adds up the answers. The problem only shows up when the vehicle has already stopped.
Spreadsheet
Better organized, but someone has to type in what was on paper. The date is the typing date, not the inspection date, and the photo is somewhere else.
App
Drivers answer on their own phone, with photo, date, time and odometer recorded on the spot. Managers see the checklist as soon as it arrives and compare inspections without typing anything.
Checklists for cars, motorcycles, vans and trucks
One form per type of vehicle keeps the checklist short and to the point. Here is what changes for each one.
Car
The basics of tires, lights, fluids and documents, plus cleanliness and damage, which matter when a team car is returned.
Motorcycle
Chain, brake pads, tires, mirrors and helmet. On delivery motorcycles, also the top box and the phone mount.
Van and light commercial
Side and rear doors, seats and belts in every position, and how the cargo or equipment is secured.
Truck
Air brakes, coupling, tarps and seals, tachograph and load securing, on top of the car items.
What the law usually requires
In almost every country, the driver is responsible for the condition of the vehicle: brakes, tires, lights and required equipment must be in order before setting off. When the vehicle belongs to a company, the company is also responsible, as the vehicle owner and as the driver's employer.
The list of required equipment varies from country to country. A warning triangle, reflective vest, first aid kit and fire extinguisher are required in some places and not in others. Freight, passenger and hazardous goods transport usually have their own rules, with periodic inspections and specific items.
The checklist is how the company shows the check was done: each inspection is recorded with date, time, odometer, driver and photos. Check the rules for your country and your industry and add the items they require to the form.
Checklists in the Fleet plan
Checklists are part of the Fleet plan, together with fuel-ups, expenses, maintenance, trips, drivers and access profiles. The plan is priced per vehicle, and the 15-day trial is free.
See Drivvo fleet managementStart your 15-day free trial
Once your account is created, you go straight into Drivvo Web to add your vehicles and invite your drivers.
What you get in the trial
- 15 days with full access
- No credit card required
- 10 to 100 vehicles, depending on your fleet size
- Help from our team to get started
- If you subscribe later, your records are still there
Managing 200 vehicles was chaos with spreadsheets. Drivvo organized everything and reduced our costs by 18%.
Rated 4.8 on Google Play, with more than 5 million downloads
Frequently asked questions
What is a vehicle inspection checklist?
It is the list of items the driver checks on the vehicle before using it, such as tires, brakes, lights, fluids, documents and required equipment. Each item gets pass or fail, and anything wrong is recorded with a photo and a comment.
How do you do a vehicle inspection checklist?
Define the items that matter for your operation, group them by part of the vehicle and choose when it will be done: before the trip, on return or every day. In Drivvo, you build the form once and the driver answers on the phone, with photos and the odometer, without paper.
Should the vehicle checklist be done daily?
For a vehicle that runs every day, a short checklist before each trip or once a day is ideal. Items that rarely change, like the spare tire and the extinguisher, can go into a weekly or monthly form. The report shows which vehicle has gone the most days without an inspection.
What must a vehicle checklist include?
Documents, tires and spare, brakes, lights and turn signals, oil and coolant levels, required equipment, seat belts, mirrors, wipers and body damage. The list on this page works as a template and can be printed or saved as a PDF.
Is there a free vehicle inspection app?
Drivvo is free for personal use, with fuel-ups, expenses, maintenance and reminders. Checklists with your own forms are part of the Fleet plan, which has a 15-day free trial with no credit card.
Can drivers do the checklist without internet?
Yes. The app saves the checklist on the phone, with the answers and photos, and sends it when the connection is back.
Can I take photos of the vehicle in the checklist?
Yes. Drivers attach photos from the camera or the gallery, and also files such as PDFs. The attachments stay in the checklist, inside the vehicle history.
Can I have a checklist for each type of vehicle?
Yes. Create one form for cars, another for motorcycles or trucks, one for pre-trip and another for post-trip. When filling it in, the driver picks the right form.
Is a spreadsheet checklist still worth it?
A spreadsheet is fine to start, but someone has to type in what was checked, and the date and the photo get lost along the way. In the app, the answer is digital from the start, with date, time, odometer and photo.
Does the checklist replace the official vehicle inspection?
No. Official inspections are carried out by the transport authority. The checklist is the company's routine check, before and after use, that keeps the vehicle in shape to pass them.
How much does the Drivvo checklist cost?
Checklists come with the Fleet plan, priced per vehicle, monthly or yearly, with a discount on the yearly plan. Prices are on the Pricing page, and the 15-day trial is free with no credit card.
Swap the paper checklist for a phone
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