Vehicle inspection checklist
A quick vehicle check catches the bald tyre, the blown light, and the unrestrained load before they become an incident or a fine. Use this checklist for utes, vans and light vehicles used for site work: walk around, tick, record defects, and get them fixed.
Vehicle inspection checklist
Company: ____________
Site: ____________
Date: ____________
Walk-around
| Tyres: tread, pressure, no damage (including spare) | N/A · Action | |
| Lights and indicators all working | N/A · Action | |
| Windscreen and mirrors clean, no cracks in driver vision | N/A · Action | |
| Body damage noted | N/A · Action | |
| Registration current | N/A · Action |
In cab
| Brakes and handbrake feel correct | N/A · Action | |
| Seatbelts 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, in date, secured | N/A · Action |
Load and equipment
| Load restrained (straps, cargo net, cage) and within limits | N/A · Action | |
| Ladders and long loads flagged and secured | N/A · Action | |
| Gas bottles upright and secured | N/A · Action | |
| Tools and materials not loose in the cab | N/A · Action |
Defects
| Defects found and reported to: ____________ | N/A · Action | |
| Vehicle safe to use: YES / NO | N/A · Action | |
| Defect fixed on (date): ____________ | N/A · Action |
Completed by: ____________________
Signature: ____________________
swmspack.com · Free printable checklist. Not legal advice; adapt to your site.
Common questions
▸How often should site vehicles be checked?
A quick pre-drive walk-around daily or before first use, and a fuller documented check weekly or per your company procedure. The point is a routine that actually happens, recorded.
▸Is a vehicle checklist legally required?
Vehicles used for work are plant, and the duty to maintain safe plant applies to them like anything else. The checklist is the practical, recordable way to show the vehicle was checked.
Vehicles are plant. If your work involves plant-heavy tasks, your SWMS should say how they are controlled.
A checklist confirms controls are in place; a SWMS is the document the law requires before high risk construction work starts. Generate a site-specific one for your trade.