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Truck Pre Start Checklist Template and PDF Form

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vehicle pre start checklist

~10,000 employees

~500 employees

~10 employees

~25,000 employees

~200 employees

~1,500 employees

~1,500 employees

What is a Truck Pre Start?

Truck pre starts are a critical part of truck maintenance and worker safety. A good pre start process for trucks can surface any underlying truck and maintenance issues, and ensure that no silly or avoidable mistakes are made during normal truck operations.

The ultimate goal of a truck pre-start is to ensure a truck is safe and in proper working condition before it's driven and put on the road.

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Why is a Truck Pre Start Checklist necessary?

Truck pre-starts are a critical part of truck maintenance and worker safety. A good pre start process for trucks can surface any underlying truck and maintenance issues, and ensure that no silly or avoidable mistakes are made during normal truck operations. Overall, a truck pre-start checklist ensures that potential issues are identified, safety regulations and standards are complied with, which can result in saving time and money by avoiding costly repairs.

What Should Be Included in a Truck Pre-Start Checklist?

A good truck pre-start checklist makes sure the truck is in good condition before it hits the road, which can help avoid accidents and hazards that can mean life and death. This truck pre start checklist comes pre-built with a number of trusted and reliable sections and questions, including:

In cab checks
This section of the prestart checklist checks whether the seats are adjusted accordingly, the warning lights and audible indicators function well, the horns, engines, and gauges work, and the air system is recharged in a timely manner. In addition, windscreen washers and wipers are checked to see if they are functioning correctly, as well as the mirrors, hazard lights, and headlights. If there are loose items inside, a driver must also make sure they are properly restrained and the required paperwork or documentation is carried at all times.
Truck walk around
This is a simple step that must be done and included in the truck pre start checklist. Walk around the truck and trailers and see if anything is out of the ordinary to spot anything that may hinder the journey. If anything is spotted, this is where they are noted and put into words.
Things to check every time
This part of the truck pre start checklist lists down the important things that need to be checked at all times, such as the wheels or tires, truck load, air tanks, couplings, and lights. These are the things that should not be missed and maintained regularly to ensure a safer and productive truck journey.
Things to look for while you're there
Fluid leaks, air leaks, and damage to the vehicle or trailers are the things that need to be checked in this section of a truck pre-start checklist.

Issues and corrective actions
The goal of a truck pre-start checklist is to identify the issues or problems in order to provide the necessary corrective actions. This section is pretty straightforward, as it addresses these issues accordingly with the necessary sign-off to make it more credible.

All of the questions in these sections provide a pretty thorough pre-start checklist for trucks - and you can tailor-made any of the templates easier than you would with a Word doc, Excel sheet, or PDF.

What happens when a truck pre-start is missed?

Having a single truck pre-start inspection missing causes severe and critical outcomes, including a high rate of accidents, equipment failure, and cargo damages. It can result in fines and penalties since most locations and jurisdictions use regulations that, in the majority of situations, require a truck pre-start checklist.

The driver's licence may be suspended in the event of repeated or serious offenses of pre-start inspection being committed. Aside from this, missing a truck pre-start can mean truck damages, which also means costly repairs and maintenance issues that hurt the company's finances and overall profitability.

A pre-start inspection could be a matter of life and death, both for the driver and the company.

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This digital doc was generated with Dashpivot

User-friendly, easily editable, and can be accessed and shared anytime, anywhere, perfect for truck drivers. This checklist is much smarter than any time-consuming paper, PDF, or Excel sheet:

  • Complete and manage your truck pre start checklists from any mobile device, tablet, or computer quickly and easily.
  • Tailor the checklist template to better suit your trucks or operations with easy drag-and-drop functionality.
  • Store checklist records in the cloud or export them as PDF or CSV documents with your logo and branding.
  • Deploy specific and tailored pre start checklists for your trucks for specific projects and teams.

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