Forklift inspection app
The forklift inspection app your operators don't have to install.
A forklift inspection app records the daily examination OSHA requires before a truck is placed in service. With CheckBadges, each forklift gets a QR sticker: operators scan it with their own phone and do the check in the browser, with no app or login. Defects email you with photos and warn the next operator who scans that truck until it's marked fixed.
- Your operators need
- Their phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- On each machine
- A printed QR sticker that opens its checklist.
- Checklists
- Ready-made for forklifts, lifts, loaders and vehicles, or your own.
- When something's wrong
- You get an email with what's wrong and photos.
- Price
- Free for 3 machines. Then $9/mo + $1.50 per machine.
- Records
- Every check, by machine. Print it or export a CSV.
What OSHA expects from the daily forklift check
OSHA requires every forklift to be examined before it's placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift where trucks are used round the clock. The rule is 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7): "Industrial trucks shall be examined before being placed in service, and shall not be placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting the safety of the vehicle." The same paragraph adds: "Defects when found shall be immediately reported and corrected." A truck found defective or unsafe must be taken out of service until it's restored to safe operating condition (1910.178(p)(1)).
OSHA doesn't require a written record of the daily check, and it has said so in letters of interpretation. But a dated record is the only way to show the check happened. The guide to OSHA forklift inspection requirements covers the rule in full; this is a summary, so check the current text for your situation.
How the daily check works in CheckBadges
- Add your trucks by name or number: "Forklift 1 LPG", "Reach truck 3".
- Start from the forklift checklist. The built-in forklift daily check covers the hour meter, forks, chains and mast, tires and wheels, leaks, brakes and parking brake, steering, horn, lights and backup alarm, seat belt and overhead guard, lift, tilt and side-shift controls, and fuel or charge level. Or start from the longer forklift inspection checklist and match it to your manufacturer's manual. Electric, LPG and narrow-aisle trucks can each have their own.
- Stick a QR sticker on each truck where the operator sees it before climbing on: the overhead guard post or the dash.
- Operators scan, check and submit from their own phone in about a minute. The hour meter reading on every check gives you a running log of hours as well.
Built for multiple shifts and temporary operators
The daily check breaks down at shift change and with new faces, and that's where a checklist nobody has to install helps most. On a two- or three-shift operation, each shift's operator scans the same sticker, and each check is filed separately with that operator's name and the time. Your dashboard shows which trucks have been checked today, so a truck that went out unchecked stands out.
Temps and agency operators can check on their first shift: no app to download, no account to create, no seat to buy. If you want only your own operators submitting, turn on operator PINs. Each person gets a 4-digit PIN that signs their checks with their name, and wrong guesses are rate-limited. A PIN isn't a training record, though: operator training, certification and the three-yearly evaluation under 1910.178(l) are still yours to manage.
What happens when a forklift fails its check
A failed check reaches you in seconds, not at the end of the shift. When an operator marks something Problem (a frayed chain, a soft brake pedal, a hydraulic leak) they describe it and can attach up to three photos. CheckBadges emails your alert list straight away and turns the truck red on your dashboard. It also shows the open problem to every operator who scans that truck, until you mark it fixed with a note.
That covers the "immediately reported" part of the rule. Taking the truck out of service is still physical: park it, take the key and hang a tag. Print a free out-of-service tag for the controls.
Forklift checks: paper, forms and apps compared
| CheckBadges | Paper checklist on the truck | One Google Form for every truck | Forklift inspection apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator setup | None | None | None | Install the app, sign in |
| Temps on day one | Yes | Yes | Yes | Once they have an account |
| Right truck recorded | The truck's own sticker | If they write it | If they pick it correctly | Yes |
| Defect reaches a supervisor | Email with photos, at once | When the sheet is collected | Only if you add alerts | Yes |
| Next shift sees the defect | On scan, until fixed | If they read the sheet | No | Varies |
| Typical pricing | Per truck | Paper | Free or per account | Per user or per truck |
Dedicated forklift apps often do more, such as offline mode or work orders, and most ask every operator to install the app and sign in. The best forklift inspection apps roundup compares them by name.
What it costs for a forklift fleet
Up to 3 trucks are free, with every feature. Past that, Pro is $9 a month for the first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that: $19.50 a month for 10 trucks and $42 for 25. Operators and checks are unlimited, so a three-shift operation pays the same as a one-shift one. No contracts, hardware or setup fees; see pricing.
When CheckBadges isn't the right forklift app
- No signal on the floor. Operators need a data connection when they submit. If parts of your building have no Wi-Fi or cell coverage, a native app with offline mode is safer.
- Telematics and access control. CheckBadges can't stop a truck starting after a failed check, read impact sensors or require a card to start. Truck-mounted fleet systems do that.
- Maintenance management. Problems email you; they don't open work orders or schedule planned maintenance.
- Missed-check reminders and enterprise IT. The dashboard shows which trucks haven't been checked today, but nobody gets a reminder, and there's no single sign-on or API.
Frequently asked questions
Does OSHA require a written forklift inspection checklist?
No. OSHA requires the examination itself, at least daily before a truck is placed in service (29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)), but not a written record of it. Most employers keep a dated checklist anyway, because it's the only way to show the check happened.
Can forklift operators use their own phones for the daily check?
Yes, where your site allows phones. With CheckBadges they scan the truck's sticker with the phone's camera and fill in the check in the browser, so nothing is installed and no personal account is needed. A shared site phone or tablet works too.
How do I record a forklift inspection on every shift?
Have each shift's operator scan and check the truck before using it. In CheckBadges every check is filed separately with the operator's name and time, so a truck used on three shifts has three checks that day, and the dashboard shows which trucks haven't been checked today.
What happens in the app when a forklift fails its daily inspection?
The failed check emails your alert list with the operator's notes and photos, the truck turns red on your dashboard, and every operator who scans it sees the open problem until you mark it fixed. Under OSHA's rule the truck must not be placed in service until it's repaired, so tag it out too.
How much does a forklift inspection app cost?
Many charge per user, so every operator on every shift is a seat. CheckBadges charges per truck: free for up to 3, then $9 a month for the first 3 plus $1.50 for each truck after that ($19.50 a month for 10), with unlimited operators.
Keep reading
- Forklift inspection checklistFree forklift inspection checklist for the OSHA daily pre-shift check: 30 visual and operating checks with what a pass looks like. Print it or use QR codes.
- OSHA forklift inspection rulesOSHA requires forklifts to be examined before use at least daily, and after each shift if run around the clock. What to check, who does it, records and fines.
- Forklift pre-shift inspectionHow to do a forklift pre-shift inspection: a walkaround with the truck off, the seat and controls, operating tests with it running, and what to do if it fails.
- The best forklift inspection apps in 2026The best forklift inspection apps of 2026: how operators do the daily check, whether they need an app or login, and what 10, 25 or 50 forklifts cost a month.
- WarehousesWarehouse forklift checklists on a QR sticker per truck. Operators and temps scan with their phone, no app or login. Problems email you and warn the next shift.
- Forklift inspection recordsOSHA doesn't require written forklift inspection records, and retention is your choice. What OSHA's letters say, what to record and how long to keep it.
Every machine checked, with one scan.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.