Equipment checks for warehouses
Forklift and warehouse equipment checks, one scan per truck.
CheckBadges puts a QR sticker on every forklift, reach truck, order picker and pallet jack in your warehouse. Each operator, temps included, scans it with their own phone and does that truck's pre-shift check in the browser, with no app or login. A problem emails you with photos straight away and warns the next shift until you mark it fixed, and every check is filed by truck.
What pre-use checks have to handle
Three shifts, one truck
Trucks used round the clock must be examined after each shift under 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7). Every scan records the operator and the time, so you can see which shifts checked and which didn't.
Temps who start on Monday
Agency staff can't be set up with app logins on day one. They scan the sticker with their phone's camera and type their name. There's nothing to install.
Problems that fade between shifts
A bad horn reported on first shift is a rumor by third. Until you mark it fixed, everyone who scans that truck sees the open problem before they start.
Clipboards filled in on Friday
A sheet in the office invites a week of ticks in one sitting, which is pencil-whipping. A check at the truck is stamped with the time it was submitted.
Different trucks, different checks
A propane counterbalance, a reach truck and a walkie pallet jack need different questions. Each machine uses its own checklist, so nobody answers LP tank questions on an electric truck.
Showing it was done
OSHA doesn't require a written record of the daily check, but a dated record is the only way to show it happened. Every check prints, and the lot exports to CSV.
How a warehouse runs forklift checks with QR codes
Each truck carries its own QR sticker, and the operator scans it before taking the truck. Their phone opens that truck's checklist as a web page: they answer each item OK or Problem, enter the hour meter, and submit. Nobody installs anything or logs in.
A weekday in a two-shift distribution center with 14 trucks:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 5:50 a.m. | First shift arrives. Each operator scans the sticker on the overhead guard of their truck and works through its checklist in about a minute. |
| 5:58 a.m. | On reach truck 6, the operator marks the mast chain as a Problem, types "left chain looks kinked" and takes two photos. |
| 5:58 a.m. | The shift supervisor and the maintenance lead get an email with the note and photos. Reach truck 6 turns red on the dashboard. |
| 6:10 a.m. | The supervisor checks the dashboard: 13 of 14 trucks checked today, one with an open problem. |
| 2:00 p.m. | Second shift. A temp who started today scans reach truck 6, sees the open problem before starting, and takes truck 9 instead. |
| 3:30 p.m. | Maintenance replaces the chain and marks the problem fixed with a note. The warning clears. |
What OSHA requires for warehouse forklifts
OSHA requires every powered industrial truck to be examined before it's placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift where trucks run round the clock. The rule is 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7): trucks "shall not be placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting the safety of the vehicle," and "Defects when found shall be immediately reported and corrected." Under 1910.178(p)(1), a truck found defective or unsafe must be taken out of service until it's restored to safe operating condition.
- It's not just sit-down forklifts. The standard's scope, 1910.178(a)(1), covers "fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks" and other powered trucks. Reach trucks, order pickers and powered pallet jacks are all in. A manual pallet jack isn't, but it's still worth a quick look.
- A written record isn't required. OSHA has said in letters of interpretation that the daily examination doesn't have to be written down. But a dated record is the only way to show it happened. More in forklift inspection records.
- Training is separate. Operators must be trained and certified under 1910.178(l), with a performance evaluation at least once every three years. CheckBadges doesn't track training.
- The dock counts too. Under 1910.178(k)(1), highway trucks must have their brakes set and wheel chocks under the rear wheels while forklifts board them. A dock door or leveler can have its own sticker and a short checklist you write.
This summarizes the rules; check the current text and your state plan. The full picture is in OSHA forklift inspection requirements.
Temps, agency staff and shared trucks
Temps can do the check on their first shift, because there's nothing to set up for them. OSHA says staffing agencies and host employers are "jointly responsible" for temporary workers' safety, and the host usually provides the job-specific training, which includes how to check the truck.
Operators type their name, and their phone remembers it next time. If you'd rather only your people can submit checks, turn on operator PINs: each operator gets a 4-digit PIN that signs the check with their name, and wrong PINs are rate-limited. Operators and checks are unlimited, so a busy season with a dozen extra temps costs nothing more.
On shared trucks, the open-problem warning does what a paper tag on the controls tries to do, for everyone who scans that truck, until you mark it fixed.
What you get
- An email the moment a check finds a problem, sent to everyone on your alert list, with the operator's note and up to three photos per item.
- A warning for the next operator on that truck until the problem is marked fixed.
- Today at a glance: which trucks have been checked today and which have open problems, updated as checks come in.
- A history for every truck: each check with the operator's name and time, filtered by truck, problems or dates. Print any check, or export a CSV with a row per check or per answer.
- Hour meter readings on every check, if you add a number question.
What it costs
CheckBadges is free for up to 3 machines, with every feature. Pro is $9 a month for your first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that, so a warehouse with 15 trucks pays $27 a month and one with 40 pays $64.50 a month. Operators are unlimited on both plans, so three shifts of drivers cost the same as one. There's no contract, hardware or setup fee. See pricing.
When CheckBadges isn't the right fit
CheckBadges records the check; it can't stop a truck from starting. If you want trucks that won't run until the operator completes a checklist on the truck itself, or impact sensors and utilization data, you need a forklift telematics or access-control system. CheckBadges also needs a data connection to open and submit a check, so a freezer or a back corner with no signal or Wi-Fi is a problem. And it doesn't schedule planned maintenance, raise work orders or nag anyone about a missed check. Compare options in the best forklift inspection apps.
Free checklists for warehouses
Print them, or put each one on a QR sticker so operators fill it in on their phone.
- Free checklistForklift 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.
- Free checklistElectric forklift inspection checklistFree electric forklift daily checklist: battery charge, connector, cables, water level and restraint, plus forks, chains and brakes. Print it or use QR codes.
- Free checklistPropane forklift inspection checklistFree propane forklift daily checklist: LPG cylinder pin, relief valve, hose and leaks, then engine, forks, brakes and controls. Print it or use QR codes.
- Free checklistReach truck inspection checklistFree reach truck daily inspection checklist: reach mechanism, mast, baselegs, load wheels, deadman pedal, battery and brakes. Print it or run it from a QR code.
- Free checklistOrder picker inspection checklistFree order picker daily inspection checklist: harness, lanyard and anchor, gates, deadman, mast, lift and lower, guidance and battery. Print it or use QR.
- Free checklistPallet jack inspection checklistFree electric pallet jack inspection checklist: belly switch, tiller brake, horn, forks, load wheels and battery, plus manual jack checks. Print or use QR.
Set it up in three steps
- 01
Add your machines
Name your business, list your machines and pick a starting checklist. No signup, sales call or card — make an account once you like it.
- 02
Stick on their QR codes
Every machine gets its own sticker. Print them on label paper and put each one where operators look before they start.
- 03
Operators scan and check
Phone camera, tap, answer, submit: about a minute. A problem emails you and warns the next person to scan that machine.
Frequently asked questions
Do warehouse forklifts have to be inspected every shift?
At least daily, before the truck is placed in service, and after each shift where trucks are used round the clock (29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)). A truck used on one shift needs one examination a day before use.
Does OSHA require a written daily forklift checklist?
No. OSHA has said in letters of interpretation that the daily examination doesn't have to be written down, and that how long to keep any records is up to the employer. You still have to make sure the examinations happen, and a dated record is the only way to show they did.
Can temp workers do forklift checks without an account?
Yes. They scan the QR sticker on the truck with their own phone's camera, type their name and do the check in the browser. If you turn on operator PINs, give each temp a PIN and the check is signed with their name.
Do electric pallet jacks need a daily inspection?
Powered pallet jacks are motorized hand trucks, which OSHA's powered industrial truck standard covers, so the daily examination in 1910.178(q)(7) applies. Manual pallet jacks aren't covered, but a quick check of wheels, forks and the handle is still sensible.
Can CheckBadges stop someone driving a truck that failed its check?
No. It emails you, flags the truck on your dashboard and shows the open problem to every operator who scans it. To physically keep it out of service, take the key and hang a tag on the controls.
Keep reading
- Forklift inspection appA forklift inspection app your operators don't install: they scan a QR sticker on the truck to do the daily check. Defects email you and warn the next shift.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- Get operators to do pre-use checksOperators skip pre-use checks when they're slow, far from the machine or ignored. Nine ways to get real checks done: make them quick, fix defects, review daily.
- Out-of-service tag makerPrint DANGER – DO NOT OPERATE and OUT OF SERVICE tags for defective equipment. Fill in the machine, problem and date, or leave blanks. Free, no signup.
Check every forklift on the dock 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.