Free tool

Free pre-use inspection checklist maker

Start from one of our free equipment checklists or a blank page, edit the items as plain text, and print a one-inspection sheet or a 7-day weekly log — or save it as a PDF or CSV. Headings, hints and readings like an hour meter all work. No signup, and nothing you type is uploaded.

Start from

Title

Items

# Walk-around (key off, forks down)
Forks — No cracks, bends or uneven tips; heels not worn thin; fork locks engaged
Carriage and load backrest — Backrest bolted on, not bent or cracked; carriage rollers in place
Lift chains — Even tension both sides; no kinked, rusty or cracked links; anchor pins secure
Mast channels and rollers — No cracks or bent channels; rails clear of debris; rollers turn
Hydraulic cylinders and hoses — No leaks, wet fittings, cuts or bulges; no fresh drips under the truck
Tires and wheels — No chunks, cuts or flat spots; wheel nuts tight; air tires at pressure
Overhead guard — Not bent or cracked; no missing bolts or broken welds
Counterweight and body — Counterweight bolts tight; hood and covers latched; no new damage
Data plate and decals — Data plate on and readable; capacity matches any attachment fitted
Fire extinguisher — Mounted, gauge in the green, pin and seal in place

# Fluids and fuel (key off)
Engine oil — Between the dipstick marks
Coolant — At the line in the overflow tank; radiator not clogged
Hydraulic oil — Between the marks with the forks fully lowered
LPG cylinder — Pinned in the bracket, relief valve up, hose tight, no gas smell
Battery, connector and cables — No damage or corrosion; battery held in; charger unplugged
Fuel or charge level — Enough for the shift; refuel or charge before it runs low

# In the seat (key on)
Hour meter:
Seat and seat belt — Seat locks in position; belt latches, retracts and isn't cut or frayed
Gauges and warning lights — Gauges work; no warning lights stay on after start-up
Horn — Loud enough to be heard over the work area
Lights, alarm and mirrors — Lights, travel alarm and mirrors work and are clean, if fitted

# Operating checks (truck running)
Service brakes — Stops smoothly and straight; pedal firm, not spongy
Parking brake — Holds the truck still against light throttle
Inching pedal — Slows travel while the hydraulics keep working
Steering — Turns smoothly both ways; no binding, wander or excess play
Forward and reverse — Smooth both ways; no jerking, grinding, slipping or hesitation
Lift and lower — Raises and lowers smoothly; chains even; holds height with no drift
Tilt — Tilts forward and back smoothly; holds the angle with no drift
Side shift and attachments — Work smoothly both ways; attachment secure and on the data plate
Noise, smoke and smells — No odd noise, heavy smoke, exhaust sparks or burning smell

One item per line. # Section starts a section, Item — what to look for adds a hint, and a line ending in : is a reading like an hour meter. The sheet below updates as you type.

Use this checklist on QR codes, free

Company or site (optional)

Layout

Forklift inspection checklist

Before each shift

Machine / unit #:

Date & time:

Operator:

Location:

Item	OK	Problem	N/A
Walk-around (key off, forks down)
ForksNo cracks, bends or uneven tips; heels not worn thin; fork locks engaged
Carriage and load backrestBackrest bolted on, not bent or cracked; carriage rollers in place
Lift chainsEven tension both sides; no kinked, rusty or cracked links; anchor pins secure
Mast channels and rollersNo cracks or bent channels; rails clear of debris; rollers turn
Hydraulic cylinders and hosesNo leaks, wet fittings, cuts or bulges; no fresh drips under the truck
Tires and wheelsNo chunks, cuts or flat spots; wheel nuts tight; air tires at pressure
Overhead guardNot bent or cracked; no missing bolts or broken welds
Counterweight and bodyCounterweight bolts tight; hood and covers latched; no new damage
Data plate and decalsData plate on and readable; capacity matches any attachment fitted
Fire extinguisherMounted, gauge in the green, pin and seal in place
Fluids and fuel (key off)
Engine oilBetween the dipstick marks
CoolantAt the line in the overflow tank; radiator not clogged
Hydraulic oilBetween the marks with the forks fully lowered
LPG cylinderPinned in the bracket, relief valve up, hose tight, no gas smell
Battery, connector and cablesNo damage or corrosion; battery held in; charger unplugged
Fuel or charge levelEnough for the shift; refuel or charge before it runs low
In the seat (key on)
Hour meter	________
Seat and seat beltSeat locks in position; belt latches, retracts and isn't cut or frayed
Gauges and warning lightsGauges work; no warning lights stay on after start-up
HornLoud enough to be heard over the work area
Lights, alarm and mirrorsLights, travel alarm and mirrors work and are clean, if fitted
Operating checks (truck running)
Service brakesStops smoothly and straight; pedal firm, not spongy
Parking brakeHolds the truck still against light throttle
Inching pedalSlows travel while the hydraulics keep working
SteeringTurns smoothly both ways; no binding, wander or excess play
Forward and reverseSmooth both ways; no jerking, grinding, slipping or hesitation
Lift and lowerRaises and lowers smoothly; chains even; holds height with no drift
TiltTilts forward and back smoothly; holds the angle with no drift
Side shift and attachmentsWork smoothly both ways; attachment secure and on the data plate
Noise, smoke and smellsNo odd noise, heavy smoke, exhaust sparks or burning smell

Problems found and action taken:

Operator signature:

Supervisor review:

If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.

Free, no signup. Made by CheckBadges, QR code checklists for equipment.

How to write a pre-use checklist that gets done

A pre-use checklist is only useful if operators actually do it and can't tick it without looking. A few rules make the difference:

Start from the manufacturer's manual. The operator's manual lists the daily checks for that model. Your checklist should cover them; it can add to them.
Follow the walk-around. Order items the way an operator moves: outside of the machine first, then the seat or platform, then function tests with it running.
Say what a pass looks like. "Tires" invites a tick. "Tires — no cuts, chunks or flat spots; pressure OK" asks for a look. The hint after the dash prints under each item.
Keep it short enough to finish. 10–25 items covers most machines. A 60-item list gets pencil-whipped.
Make problems easy to report. A Problem column, a space to describe it, and a clear rule: if anything's a problem, the machine doesn't run until it's fixed.
Record a reading. The hour meter or odometer on every check gives you a service history for free. End a line with ":" to make it a reading.

Daily sheet or weekly log?

One inspection per sheet has room for each item's OK / Problem / N/A, notes and two signatures. Use it where each check must stand alone as a record, or where different operators use the machine each shift.
A weekly log puts seven days on one landscape page, one column per day. It's quicker and keeps a machine's week together, but leaves little room to describe problems.

Paper or QR code?

Paper works until someone needs to know what's wrong *now*, or an auditor asks for last March. CheckBadges turns the same checklist into a QR sticker for each machine: operators scan it with their own phone, problems email you with photos straight away, and every check is filed by machine. Choose a starting checklist above and use "Use this checklist on QR codes" to set it up with your edits to come.

Frequently asked questions

Can I save my checklist as a PDF?

Yes. Choose "Print or save as PDF", then pick "Save as PDF" as the printer in your browser's print dialog. The weekly log prints landscape automatically.

Can I edit the checklist in Excel?

Yes. "Download CSV for Excel" saves every section, item and hint as rows with blank OK, Problem and N/A columns (or a column per day for the weekly log), which opens in Excel or Google Sheets.

How many items should a pre-use checklist have?

Enough to cover the manufacturer's daily checks and nothing else: usually 10 to 25. Long lists take longer than operators will spend and get ticked without looking, which defeats the point.

Is my checklist saved?

Not here: the maker runs in your browser and keeps nothing once you leave, so print or download it first. To keep checklists, records and a history for every machine, put it on QR codes with CheckBadges, free for 3 machines.

Keep reading

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.

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