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Forklift Daily Inspection Checklist Generator

Pick the truck type, run down the checkpoints and record any defect and what was done about it, then print the sheet or download it as a PDF. The checkpoints follow OSHA's own sample daily checklists, the list changes with the power type, and a blank form prints just as cleanly for filling out on a clipboard at the truck.

Changes which checkpoints appear below and on the printed form.
Trained and evaluated on this type of truck — 1910.178(l).
The data plate must match what is on the truck — 1910.178(a)(5).

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Template for informational purposes only. This document must be reviewed and adapted by a competent or qualified person for your specific jobsite, equipment, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements. It does not constitute legal, engineering, or safety advice and does not by itself establish compliance with OSHA or any other standard. SteelToeTools assumes no liability for its use. Nothing you type is sent to our servers.

How to use this checklist

  1. 1
    Pick the power type first. The checkpoint list changes with it: an LP gas truck gets the tank, its restraint brackets and the pressure relief valve; an electric truck gets the cables, the battery restraint and the electrolyte level; an engine truck gets oil, coolant, belts and the air cleaner.
  2. 2
    Walk the truck with the key off. Leaks on the floor first, then tires, forks and the top clip retaining pin, mast chains and hoses, overhead guard, backrest, decals and the data plate. Never put a hand inside the mast — use a stick to check chain tension.
  3. 3
    Then run it. Brakes, steering, forward and reverse, tilt, hoist and lower, attachment control, horn, lights and gauges, in a clear area. Any unusual noise is investigated before the truck goes to work.
  4. 4
    Record every defect, and act on it. A defective or unsafe truck is taken out of service until it has been restored to safe operating condition (1910.178(p)(1)). Tag it, take the key, write down who was told and when.
  5. 5
    Print or download the PDF and sign it. One sheet per truck per shift. The load center calculator covers the capacity side of the same data plate, and the forklift operator practice test is a quick way to check what your operators actually retained.

What OSHA requires

The whole obligation is one paragraph, 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. Such examination shall be made at least daily. Where industrial trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis, they shall be examined after each shift. Defects when found shall be immediately reported and corrected.”

What the standard says, and where it lands on the form
The requirementWhat it means at the truckOn this form
Examined before being placed in serviceBefore the first load of the shift, not at the end of the dayDate, time and shift in the header
At least daily; after each shift on round-the-clock useA three-shift operation produces three sheets for the same truckOne sheet per truck per shift
Shall not be placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting safetyThe decision is made before the key turns, not after a near missStatus of the truck
Defects immediately reported and correctedA name and a time, not a note left in the cabDefects table — reported to, time, action
Taken out of service until restored (p)(1); repairs by authorized personnel (q)(1)Tag it and pull the key; the operator does not fix itStatus line and reviewer sign-off
Nameplates and markings in place and legible (a)(6); attachments identified (a)(5)A plate that does not match the attachments on the truck is a defectKey-off checkpoint on the data plate
Operators trained on the inspection they perform (l)(3)(i)(J)The person filling this out has been trained and evaluated on this type of truckOperator name and signature

OSHA does not require the examination to be documented — its February 7, 2000 letter of interpretation on 1910.178(q)(7) says so, and leaves any retention period to the employer. A written sheet is still the only practical way to show the examination happened, and many employers and general contractors require one by policy or contract. State Plan states may go further than the federal standard.

The checkpoints above follow OSHA's own sample daily checklists for internal combustion and electric trucks, published with the Industrial Truck Association. OSHA is explicit that those lists are a guide only and may not be complete for every truck: check them against the manufacturer's manual for the trucks in your fleet and add what is missing.

Frequently asked questions

29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7) requires that industrial trucks be examined before being placed in service, and at least daily. Where trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis, they must be examined after each shift. The examination happens before the truck goes to work, not at the end of the day — the point is to catch the defect before it is driven.

No. OSHA said so directly in a February 7, 2000 letter of interpretation on 1910.178(q)(7): the standard does not require documentation of the examination, and retention of any record is at the employer's discretion. What the standard does require is that the examination be made, that the truck not be placed in service if it shows any condition adversely affecting safety, and that defects be immediately reported and corrected. A sheet like this one is how most employers show all three happened.

Normally the operator, at the start of their shift. 1910.178(l)(3)(i)(J) makes any vehicle inspection and maintenance the operator will be required to perform part of the training the employer must provide, and the operator must be trained and evaluated on the type of truck they are operating. Repairs are a different matter: under 1910.178(q)(1) they are made by authorized personnel only.

The truck comes out of service. 1910.178(p)(1) states that a truck found to be in need of repair, defective, or in any way unsafe shall be taken out of service until it has been restored to safe operating condition, and (q)(7) requires defects to be immediately reported and corrected. Tag it, take the key, and record who was told and when — that is what the bottom section of this form is for.

OSHA's eTool splits the inspection the same way this form does. With the key off it is a walk-around: leaks, tires, forks and the top clip retaining pin, mast chains and hoses, overhead guard, finger guards, backrest, decals and the data plate, fluid levels, the operator's manual and the seat belt. With the engine or motor running it is a function check: accelerator, service and parking brakes, steering, forward and reverse, tilt, hoist and lower, attachment control, horn, lights and alarms, gauges. Unusual noises must be investigated immediately.

No, and this generator changes the list when you change the power type. An internal combustion truck adds engine oil, coolant, belts, the air cleaner, the fuel sedimentor on a diesel and the hood latch. An LP gas truck adds the tank itself — mounting and restraint brackets, the pressure relief valve pointing up, hoses and connectors, dents, rust and leaks. An electric truck adds cables and connectors, the battery restraint system and the electrolyte level, which is checked with a face shield, rubber apron and rubber gloves.

Yes. Leave the checkpoints on their default blank status and every line prints with empty boxes for OK, defect and not applicable, so the sheet works on a clipboard at the truck. Fill it in on a phone or laptop instead and the boxes are marked for you, which is easier to file and to read back later.

The daily examination requirement lives in the general industry standard, and 29 CFR 1926.602(c)(1)(vi) requires industrial trucks used in construction to meet the applicable requirements for inspection, testing, maintenance and operation defined in ANSI B56.1-1969, with the rated capacity posted on the vehicle under 1926.602(c)(1)(i). Operator training in construction is identical to 1910.178(l) by the note at 1926.602(d). In practice, general contractors expect a daily sheet for a forklift on site exactly as they do in a warehouse.

Sources & references

Content checked against these sources — last reviewed August 28, 2026.

By — Editorial team of SteelToeTools.com (published by LSEA SAS) Updated v1