A printable PM checklist for tractors and straight trucks: records, engine, aftertreatment, brakes, steering, driveline, tires and coupling, with OK and Defect boxes, the parts used and when the next PM is due. Fill it in here and print it, or print it blank. Free, no sign-up.
49 CFR 396.3 requires a carrier to systematically inspect, repair and maintain its vehicles and to keep, for each one, a record of inspections, repairs and maintenance with their date and nature and when each is next due, for 1 year where the vehicle is kept and 6 months after it leaves the carrier's control. Follow the engine and truck maker's service intervals.
Free template from Yolda · yolda.ai
Start with the paperwork
Pull every driver inspection report since the last service, the fault codes and any open recalls for the VIN. Defects drivers already reported are the first things to fix.
Pick the service level
Choose the level your shop is doing: PM A, B, C or the annual inspection. The engine and truck maker's manual sets which items are due at which miles, hours or months.
Mark every item
Tick OK or Defect for each line, list the parts and fluids used, and write what was done and what was found in the box at the bottom.
Set the next due point and file it
Write the odometer reading or date the next PM is due and when the annual inspection runs out. Sign it and keep it in that truck's maintenance file.
Yes. Under 49 CFR 396.3, every motor carrier must systematically inspect, repair and maintain the vehicles it controls and keep their parts in safe and proper operating condition at all times. For each vehicle it controls for 30 consecutive days or more, it must keep a record of its identification, the nature and due date of upcoming inspection and maintenance work, and the date and nature of the inspections, repairs and maintenance done.
There is no federal mileage interval. Follow the engine and truck maker's service schedule, which usually changes with the duty cycle: idle time, short hauls, heavy loads and dusty roads shorten it. Many fleets schedule each PM by miles, engine hours or months, whichever comes first, and use oil analysis to adjust drain intervals.
They are shop names for service levels, not federal terms. A common split: PM A is an inspection with chassis lube and fluid top-off, PM B adds the oil and filter change, and PM C adds longer-interval work such as coolant, transmission and differential fluids and valve adjustment. Use your shop's list and the maker's schedule.
No. Under 49 CFR 396.17, the tractor and each trailer must pass a periodic inspection of the parts in Appendix A to Part 396 at least once every 12 months, done by a qualified inspector, with proof on the vehicle. The report is kept for 14 months under 49 CFR 396.21. A PM can include it when it falls due.
Under 49 CFR 396.3(c), for 1 year where the vehicle is housed or maintained and for 6 months after it leaves your control. Annual inspection reports are kept 14 months (396.21) and driver vehicle inspection reports 3 months (396.11).
Yes. Press Print or save as PDF without filling anything in and you get a blank checklist to fill in by hand. Anything you do type stays in your browser.
Drivers check the truck every day with the pre-trip inspection checklist. Read DVIRs explained and what is a DOT inspection, or see how Yolda's safety tools bring DVIRs and repairs into one review queue.