Pre-trip inspection checklist: free PDF forms and how to use them

By Roadmela · Published and updated 2026-11-01

Download a blank checklist below. There is no email gate. Before driving a commercial motor vehicle, 49 CFR 392.7 says the driver must be satisfied that 11 named parts are in good working order, and 396.13 adds reviewing and signing the last report if one was required.

Vehicle	US Letter	A4
Car / pickup 28 checks	Letter PDF	A4 PDF
Van 32 checks	Letter PDF	A4 PDF
Vehicle + trailer 37 checks	Letter PDF	A4 PDF

These forms are for working vehicles: cars, pickups, vans and light towing. They are not study sheets for a CDL skills test, so use your state's CDL manual for that.

The 11 parts, and where they fall on a walk around

The rule names the parts but sets no walking order. The order below is the one our forms use: outside first, then the cabin. The numbers are the checks in each section of the form.

Section	Checks	Parts named in 392.7(a)
Exterior	9	Rear-vision mirrors, windshield wipers, lighting devices and reflectors
Wheels	3	Tires, wheels and rims
Engine bay	6	None. Mostly based on the UK DVSA van walkaround guide; belts and hoses are our addition
Cabin	7	Service brakes, parking brake, steering mechanism, horn
Equipment	3	Emergency equipment
Cargo (van form)	4	None. Based on the DVSA guide; racking and weight limits are our addition
Trailer (trailer form)	9	Coupling devices, trailer brake connections

That accounts for all 11. Coupling devices appear only on the trailer form, so use it whenever you tow.

What the same check looks like on a phone

The online version uses the same checks. These screenshots use sample data, and you can open a filled-in van example.

Phone screen showing the Exterior section with Pass, Defect and N/A buttons beside each check, and a Next check button at the bottom. — After you pick the vehicle, the checks come up first. The check mark means pass, ! means defect and the dash means N/A. All OK marks the unmarked checks in a section as pass, so use it only after you have looked at them.

A windshield check marked as a defect, with a description of the chip and Drivable, repair soon selected. — Marking a defect opens a description box, which is required, plus your rating of whether the vehicle can be driven and up to three photos.

When every check is marked, the bottom button opens a signature box. If you sign with checks unmarked, it warns you and the report is stamped Incomplete.

How to write up a defect

396.11(a)(2)(i) asks the report to list any defect that would affect safe operation or cause a breakdown. Whoever reads it next has to act on it without seeing the vehicle, so say where it is, what you saw and how bad it is.

Vague	Useful
Windshield damaged	Stone chip about 8 mm, passenger side, outside the wiper sweep
Brakes feel off	Pedal goes soft and travels further than this morning
Tire low	Front left tire reads 24 psi; the door label says 35 psi cold

These are made-up examples, used throughout our guides.

Pre-trip check or DVIR?

The pre-trip check happens before you drive. The written driver vehicle inspection report comes at the end of the day's work, and only when a defect was found or reported. See post-trip inspection for the comparison, and the DVIR form page for how the form maps to that rule.

Keep reading

Sources

Read 1 November 2026; eCFR text current to 29 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Corrections: 1119224220zl@gmail.com.