By Katari Technologies Ltd · Published
Why check at the start of every shift
Vehicles that carry people or equipment must be ready when they are needed. A pre-use check is a few minutes at the start of a shift that confirms the vehicle is safe and equipped. It turns “I think it is fine” into a record, and it finds problems while there is still time to fix them.
What a good check covers
Keep the list short enough that people complete it every time, and specific to the vehicle. Typical items are:
- Tyres, lights and brakes
- Fluid levels and visible leaks
- Fuel level and the odometer reading
- Safety and emergency equipment present and in date
- Body damage, cleanliness and cab condition
Turn findings into action
A check is only useful if a defect leads to something. Record the defect, raise a work order and decide whether the vehicle can still be used. For serious defects the vehicle should be held out of use until someone with authority releases it, with that release recorded.
Who signs off, and how often
Decide in advance who completes the check and who decides what happens to a defect, and write it down. The person driving usually completes the check, because they are about to rely on the vehicle. A supervisor or workshop lead decides whether a vehicle with a defect may still be used.
Check at the start of every shift in which the vehicle is used, not once a week. Defects found mid-shift should be recorded when they are found, not saved for the next check.
Keep the history
Over time the checks, defects and services for each vehicle show patterns: the vehicle that keeps failing the same item, the cost that keeps rising. That history supports better decisions about repair or replacement.
In Kinetic VOC positions that need a vehicle record a check at the start of each shift on a form you can edit, defects open work orders and the history stays with the vehicle.