How to do a proper pre-trip and post-trip truck and trailer inspection

Let’s face it: skimping on inspections might save a few minutes today, but the cost of a roadside breakdown tomorrow is where the real damage happens. Inspection programs that go beyond daily pre- and post-trip checks help fleets catch hidden problems early and avoid lane-stopping failures further down the road. In fact, many organizations that stick to a weekly inspection cadence report a 30% drop in unexpected breakdowns and an overall 15–20% reduction in maintenance costs. That’s not small change.

It’s not just savings. It’s safety, morale, and reputation.

Beyond the balance sheet, regular inspections extend your equipment’s service life, help you steer clear of costly compliance slips, and boost team confidence. Well-maintained trucks mean happier, safer drivers. They mean fewer missed loads. And, just by keeping solid inspection records, you’re also protecting resale value down the line.

Shift your mindset to a preventive culture. It’s a fleet game-changer.

When inspections become part of your everyday rhythm—not something checked off grudgingly—they yield exponential benefits. Teams that weave inspections into their operations create a culture of foresight, not reaction. Safety and uptime become built-in, not bolted on.

Gearbox supercharges your inspections, with zero admin baggage.

Paper checklists are easy to lose. They get left behind. Transcribed badly. Late. Gearbox solves that by slashing paperwork and smartly digitizing all inspection activity.

Drivers use the Prestart app—built for real-world conditions like no or spotty connectivity, to easily conduct inspections. A single tap logs a fault, lets them snap a photo, and gets that info flowing straight into the system. No data re-entry, no lost notes, and no after-the-fact guesswork.

Streamlined issue tracking, instant visibility.

Once a fault is logged in the field—say, low brake fluid or lighting failure—the system notifies your maintenance team right away. You can track open issues, monitor status, and keep your fleet moving with minimal downtime.

The inspection flow stays linked to each asset, so nothing gets dropped. Whether it’s an inspection schedule, fault, repair, or recurring issue, Gearbox keeps it all connected, current, and part of the record.

Inspect, repair, review. All in real time.

Imagine this: your morning begins with a glance at your workflow dashboard. You see flagged items, understand priority based on who logged what and when, and assign resources right away. No one’s chasing paperwork, no one’s waiting on someone else’s note—and you’re immediately on top of emerging maintenance tasks.

Built-in documentation for compliance and confidence

Regulators (and insurance) value proof—not promises. With Gearbox, every inspection, every reported fault, and every fix is archived with timestamps, photos, and digital signatures. When audit time comes, you’re not scrambling; you’re confidently showing what happened, when, and how it was resolved.

Remote fleets, multi-sites—no problem.

Managing equipment across fields, depots, or provinces doesn’t delay visibility. As teams report updates in real time, fleet operations stay connected and in control, no matter where work is actually happening. Work orders flow through the same system whether jobs are handled locally or remotely, in-house or by contractors. Everything stays traceable.

Time savings you’ll actually feel.

Teams using Gearbox report saving hours every week that used to get eaten up by transcribing logs and chasing updates. That’s time they now spend fixing things, not filing forms.

Weekly inspections are an early warning system; when paired with smart tools like Gearbox, that system becomes quick, reliable, and simple.

Ignore paperwork overload. Take action in the field. Get a system that supports your team, not slows them down. Book a Free Demo – Start a Free Trial