Inspection Forms

Updated July 22, 2026 12:35

Vehicle inspections are a critical part of fleet safety and compliance. Most fleets require both pre-trip and post-trip inspections. Effective digital inspections help prevent breakdowns, identify issues early, and ensure driver safety through clear safe/unsafe vehicle designations.

Overview

Motive provides digital tools for conducting and tracking vehicle inspections, helping both drivers and fleet managers ensure safety, compliance, and operational efficiency.

Improved safety: Identify potential issues early during inspections, allowing you to address them before they become safety hazards.
Regulatory compliance: Ensure you meet inspection requirements, making it easier to pass audits and roadside checks with up-to-date records.
Streamlined workflows: Complete inspections more quickly and accurately with paperless forms that eliminate the need for manual paperwork.
Real-time reporting: Gain immediate insights into vehicle conditions so you can act quickly and resolve any issues before they impact your operations.

Basics

Fleet managers can create customizable digital forms and assign them to specific vehicles to match vehicle types and compliance needs. Common inspection items include:

Brakes and tires
Lights and signals
Engine and fluid levels
Safety equipment

Creating an inspection form

Go to Maintenance > Inspection Forms.
Click + Create inspection form.

Select the inspection form type and give it a name.

Note: Selecting the correct form type (Vehicle vs. Asset) is critical. A form created as an Asset type can only be assigned to trailers and non-powered assets, not to vehicles. If you need to assign an inspection form to a vehicle, ensure you select Vehicle as the form type during creation. This cannot be changed after the form is saved.

Pick an inspection form template or start with a Blank Inspection Form.

Click Create.

Enter the information under General Settings.
To enable the Vehicle Safety Prompt, select the option from the dropdown that requires drivers to confirm whether the vehicle or asset is safe to operate. This ensures that a clear safety designation is recorded at the conclusion of each inspection.

8. Mark or unmark the given Inspection form fields.

9. Click Add custom text field to customize form fields.

10. Click + Add vehicle part to add the list of vehicle parts to be inspected.

11. Open the Custom defect list tab to add a list of inspection tasks for custom defects.

12. Fill the Driver Signature declaration field and click Save.

Editing an inspection form

Log in to the Motive Fleet Dashboard and click the Admin icon.
Go to Maintenance > Inspection Forms.
Open the three-dot menu and click Edit vehicle inspection form.

Edit the fields you want to make changes to and click Save.

Assigning an inspection form to a vehicle

Log in to the Motive Fleet Dashboard and click the Admin icon.
Go to Maintenance > Inspection Forms.
Open the three-dot menu and click Assign form to vehicles.

Mark all the vehicles you want to assign the selected inspection form to.
Click Save.

Conducting daily vehicle inspections from the Driver App

Open the Motive Driver App and go to Logs.

Select the log under Today.

Tap Inspection.
Tap +(Plus).

Tap Vehicle Inspection.

Select your vehicle.

Tap Next.

From the Vehicle Inspection screen, edit General Info if necessary.

Select your Inspection Type from the dropdown.

Enter your License Plate.
Tap the thumbs-up icon if a vehicle part is working fine.
Tap the explanation sign icon if a vehicle part has any defects.

Select defect type from Major, Minor, or Not sure.

Add Notes and upload an image for the defect.
Before you finish, answer the prompt if it appears on your inspection: "Is this vehicle or asset safe to drive?" Selecting Yes leads to the signature. Selecting No marks the vehicle as unsafe, sends an immediate alert to the fleet manager, and may prevent future drivers from connecting to it until the defect is resolved.
Once done, tap Save.

17. Tap Certify & Save to submit the form, and your fleet manager will see it on the Motive Fleet Dashboard.

If a vehicle is marked Unsafe during an inspection, Motive provides end-to-end visibility across the Fleet Dashboard and Driver App.

Fleet Managers: Receive automated alerts to take immediate action (for example, marking equipment Out of Service).
Drivers: If a driver attempts to select a vehicle previously marked Unsafe, they will receive a blocking alert. They have the option to "Create inspection" if business needs require it.

Resolving open defects from the Driver App

Open the Motive Driver App and go to Logs.

Select the log you want to resolve the defects for.

Tap the Inspection tab.
Find an inspection report with Open defects and tap View Details.

Tap Defects.

Tick the box for the listed defects you want to resolve.

Enter your name under Resolved by.
Tick the box for Defect Status and add a Note if necessary.
Draw your signature and tap Certify.

The defect status changes to resolved.

Resolving open defects from the Fleet Dashboard

Log in to the Fleet Dashboard and click Maintenance.
Open the dropdown Status menu and select Open to see inspection reports with unresolved defects.

Select the inspection report you want to make changes to.

Click Resolve to clear open defects one by one.

To clear multiple defects, tick multiple or all boxes.
Click Resolve.

Enter all the required information and update the defect Status from the dropdown menu.
Draw your signature and click Save.

FAQs

What is the difference between pre-trip and post-trip inspections?

Pre-trip inspections happen before driving to confirm vehicle safety. Post-trip inspections document any issues found during the trip.

Can I customize inspection forms for different vehicles?

Yes. You can create and assign custom forms based on vehicle type or regulatory requirements.

How are inspection results reported?

Drivers submit inspections through the app. Results appear immediately in the Fleet Dashboard for follow-up.

What should drivers do if they find a defect?

Report it in the inspection form. Fleet managers are notified and can assign repairs directly in the dashboard.

Are digital inspections DOT-compliant?

Yes. Digital inspections completed and stored in Motive meet DOT record-keeping requirements.

How can I access historical inspection records?

What does the error message 'V2_inspection_form_id is missing' mean and how can I resolve it?

This error is a system-level validation error that occurs when a user attempts to save changes to a vehicle profile (such as editing the Vehicle ID) without a DVIR inspection form assigned to that vehicle. The platform requires an inspection form to be linked before it will process certain vehicle profile updates.

To resolve this error:

Go to Admin > Maintenance > Inspection Forms.
Open the three-dot menu on the relevant form and select Assign form to vehicles.
Select the affected vehicle and click Save.
Return to the vehicle profile and retry your edit.

If the error persists, clear your browser cache or try again in an incognito/private browser window. Contact Motive Support if the issue continues.

Why does the inspection form three-dot menu only show Assign to Asset and not Assign to Vehicle?

This means the inspection form was created with an Asset classification. Asset-type forms can only be assigned to non-powered equipment like trailers. To assign an inspection form to a vehicle, you need to create a new form and select Vehicle as the form type. You can use any other template and give it a name, just ensure Vehicle is selected as the type at creation.

Why can't I delete an inspection form?

You cannot delete a form that is currently set as the default. To delete it, first make a different form the default (open the three-dot menu on the desired form and select Make Default), then return to the old form and delete it. Note that you cannot delete the last remaining inspection form, at least one must always be active in the system.

How do I reassign a vehicle from one inspection form to another (e.g., from a US form to a Canadian form)?

Create a new inspection form with the correct type set as Vehicle and template. Assign the vehicle to the new form via the three-dot menu > Assign form to vehicles. If you want the new form to be the default, open its three-dot menu and select Make Default. You can then delete the old form if it is no longer needed and is not the last remaining form.

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