Transportation

Analytics and Data Collection | Inspections

CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist

Posted on March 13, 2020July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist

Creating Your Own CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist App

The infamous pre-trip inspection is essential to the daily operations of commercial drivers everywhere. Whether you are preparing for the commercial driver’s license test or gearing up for a work trip, this process helps promote safety and success within every commercial driving endeavor you complete.

So how do you improve the pre-trip inspection process? By using the Truck and Trailer Inspection Report mobile app, you can make your pre-trip inspections accurate and efficient. Learn more here about saving time and staying safe on the road with the Truck and Trailer Inspection Checklist mobile app.

Staying Safe With Mobile Pre-Trip Inspections

When you fall into the routine of completing inspection after inspection, it can become easy to make small process oversights. By using this mobile checklist app, you can take advantage of having all of your pre-trip inspection information in one place. In this sense, this truck Inspection app makes it easier for you to complete quick and accurate pre-trip checks.

This application can be synchronized and accessed across mobile and desktop devices, meaning no more lost, damaged, or illegible mobile documents.

Form Fields – What to Expect in the Vehicle Inspection App

What is included in this app? Special attention is required on all core vehicle components:

Engine Compartment (Engine Off)
Cab Check (Engine On)
Brake Check
External Components
Suspension
Brakes
Wheels
Side of Vehicle
Rear of Vehicle
Tractor/Coupling

Within each of these layers of the inspection, this app includes several detailed checklists that walk commercial drivers step-by-step through a thorough pre-trip inspection.

After downloading the Truck and Trailer Inspection Report mobile app, you can customize it to meet your business or state’s requirements. Remove form fields you might not need and/or edit the wording to include additional details specific to your vehicle.

If you are not finding what you need within the Truck and Trailer Inspection Report mobile app, you can also create a custom commercial vehicle inspection app from scratch using the GoCanvas Form Builder.

Dispatch and Other Mobile Forms Features

Beyond just your pre-trip inspections, mobile forms can help you improve accuracy and efficiency within each stage of your driving company’s internal processes. For example, Dispatch is an easy way to organize drivers and delivery schedules based on the most efficient configurations possible. Other features such as barcode scanning, signature capture, and GPS capture can help you keep track of your deliveries and maintain records for your business.

The detailed, easy-to-use GoCanvas platform offers thousands of app templates, many of which can be used to help improve your driving business. Explore the GoCanvas Application Store to view the variety of commercial driving applications that might help you along the way. Some related apps include:

These and other GoCanvas commercial driving mobile forms are available for you to download, customize, and use to improve your driving business in just minutes.

Get GoCanvas

The GoCanvas system offers the CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist along with thousands of other mobile apps for customers to use. Try GoCanvas for free and experience the benefits of streamlining your driving company’s internal processes today.

Schedule a demo

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Woman looking at tablet inside a large vehicle machine.

Centurian Transport saves $100k every year with GoCanvas

Centurion is the largest heavy haulage provider in Australia. They deliver national supply chain solutions to the resources, energy, construction & retail sectors…

Image of two men in front of kegs on tablet.

Duotank Transforms Business Processes with GoCanvas

Duotank is a bag-in-tank alternative to the traditional keg beer system. The aseptic tank environment enables breweries to maintain the quality of their beer…

Image of Two Men and a Truck looking at tablet.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® used GoCanvas to increase data visibility & compliance

With a workforce that primarily works out in the field, many of the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® locations found that paperwork was hindering…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Inspections | Analytics and Data Collection | Compliance and Safety

10 Best Small Business Apps for 2020

Posted on January 14, 2020July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

10 Best Small Business Apps for 2020

Top 10 Best Business Apps to Improve Efficiency in 2020

With 2020 kicked off, it is time to start preparing your small business for the new year. Mobile applications are an effortless way to streamline your company’s processes, helping you save both time and money. Get your small business ready for success in 2020 with these top 10 mobile applications.

Visitor Sign In/Sign Out Sheet

Helpful for small businesses in a wide variety of industries, the Visitor Sign In/Sign Out Sheet mobile application can improve the way you collect customer data and keep records for your small business. By allowing visitors to sign in and out through this mobile application, you remove the need to transcribe visitor information from a paper sheet into your system. This allows you to easily manage the information of multiple visitors at once. Your small business can use this app to keep track of visiting clients, employees, customers, and other visitors to your organization. Digital check-in sheets make the visitor management processes of your small business easier than ever, so you can spend more time on what is important to your company.

Quality Control Inspection Checklist

High quality is frequently the characteristic that helps small businesses stand out from their large competitors. With this Quality Control Inspection Checklist, you can be sure that your small business never misses a beat. Designed to help small businesses conduct in-process inspections of mechanical devices, this mobile quality control inspection checklist can be adapted to meet the specific needs of a wide variety of industries. When converting to mobile inspections, your small business can take advantage of real-time data entry e.g. by alerting maintenance immediately if an issue is spotted. Once you have completed the inspection, this application converts your mobile document into a PDF, which can be emailed, shared, or stored for easy access down the road.

Lighting Audit Survey

Are you looking for ways to reduce the utility bill of your small business? The Lighting Audit Survey has a checklist containing both commercial and home lighting inspection data. This is especially helpful for small businesses in the construction industry who want to help their clients save money. However, this app can also be used by a wide range of small businesses that are upgrading to energy-efficient lighting, which can help your company save money on electric bills each month.

Time and Materials Log – Construction Forms for Contractors

Making your way as a small business contractor is not easy, but with forms like the mobile Time and Materials Log, you can stay ahead of even the largest construction companies. This app helps you manage client information and keep track of the materials used on a job site as well as the time that each project takes to complete. By moving to mobile forms, you can update and keep track of material and labor records real-time, reducing waste and needless data rekeying.

Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)

Keep your employees and your company safe with the Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA) mobile app. You can ensure that everyone on a job site has read the Orientation and Job Safety Risk procedures and acts in compliance with these protocols. Using the signature feature, you can collect, confirm and save each employee’s agreement for liability documents. This can help you maintain a continuously safe environment for your work-site.

Field Service Report

Mobile forms and applications are especially helpful for small businesses that require fieldwork. The Field Service Report is a popular example of one such application. With this app, you can access and complete service order forms directly from your mobile device. The Field Service Report also helps you keep dispatchers and technicians on the same page, as the document details can be shared and accessed from a wide range of devices. This application can be completely customized to the needs of your small business.

Construction Daily Field Report

Another application that can help small businesses in the construction industry is the Construction Daily Field Report. This app allows project engineers and subcontractors to track activities at the job site including work completed, weather issues, incidents, project progress, number of workers at the site, and much more. Customize your Daily Field Report application and the features it contains to meet the evolving needs of your construction small business.

DOT Driver Vehicle Inspections – IndustrySafe

For small businesses that use commercial vehicles, keeping them DOT compliant and safe is paramount to minimizing accidents, injuries and potential liability. The DOT Driver Vehicle Inspections app is designed to do just that. Customize this app to meet a wide variety of internal inspection processes such as trip checks, maintenance issues, and other common vehicle inspections.

Job Service Ticket

Adaptable across all service industries, the Job Service Ticket mobile app is fully customizable. This form includes key fields such as customer billing data, project cost, company location, and description of job work. Review billing information and sign off on costs remotely using this application. Using your Square-enabled GoCanvas app, you can also accept payments directly within this system. Built to make every small business more efficient and profitable, the Job Service Ticket app is a must-have today.

Roof Inspection Report

Roofing mobile apps can help the inspection process happen more smoothly for your small business. The Roof Inspection Report mobile app can help you manage the essential data required for roof maintenance, roof replacements, inspections, repairs, and new roofing installations. With all of the information you need to get the job done without the paper lull, this app can help your small business compete with larger roofing companies.

Get GoCanvas

Access these and other small business applications within the GoCanvas system today! Each of these apps and thousands of others can be customized to meet your company’s unique processes. You can even create custom applications with the GoCanvas system. Sign up for free today or schedule a demo to get started!

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Gown Your Business with GoCanvas Partner Program

Join our Partner Program and gain instant access to our global network of thought leaders and industry experts enjoying shared collaboration and collective success.

Learn more

Partner Snapshot: Forte Supply Chain Solutions

Explore how Forte Supply Chain Solutions partnered with GoCanvas, combining in-house industry expertise with our white-label mobile forms to revolutionize their processes.

Watch VIDEO

GoCanvas Integrations: Streamline your Workflow

Integrate with over 1,000 software applications. Enhance your GoCanvas experience by syncing real-time data to one or all of your business tools.

View integrations

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Analytics and Data Collection | Inspections

Auto Repair Apps that Will Save You Time and Money

Posted on November 18, 2019July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Auto Repair Apps that Will Save You Time and Money

7 Apps Your Auto Repair Business Needs Today

With the introduction of mobile forms applications, businesses within the automotive repair industry could increase productivity and profitability. According to recent statistics, 75% of drivers will visit auto repair shops for vehicle service. If each of these vehicle service visits were managed with the quick efficiency that mobile automotive repair apps provide, mechanic shops could save a significant amount of in-house time and money, and millions of drivers could save time on their mechanic visits each year. Learn more here about auto repair applications that can help you optimize and mobilize your mechanic business.

Car Repair Estimates App

While estimates may have been a time-consuming task for your shop in the past, mobile apps make it a quick and manageable process. Costs, including sales tax, can be calculated for you within the app, eliminating the risk of mathematical errors. By using a mobile automotive estimate app, you can provide efficiency, accuracy, and clarity to your drivers during your car repair estimates.

Vehicle Inspection App

The routine nature of vehicle inspections can make it easy for you to make a mistake. By using a vehicle inspection form, you can easily input data directly into your mobile app. Fields marked as “required” will be unable to be skipped, so you won’t ever risk missing a necessary data input section. You can also eliminate legibility issues and other common mistakes in both data entry and interpretation with the unmistakable ease and clarity that mobile vehicle inspection apps provide.

Automotive Apps for Payments and Receipts

The payment process of your business is what keeps your mechanic shop afloat, which is why you should trust only the most secure and efficient processes. Not only are paper payment processes more time-consuming than the mobile variant, but they are also costly and disorganized in nature. With a Square-enabled GoCanvas app, you can accept payments directly from your mobile device. This makes on-site payments possible no matter where you are completing repairs. With the power to complete payment processes from anywhere, you can break through traditional payment challenges that often face automotive experts.

Vehicle Service Checklists

Organized vehicle service visits are the key to any successful mechanic business. Keep your service process organized with a customizable automotive repair checklist. You can use a template to build the vehicle service fields that your business requires, making sure that each step of your service processes are consistently followed with each vehicle. You can even make a customized checklist for each service offering your automotive repair shop offers. These checklists can help keep track of completed tasks in a vehicle service visit while maintaining transparency of the maintenance and repair processes with your customers.

Car Repair Orders

Quicken the repair order process with mobile repair order forms. With mobile car repair order forms, you can document vehicle information; detail the service request; list all needed parts, labor, and supplies; and capture customer signatures from the convenience of your mobile device. Mobile car repair order forms are designed to eliminate the risk of incomplete or illegible information, providing reliable documentation of your completed mechanic work.

Vehicle Detailing Apps

If your automotive shop offers detailing services, there are specialized apps designed to help your detailers stay on-task, ensure all aspects of the detailing process are completed, and increase productivity. By taking advantage of mobile Vehicle Detailing Customer Check-In Sheets or the Auto Detailing Checklist, you can organize your automotive detailing work. With the efficiency that these apps provide, you can make your detailing service more consistent and profitable than paper processes allow.

Towing Form Applications

Does your repair shop also offer towing services? You may be familiar with the difficulty of completing paper processes while on the go. Because a large portion of towing work is done out of office, you can have your towing forms on hand with the help of a mobile forms application. This digital towing form application will also help ensure that the form does not become lost or damaged throughout the towing process.

Get GoCanvas Today

To optimize your automotive business, partner with the outstanding mobile automotive service apps that GoCanvas houses. Mobile conversion can help you save on your paper costs and reduce in-house inefficiency and error. Each unique GoCanvas app can provide you with a new way to optimize your internal and external automotive processes. Try GoCanvas for free today!

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Two people in an office looking at a tablet.

Improving Your Operations with Field Service Management Software

Whether you have two or 200 employees, your business’ success depends on their hard work. Passionate, motivated team players are the difference between…

Two people in hard hats looking off camera.

Should You Connect Field Service Management Software with QuickBooks?

Field service management software has shown to increase productivity both for employees in the field and operations teams in the office. You may be wondering how field service…

How the Best Field Services Businesses Use Mobile Apps

Mobility and field service: the talk has been happening forever. The idea that real-time information improves customer service and boosts technician productivity is changing…

Read the eBook

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Analytics and Data Collection | Business Operations

5 Things to Consider when Choosing a Data Collection App

Posted on November 12, 2019July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

5 Things to Consider when Choosing a Data Collection App

Finding the Right Mobile Data Collection App

Mobile data collection can revolutionize your business model and advance your information processing to new heights. With access to the data you need to adequately inform your internal and external practices, there is no limit to what your business can do with the support of mobile data collection. However, finding the right data collection app is not always easy. Here are five considerations that will help you select the right data collection app.

Analytics

The partnership between data collection and data analytics offers the complete package you need toacquire data-driven insights. The data-fueled benefits for your business are stunted when you do not have the tools you need to understand and act on the information it provides. Partnering with a data collection app that has internal analytic capabilities will help you turn your data into actionable insights. With the help of analytics, you can spot trends in your business, create alerts for negative trends or outliers, and run your business on data-driven decisions vs. hunches or anecdotal evidence.

Templates

Does the data collection app you are considering offer templates that align with your specific business needs? This can help you save time on building out new forms, and gives you a starting point. From there, you should be able to customize and adapt the templates. Check out these pre-built templates for an idea of how data collection templates might serve your industry:

Construction industry data collection templates
Field services data collection templates
Retail, sales, and wholesale distribution data collection templates
Transportation and warehousing data collection templates
Utilities and energy data collection templates
Healthcare data collection templates
Mining, Quarrying, Oil, Gas & Chemicals data collection templates

This is just a brief look into how a mobile application (and the templates it encompasses) can benefit your company’s data collection processes.

Custom Capabilities

Beyond the extent of templates, your data collection app should be able to expand in scope and offer the ability to customize it – on your own – without needing to know coding. This capability allows you to tailor data input fields in order to capture the information that is more relevant to your business. There is no limit to what your business can do with dynamic, custom capabilities in a data collection application.

Ease of Use

With a mobile data collection app, you can access your company’s data from almost anywhere. However, this accessibility is only beneficial if the app is easy for you and your workers to adopt and use. Partner with a system that has an intuitive configuration, attentive customer support, and an abundant amount of resources for you to use. An easy-to-use system will also make it less painful to get workers and staff to embrace the new technology.

Advanced Features

Highly advanced features within your data collection app can widen the scope of data you can collect. With mobile data collection, you can access features such as dispatch, workflow, image capture, signature capture, mobile payments and more.

Get GoCanvas

Try GoCanvas for free today! This data collection app includes all of these top industry templates, robust features, and so much more. Digitally convert your paper processes to save your business both time and money. Sign up for free today to get started!

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Improving Your Operations with Field Service Management Software

Whether you have two or 200 employees, your business’ success depends on their hard work. Passionate, motivated team players are the difference between…

Should You Connect Field Service Management Software with QuickBooks?

Field service management software has shown to increase productivity both for employees in the field and operations teams in the office. You may be wondering how field service…

How the Best Field Services Businesses Use Mobile Apps

Mobility and field service: the talk has been happening forever. The idea that real-time information improves customer service and boosts technician productivity is changing…

Read the eBook

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Analytics and Data Collection | Compliance and Safety | Inspections

Maintaining your Duty of Care under the UK Corporate Manslaughter Act

Posted on March 12, 2019July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Maintaining your Duty of Care under the UK Corporate Manslaughter Act

Staying Compliant and Keeping Roads Safe in the UK

More than a quarter of all motor vehicle accidents involve a driver that is driving under the circumstances of their employment. Health and safety laws apply to work-related activities that occur on the road in the same way as they do in the workplace. The UKCorporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act holds companies and employers liable where serious failures in the management of health and safety have resulted in a fatality. Juries in such cases will consider how the work-related motor vehicle activities are managed – such as any systems or processes which are in place to help manage safety and how those were operated in practice. Companies found guilty will be liable to unlimited fines and may have to publicly declare their conviction and financial penalty.

A Business’s Duty to Road Safety

Companies have a legal duty to adequately inspect their vehicles and put in place suitable arrangements to manage health and safety. Vehicle inspections must ensure (among other concerns) that vehicles are fit for the purpose for which they are used, that vehicles are maintained in a safe and fit condition, and that drivers’ health, and possibly safety, is not being put at risk.

Vehicle inspections do not stop at ensuring that the vehicle itself is safe, however. For example, companies must ensure that the driver s themselves are safe. Inspections must ensure that drivers are competent and capable, that the drivers are properly trained, that drivers have clear safety instructions, that drivers are fit and healthy, and that as an employer, you understand your duties under health and safety laws when hiring contractors and subcontractors. Inspections must also cover the driver’s journey, covering issues like the thoroughness of route plans, whether work schedules are realistic, is enough time allotted to complete drives safely, and are weather conditions considered when planning journeys. There is an immense amount for companies to cover.

Negligence Repercussions

If one of your employees is killed while driving for work, and there is evidence that serious management failures resulted in a ‘gross breach of a relevant duty of care,’ your company could be at risk of being prosecuted under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act. It is therefore essential for employers to diligently compile safety reports when doing inspections to avoid liability. The more an employer can document the inspections they do, the more efficient the inspections will be, the safer employees are, and the more protected the company is from costly litigation. However, risk assessment is about identifying and taking sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace, not about creating huge amounts of paperwork.

The best way for employers to diligently document inspections while avoiding copious amounts of paperwork is to invest in an advanced mobile forms software. Such technology gives employers the best of both worlds. Companies can efficiently and flexibly keep track of and document vehicle inspections from multiple locations, and even on the go, and aggregate the data in real time. This way employers can keep excellent records, keeping their employees safe, and their company safe from censure, while reducing paperwork. Companies can then use the software to analyze the data they gather, fostering better practices by finding potential deficiencies in machinery and workforce.

Now you can easily modernize the way you are conducting and auditing truck inspections. Whether you are looking to improve your data handling processes or improve the safety of your truck operations, we hope you consider using GoCanvas as your data collection tool. Sign up for GoCanvas free and give our platform a try today!

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Centurian Transport saves $100k every year with GoCanvas

Centurion is the largest heavy haulage provider in Australia. They deliver national supply chain solutions to the resources, energy, construction & retail sectors…

Duotank Transforms Business Processes with GoCanvas

Duotank is a bag-in-tank alternative to the traditional keg beer system. The aseptic tank environment enables breweries to maintain the quality of their beer…

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® used GoCanvas to increase data visibility & compliance

With a workforce that primarily works out in the field, many of the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® locations found that paperwork was hindering…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Create your own Android mobile app with digitial signature capture in 5 minutes

Posted on February 26, 2019July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Create your own Android mobile app with digitial signature capture in 5 minutes

Business Operations | Analytics and Data Collection | Forms

How to Build an App in 5 Minutes!

GoCanvas allows you to easily create your own apps for Android, iOS, and Windows PC. Today, I wanted to walk through a quick and simple example of how to do this in 5 minutes. This app will allow you to capture a digital signature on your mobile device in just seconds. Below, you can see what the result looks like on Android mobile device. We already have over 20,000 pre-built data collection mobile apps in our GoCanvas Application Store. Each of these can be customized, but in this article we are focusing on how to create one from scratch that can capture digital signatures.

The goal of this article will be to walk through signing up for GoCanvas, building a simple mobile app which captures some simple information (first name and last name) and a digital signature, fill out the app on an Android device and view the results as a PDF document.

If you aren’t already a GoCanvas customer, sign up for free GoCanvas account.

Step 2 – Install GoCanvas

Once you sign up for GoCanvas you should receive an e-mail with a download link for your device. If you didn’t get the email, you can go to https://beta.gocanvas.com/m to download GoCanvas.

Login to the GoCanvas website with your new login on your desktop computer to begin building your digital signature capture mobile app.

Step 4 – Build your GoCanvas signature capture application

On the ‘Apps’ tab in the GoCanvas website, click ‘Create New App’. Below, you’ll see the button to click inside the blue box:

Enter a name for the new app, let’s call it “Sample Signature Capture.” Click ‘Save and launch app builder’.

Drag a ‘Signature’ control from the left-hand palette. In the popup for the text input, enter ‘Please sign your name’.

The outline of your ‘Sample Signature Capture’ GoCanvas mobile application should look like the below screenshot.

To add additional fields to your new signature app drag a ‘Text box’ from the left-hand palette. In the popup for the text box, enter ‘First Name’. Drag another ‘Text Box’ control from the right-hand palette. In the popup for the text input, enter ‘Last Name’.

Step 5 – Save and publish your GoCanvas signature capture application

At the top of the GoCanvas app builder, click ‘Save’ and select ‘Save and publish’. Once the GoCanvas app builder has finished saving, you will be prompted what users should have access to the new application. Make sure to check your login and click ‘Publish’.

Start GoCanvas on your Android device and log in using your e-mail and password that you registered with.

Step 7 – Fill out the ‘Sample Signature Capture’ app

Fill out the ‘Sample Signature Capture’ mobile app and once done, click ‘Yes’ to upload your submission.

Click on the signature field, and sign with your finger or stylist.

After the signature is captured you will see the box turn green as shown below.

Step 8 – View your data online

If you logged out of the GoCanvas website, log in again and click on the ‘Submissions’ tab. You will find the data you just filled out on your Android. You can now view it online, download it as a PDF, export it as a CSV/Excel file, or integrate it into a backend system.

Wrap Up

Hopefully the above example demonstrated how easy it is to go paperless with GoCanvas. All of the applications created with GoCanvas work across all of the mobile devices we support. These include Android, Windows PC, iPhone and iPad. You can get rid of filing and data entry and save your business time and money.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Gown Your Business with GoCanvas Partner Program

Join our Partner Program and gain instant access to our global network of thought leaders and industry experts enjoying shared collaboration and collective success.

Learn more

Partner Snapshot: Forte Supply Chain Solutions

Explore how Forte Supply Chain Solutions partnered with GoCanvas, combining in-house industry expertise with our white-label mobile forms to revolutionize their processes.

Watch VIDEO

GoCanvas Integrations: Streamline your Workflow

Integrate with over 1,000 software applications. Enhance your GoCanvas experience by syncing real-time data to one or all of your business tools.

View integrations

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

How to Be Prepared for Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Inspections and Avoid Fines

Posted on November 30, 2018July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

How to Be Prepared for Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Inspections and Avoid Fines

Inspections | Compliance and Safety | Job Safety Analysis

Ensure your Commercial Trucks are Safe and Compliant

Operating and managing commercial vehicles requires consistent maintenance check-ups for the safety of the driver and others on the road. Since businesses are becoming more focused on delivering goods directly to consumers, commercial drivers are logging more miles and are therefore more likely to experience an inspection check. The failure of an inspection can put a vehicle or a driver out of commission, hurting your business’s ability to operate. Being prepared for CMV inspections is essential for any business with commercial vehicles to operate efficiently.

What is a CMV Inspection?

Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) inspections are safety inspections for commercial vehicles administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an entity within the U.S. Department of Transportation. There are four main types of CMV inspections: daily driver inspections, periodic/annual inspections, roadside inspections, and on-site compliance reviews. Each of these inspections target different areas that could create hazards for your employees or for third parties, but the target among each test is the same: ensuring safety. The inspections range from the precision with which a driver has filled out a pre- or post-trip assessment or the safety standards for loading and unloading, to the operating standards of every system on the vehicle – from coupling devices to windshield wipers.

What Happens in the Event of a Violation?

In the event that your vehicle is in violation of any of the CMV standards, a three-step process is applied:

First, if there are actionable violations, such as operating the vehicle without a valid license or a headlight out, the carrier will receive a citation. The fine will depend on the jurisdiction of the law enforcement making the stop.

Second, if the vehicle is deemed to be unsafe to continue, it will be placed Out-of-Service, meaning it cannot continue to be operated until the items have been corrected.

Third, the data collected from the inspection will be input into the Safety Measurement System (SMS). All violations are recorded in the SMS and a company will be given a score based on the number and type of its violations.

If a company’s SMS score exceeds any of the predetermined thresholds in any category, the company will be subject to a variety of penalties, including targeted inspections, company investigations, civil penalties, and even an order to cease operations.

How to Prevent CMV Violations

One of the best ways to prevent CMV violations and the resulting penalties is to review drivers’ logs and inspections and immediately address any concerns that are uncovered. For most companies that operate commercial motor vehicles, this can be difficult, however. Due to the nature of the business, it can be tough to quickly aggregate and analyze driver’s logs and inspection reports, and subsequently remedy problems, before a violation is committed. This problem only becomes more exaggerated the bigger a company is and the farther its services reach.

Companies that use commercial motor vehicles need the tools in place to ensure that their drivers are able to quickly and efficiently log concerns and problems so they can be quickly addressed. If a company expects to keep up with the demands of its business, the only way it is going to achieve this goal is through the use of an effectively customized mobile form software. Mobile form software allows drivers to log problems with their vehicles and make the reports immediately available to every branch of your company that needs that information to solve the problem.

Faster and more effective digital analysis makes it easier to detect patterns and problems in your machinery, and coordination among teams who can simultaneously access the same reports makes for a much safer, and more efficient operation. The benefits that come from being able to immediately communicate, aggregate, and analyze inspection reports is essential, not only for preventing CMV violations but also for providing a safe working environment for your drivers.

Now you can easily modernize the way you are conducting inspections. Whether you are looking to improve your data handling processes or improve the safety of your field operations, we hope you consider using GoCanvas as your data collection tool. Sign up for GoCanvas free and give our platform a try today!

Interested in learning more? Check out our ebook on 4 Ways Mobile Inspection Forms Can Keep Your Trucks on the Road!

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Centurian Transport saves $100k every year with GoCanvas

Centurion is the largest heavy haulage provider in Australia. They deliver national supply chain solutions to the resources, energy, construction & retail sectors…

Duotank Transforms Business Processes with GoCanvas

Duotank is a bag-in-tank alternative to the traditional keg beer system. The aseptic tank environment enables breweries to maintain the quality of their beer…

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® used GoCanvas to increase data visibility & compliance

With a workforce that primarily works out in the field, many of the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® locations found that paperwork was hindering…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Analytics and Data Collection | Disaster Preparation | Maintenance Management

Keep Your Trucks on the Road: How Complete Inspection Records Lead to More Revenue

Posted on July 25, 2017July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Keep Your Trucks on the Road: How Complete Inspection Records Lead to More Revenue

For a driver, carrier, or fleet owner, driving time means more revenue. Every minute your vehicles aren’t on the move, you’re losing money.

What’s the secret to minimizing time off the road? Often, it comes down to thorough documentation. Keeping complete and up-to-date records of your inspections can help you reduce downtime — whether due to repairs, out-of-service (OOS) violations, accidents, or otherwise — and keep your trucks generating revenue.

Of course, the method you use to maintain your records can affect the value and utility of that documentation. If you and your drivers are constantly scrambling to find paper forms (which may or may not be up to date), your documentation probably won’t be very effective in keeping your fleet moving. But by capturing data digitally with mobile inspection apps, you’ll be able to access updated information on demand, from anywhere — and that can have a significant impact on driving time. Here’s how.

Immediately identify preventive maintenance needs

The key to high-performing vehicles is preventive maintenance. Keeping the components and systems on your trucks properly maintained can keep them running safety and reliably. However, that can be a challenge for companies that rely solely on paper documentation, as it can be difficult to track and communicate back to the office which vehicles need which services, and when.

Mobile inspection forms can help you better track data for each of your trucks, such as mileage and completed repairs. Equipped with those records, you can more accurately time preventive maintenance and communicate when necessary services, like repair orders, need to be performed before minor issues turn into breakdowns or violations during roadside inspections.

Maintain quick-to-complete and accurate pre-trip inspections

During a recent blitz of roadside inspections performed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, over 62,000 vehicles were inspected — and more than 20 percent (one in five) were immediately placed out of service. Some experts think drivers could avoid many of those violations if they kept better records.

Consider this: Jeff Langloss, the federal program manager for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), recently examined the violation records of 10 randomly selected companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area. He found that of the 4,296 total violations, 3,309 — 76.3 percent — could have been avoided with a pre-trip inspection. While that’s only a small sampling of the country, it’s clear that pre-trip inspections can be a helpful tool in avoiding common inspection violations.

Mobile pre- and post-trip inspection forms help drivers quickly and accurately assess the major systems and features of their vehicle, and determine if it’s safe to drive. Mobile pre-trip inspection forms cover:

Tires (inflation, tread, condition of spare)
Leaks (oil, fuel tanks)
Gauges
Dashboard warning lights
Lighting system (headlights, brake lights, turn signals, hazard lights, reflectors)
Safety equipment (fire extinguisher, reflective triangles/flares, spare bulbs, emergency contact info)
Trailers (brake connections, coupling chains/king pin, doors, landing gear, tires/wheels)
Other (windshield wipers, fans/defroster, brake system, mirrors, horn, exhaust system, seatbelts)

Collecting that data prior to each trip can help drivers and carriers pinpoint issues before they result in roadside inspection violations.

Increase safety to avoid damaging (or even fatal) accidents

Keeping accurate documentation can even help prevent crashes that are all too common in the trucking industry.

For example, an Ohio-based commercial driver was recently involved in a fatal accident. Following the crash and investigation, the driver’s family learned that the vehicle had been equipped with a badly worn tire and front axle. A crash reconstructionist who looked into the accident determined that the truck had so many maintenance issues that it shouldn’t have been on the road in the first place.

While not all crashes can be prevented, thorough documentation of truck maintenance and pre-trip inspections can help catch issues before they cause damaging or even fatal accidents that can affect your drivers and other motorists.

Minimize litigation by having accurate documentation

Accidents can also bring legal issues for carriers and other businesses that have trucks on the road.

For example, in another accident, a commercial vehicle that was hauling bales of hay lost 10 bales as its driver tried to keep the load from shifting in a curve, killing a driver and passenger in a nearby vehicle.

Ultimately, the truck’s owner and driver faced charges for failing to secure the load — a violation that should have been caught in a pre-trip inspection and certainly would have been caught during a roadside inspection. But federal records showed that the vehicle hadn’t undergone a check in about 15 years. Had the owner maintained regular inspections and records, he could have used that documentation during the litigation — and moreover, he likely could have prevented the accident altogether.

Mobile inspection forms aren’t just more convenient for your drivers; they’re more effective in keeping your documentation up to date and readily accessible — which can be key to keeping your trucks on the road. Learn more about how mobile inspection apps can benefit your business in the interactive eBook, “4 Ways Mobile Inspection Forms Can Keep Your Trucks on the Road.”

Then get started by trying out GoCanvas free (no credit card or contract required). We’ll help you create your first app, whether it’s for regular inspections, maintenance logs, or managing documentation.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

A person sits at a desk holding their phone showing a graph, while their laptop sits on the desk showing more charts and graphs.

How TE3CO Leverages Data Analytics to Unlock Business Potential

TE3CO provides mission-critical pressure relief technology and services to customers across the oil and gas industry. They employ a highly trained and capable workforce of field technicians and engineers. Before working with GoCanvas, TE3CO relied on spreadsheets and emails to manage their ticketing process but found the system time-consuming and difficult to track.

Two men in hard hats look onto a tablet.

VIP Lighting Gains Business Efficiencies with GoCanvas

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance company that services retail chains across Australia and New Zealand. The business has been operating for 25 years and now services 10,000 retail sites across both countries. Prior to joining GoCanvas in 2018, the business had multiple systems running different aspects of their technician and contractor network.

Man in a hard hat inspecting HVAC vents.

Three HVAC Maintenance Checklists that will Reduce Errors and Grow Your Bottom Line

For HVAC technicians, so many errors within their daily tasks come from using outdated paper forms while completing a job. Using these HVAC inspection checklists will prevent issues before they happen, so your technicians can collect comprehensive and consistent data at every job.

View checklists

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Boost Truck Fleet Efficiency and Profitability – 5 Ways Mobile Apps Can Help

Posted on July 11, 2017July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Boost Truck Fleet Efficiency and Profitability – 5 Ways Mobile Apps Can Help

Analytics and Data Collection | Forms | Inspections

Mobile apps are designed to make everyday tasks more efficient. You can document and file car insurance claims directly from your phone in real-time, right at the scene of the accident. With a mobile boarding pass, you can bypass the ticketing counter at the airport and go straight to your gate. You can bank with an app, book hotels with an app, and order pizza with an app.

Now, motor carriers — and any businesses that employ trucks and drivers — can experience those efficiency gains regarding inspection reports. With mobile inspection apps, carriers and drivers can trade in the burden of paper forms for the ease of mobile forms and cloud-based data through their mobile devices. But those apps don’t only increase efficiency — they also drive additional revenue. Here’s how.

1. Eliminate Paper Forms While Increasing the Inspection Process

When drivers and carriers enter information in mobile apps, that data is stored in the cloud. With reduced paper files, carriers can eliminate much of their physical storage including file cabinets and shelves. That means more space in the office, less clutter to work around, and an easier time accessing the information you need the minute you need it within your mobile application — especially if you’re pulled over for an inspection.

Cloud-based data storage can automate workflow and give owners and managers instant access to inspection documents, including work orders, inspection checklists, and audits and maintenance reports as soon as drivers complete them — regardless of where the driver is — providing accurate, up-to-date knowledge on all equipment.

In the short term, the benefits of those changes may seem marginal — but if you aim to grow your business, mobile technology, and a digital documentation system can help you scale efficiently and stay profitable as you expand.

We recommend creating invoices through our mobile app for Trucking Invoices for an easy way to keep track of your financials.

2. Increase Driver Compliance and Business Workflow

Drivers already work up to 70 hours in an eight-day period. For carriers to be the most profitable, however, that time must be spent driving, not fulfilling peripheral duties like completing or filing paperwork. A mobile app on a smartphone or tablet can save time and increase convenience for both the carrier and the driver.

With paper forms, drivers must fill out duplicate information every time — like vehicle make, model, year, and DOT registration number. Mobile forms, however, may be pre-populated with this kind of information, saving the driver the headache of having to fill in that information time after time and reducing the chance that they’ll get sloppy and skip portions of the forms completely. Mobile forms can also require users to fill out one field before they are able to move to the next.

The time savings can equate to additional driving time (and revenue), and completing paperwork is a win for everyone when it comes to roadside inspections, traffic stops, and especially if your truck is involved in an accident.

3. Demonstrate Accountability in the Event of a Lawsuit

Even though large trucks represent only 2 percent of drivers, they’re involved in 11 percent of road fatalities. Driver error accounts for 87 percent of those accidents, and vehicle issues, such as brake problems, account for 10 percent.

If one of your trucks was involved in an accident tomorrow, would you have accurate, up-to-date information readily available to prove that your vehicles have been inspected, have received regular maintenance, and that your drivers meet all training and certification requirements?

This kind of information can be vital at the site of a crash and may be able to help exonerate your company of any alleged wrongdoing in the event of a liability suit or lawsuit.

4. Increase CSA and SMS Compliance to Enhance Your Company’s Functionality

The law requires truck fleet owners to keep records of hazardous material carriage, vehicle inspections, driver records, health management, and more. The penalties for failing to do so can be steep — ranging from fines to termination as a business entity.

Companies that don’t keep maintain the required documentation pay out millions of dollars each year. Recordkeeping violations, for example, can carry a fine of up to $1,100 per day while the violation continues, up to $11,000. Hazmat fines can stack up to $75,000 per violation.

If drivers receive a serious violation during a roadside inspection, their trucks can be placed out of service (OOS) — taking them completely off the road until the violation is remedied. And that can be an expensive delay, considering you’re losing revenue for every hour the truck is sidelined.

You also have to consider the broader impact on your business. The public can see carriers’ violations and fines on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (EFMCSA) website and too many penalties against your company could cause your customers to take their business elsewhere. Using a mobile app to keep updated, accurate, and accessible records can help you avoid those penalties and keep your business profitable.

5. Improve Overall Driver Fleet Management

Drivers are expected to carry and manage a long list of documents — including a driver’s license, medical examiner’s certificate, a driver’s record of duty status, documentation of an annual inspection, hazardous materials paperwork, and permit credentials.

Rather than maintaining these documents on paper, a mobile app can streamline the process, helping drivers and carriers become more efficient. On a grander scale, that can help your company become more competitive and continue to attract drivers that will stay compliant and drive profitability.

Utilize GoCanvas for Your Own Mobile Inspection App

Paper forms aren’t just inconvenient. Relying on paper forms can open your truck fleet up to fines, lawsuits, and downtime. Learn more about how mobile inspection apps can benefit your business in the interactive eBook, “4 Ways Mobile Inspection Forms Can Keep Your Trucks on the Road.”Then get started by trying out GoCanvas free (no credit card or contract required). We’ll help you create your first app, whether it’s for regular inspections, maintenance logs, or managing documentation.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

How TE3CO Leverages Data Analytics to Unlock Business Potential

VIP Lighting Gains Business Efficiencies with GoCanvas

Three HVAC Maintenance Checklists that will Reduce Errors and Grow Your Bottom Line

View checklists

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.