A haul truck pre-start checklist is the set of checks an operator completes on taking control of a rear dump truck, before it moves: a walkaround of tyres, rims, leaks, access, lights, body and guards, then cab and operational tests of brakes, steering, alarms, fire suppression and proximity systems. Any fault that makes the truck unsafe keeps it parked until a competent person clears it. The full checklist is below, grouped the way an operator actually walks the machine.
Below: what Queensland and New South Wales law asks of a mobile plant pre-start, the full checklist, how to grade defects, and where truck pre-starts fail.
Why the haul truck pre-start matters more than most
A loaded haul truck has enormous stored energy, poor visibility close to the machine and tyres that can fail violently. A fault missed at start of shift is carried onto ramps, dumps and intersections shared with light vehicles.
It is also the one inspection done on every truck, every time it changes hands, and where early signs show up first. Our guide to mine site inspections in Australia places the pre-start within the wider inspection system; this page is the operator’s working tool.
What the regulations require of a mobile plant pre-start
No Australian mining instrument prescribes a haul truck form. The law sets outcomes, and the checklist is how a site shows it meets them. Our article on pre-start inspection requirements in mining covers each state in detail; the points that shape a truck pre-start are these.
Queensland coal
Section 73 of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017 requires a standard operating procedure for checking mobile plant. The operator, as soon as practicable after taking control of the plant, must check that its brakes, steering, lights and any other safety features are functioning properly.
Neighbouring sections shape the checklist. Section 66 requires the mine’s safety and health management system to provide for dynamic testing of service brakes, appropriate testing of parking, emergency and other brakes, and a record of brake test results kept where every coal mine worker can easily access it. Section 72 requires a procedure for tyres and rims. Section 75 requires an installed seat belt to be worn while the plant is moving. Where the operator’s visibility is restricted, section 77 requires a warning system to ensure the safety of people near the plant before its initial movement. Section 78 requires a procedure for taking plant out of service and returning it to service.
New South Wales
Section 32 of the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 requires the mine operator to manage the risks of moving mobile plant, having regard to matters including interactions between large and small mobile plant, pre-movement warnings for pedestrians, and the maintenance, testing and inspection of brakes, steering, lights and other safety features. Where plant creates mechanical risk, section 30 requires a mechanical engineering control plan, and Schedule 2 requires its control measures to take into account inspection and testing of plant, including braking, steering, warning systems and other safety critical functions, and the identification, assessment, management and rectification of defects. The same schedule lists uncontrolled fires initiated or fuelled by plant as a risk to be controlled, which is why fire suppression belongs on the pre-start.
Neither state tells you how many items to check. The NSW Resources Regulator’s technical reference guide for roads and vehicle operating areas, which is guidance rather than law, suggests basing the operator prestart and technology checks on the manufacturer’s or approved engineering advice. Do the same: start from the operator checks for your truck model, then add what your site risk assessment says matters.
How to run the pre-start: walkaround, cab, then moving checks
A rear dump truck inspection starts with the truck on level ground in the go-line, body down and park brake applied. Walk the same route every time, usually clockwise from the access ladder, and look underneath as well as along the sides: fresh fluid on the ground is often the first sign of a problem you cannot see from standing height.
Seat belt, mirrors, cameras and gauges are checked before the engine starts. Once running, the operator completes the static brake tests, steering, alarms and systems checks, and the final checks are done in the first few metres at low speed, well clear of other plant.
The complete haul truck pre-start checklist
The same list works as a dump truck pre-start checklist for any rigid rear dump truck in mining. Adapt it to your truck model, the manufacturer’s operator manual and your site procedures. The “Escalate if” column is what should stop the truck or trigger a report to the supervisor and maintenance.
| Check | What good looks like | Escalate if |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walkaround: tyres and rims | ||
| Tyre condition (all six) | No cuts to the casing, bulges, separations or exposed cords; tread even | Any bulge, separation, deep cut or exposed cord: truck does not move, stay clear, call tyre fitter |
| Inflation (visual and gauge or monitoring where fitted) | Tyres look evenly inflated; pressure system shows no alarm | Visibly low tyre or pressure alarm: do not move; never approach a hot or damaged tyre side-on |
| Rims, lock rings and wheel nuts | Lock rings seated, no cracks, no missing or loose nuts, no rust trails from nuts | Cracked rim, unseated lock ring, missing nut or rust weep: out of service |
| Heat or smoke at wheels | No smell of hot rubber or brakes, no smoke | Any sign of heat: move away, apply the site hot tyre exclusion procedure |
| 2. Walkaround: leaks and fluids | ||
| Ground under the truck | Dry, or only old staining | Fresh oil, coolant, hydraulic fluid or fuel: find the source before starting |
| Hoses, fittings and cylinders | No weeping, chafing or damaged sheaths | Active leak or chafed hydraulic hose: report; do not operate if a spray or fire risk exists |
| Fluid levels (where operator checks) | Engine oil, coolant, hydraulic and fuel within range on sight glasses or gauges | Level below minimum, or needing repeated top-ups |
| 3. Walkaround: access systems | ||
| Ladders, stairs and steps | Secure, undamaged, clear of mud and debris; powered ladder deploys and stows | Cracked, bent or loose step or rail; powered ladder fails |
| Handrails, walkways and gates | Complete, rigid, self-closing gates close | Missing or loose rail, gate will not close |
| Egress and emergency exits | Secondary egress clear and usable | Emergency egress blocked or damaged |
| 4. Walkaround: lights, mirrors and cameras | ||
| Head, tail, brake and indicator lights | All working and clean | Any headlight, brake light or indicator out, especially on night shift |
| Beacons and flags | Beacon working; flags or markers per site rules | Beacon out |
| Mirrors | Clean, secure, not cracked, correctly aimed | Broken or missing mirror |
| Cameras (lenses) | Lenses clean and undamaged | Damaged lens or camera missing |
| 5. Walkaround: body, hoist and structure | ||
| Tray and body | No cracks, holes or hanging material; carry-back cleared | Structural crack or material that could fall on the road |
| Body pivots, hoist cylinders and body-up restraint | Pins secure, no leaks, restraint present and serviceable | Loose pin, leaking hoist cylinder, missing restraint |
| Chassis, suspension and steering linkages | No visible cracks, struts at normal height | Visible crack, strut bottomed out or leaking |
| Guards and covers | All in place and secured | Missing or loose guard over moving parts |
| 6. Walkaround: fire suppression | ||
| Suppression system | Gauge in range, tags current, actuators and nozzles intact | Gauge out of range, damaged actuator or expired tag: truck does not operate |
| Portable extinguisher | Present, charged, tagged and secured | Missing or discharged |
| Engine bay | No oil, dust or debris build-up on hot surfaces | Fuel or oil on hot surfaces |
| 7. Cab checks | ||
| Cab condition | Clean, windscreen clear and uncracked in the line of sight, no loose objects | Cracked screen obstructing view; loose items that could jam pedals |
| Seat and seat belt | Seat adjusts and locks; belt latches, retracts and is not frayed | Belt damaged or will not latch: truck does not move |
| Gauges and warning lamps | All lamps test on start, then clear; no active fault codes | Active warning lamp or fault code for brakes, steering, engine or transmission |
| Camera monitors | All views display clearly | A blind-spot camera view is missing |
| Radios | Two-way radio transmits and receives on the right channel | No communication with dispatch or the pit |
| Horn and pre-start warning | Horn works; start-up warning sounds before the engine starts | Horn or pre-start warning fails |
| Reversing alarm | Sounds when reverse is selected | Alarm fails |
| Proximity detection or collision avoidance (where fitted) | System boots, passes self-test and shows the truck is detected by the network | System fault or not detecting: apply the site’s defined fallback or park the truck |
| 8. Operational checks | ||
| Service brake test | Holds the truck as specified in the site brake test procedure | Truck creeps or test fails: out of service |
| Park and emergency brake test | Each holds when tested to the site procedure | Any brake test fails: out of service |
| Retarder | Engages smoothly at low speed | Retarder weak or fault displayed |
| Steering, including secondary steering where tested | Full lock both ways, no binding, no excessive free play | Heavy, jerky or wandering steering: out of service |
| Hoist operation | Body raises, holds and lowers smoothly; body-up alarm or indicator works | Body drifts, jerks or indicator fails |
| Transmission and drive | Selects all gears; no unusual noise or vibration in the first metres | Slipping, harsh shifts or unusual noise |
| 9. Record and hand-back | ||
| Record | Truck number, operator, time, result and every defect recorded with a photo | Defect found but not recorded or reported |
| Brake test result | Result recorded where crews and maintenance can see it (a Queensland coal requirement under section 66) | Brake test done but not recorded |
| Defect reported | Supervisor and maintenance told within the shift | Safety-critical defect not reported immediately |
| Out-of-service tag | Truck tagged under the site out-of-service procedure if unfit | Unfit truck left untagged in the go-line |
Grading defects and taking a truck out of service
Most sites grade pre-start defects into categories, often A, B and C. The labels are a site convention, not law, and our article on A, B and C pre-start fault categories explains how they are usually set. For a haul truck, a workable scheme looks like this.
- Truck does not move: any failed brake or steering test, tyre or rim defect, fire suppression fault or failed seat belt, and every other item the table marks as out of service or do not move. The truck is tagged under the site procedure and the supervisor and maintenance are told at once.
- Operate with a repair date: a defect that does not affect safe operation today, such as a slow weep with no fire risk. It is photographed and given a fix-by date.
- Note and monitor: minor wear for the next service.
Tyres need their own rules because the risk to the operator is immediate. The tyre and rim inspection checklist covers what an operator can judge and when the tyre fitter must take over.
Returning the truck to service is the other half. A named, competent person confirms the repair before the tag comes off, and that confirmation is recorded against the original defect, not in a separate book.
Where haul truck pre-starts go wrong
- The mid-shift handover gap. The truck was checked at 6 am, so the relief operator at crib does not check it. In Queensland coal, the regulation attaches the check to each operator taking control, not to the shift.
- A light vehicle form on a 200-tonne truck. Generic forms miss the hoist, the body-up restraint, the retarder and the proximity system. See why general checklists create a false sense of safety.
- Ticking without walking. A pre-start done from the cab in 30 seconds.
- Accepted defects. A camera fault carried for a fortnight becomes normal. Repeat defects are a finding in themselves.
- No link to the out-of-service tag. Nobody can show that the tyre cut found on day shift was the one inspected by the fitter.
For the wider picture, see our guide to vehicle interaction as a principal hazard.
Getting truck defects in front of people who can act
The usual problem is not that operators skip the pre-start. It is that results sit in a book in the cab or a tray in the crib room, so the supervisor learns about this morning’s brake fault when the book is collected, and a defect reported on three consecutive shifts looks like three separate events.
HazView runs the pre-start as a checklist built on the site’s own form for each truck model, converted like for like from the existing paper version first. Operators can complete it fully offline in the cab, and it syncs when the device is back in reception. A failed brake test or tyre answer opens the follow-up questions that matter, such as a photo, the out-of-service tag and who was told, rather than letting the operator carry on ticking. A PDF record can be emailed to the supervisor and maintenance planner on submit, and a countersignature can be required by role. Because each site’s forms stay private within its own deployment, a site’s pre-start is never published for others to copy.
See how this works for operators on the HazView page for frontline crews, or book a demo with your own truck pre-start.
Summary: the haul truck pre-start at a glance
| Stage | Key checks | Stop the truck if |
|---|---|---|
| Walkaround | Tyres and rims, leaks, access, lights, mirrors and cameras, body and hoist, guards, fire suppression | Tyre or rim defect, active leak with fire risk, suppression fault, damaged access |
| Cab | Seat belt, gauges and lamps, camera monitors, radio, horn, pre-start and reversing warnings, proximity detection | Belt, warning or proximity system fails |
| Operational | Service, park and emergency brakes, retarder, steering, hoist, transmission | Any brake or steering test fails |
| Record | Who, which truck, when, result, photos, who was told | A safety-critical defect is not reported and tagged |
Related guides
- Mine Site Inspections in Australia: What the Law Requires, What to Check and What a Defensible Record Looks Like
- Shift Inspection Report: What a Supervisor’s Inspection Must Record
- Why Every Mine Inspection Needs a Location
- OCE Inspection Report Template: What It Must Record, With a Full Checklist
- All Inspections & Checklists guides
Frequently asked questions
Is a haul truck pre-start a legal requirement?
In Queensland coal, yes in substance: section 73 of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017 requires a procedure for the operator to check brakes, steering, lights and other safety features as soon as practicable after taking control of mobile plant. In New South Wales the operator must manage mobile plant risk having regard to inspection of those features, which sites meet through a pre-start.
Does a new operator need to redo the pre-start at a mid-shift change?
Under the Queensland coal regulation the check is tied to the operator taking control of the plant, so a change of operator triggers a new check. If your procedure allows a shorter handover check, it should still cover the cab and operational items.
Can a haul truck operate with the proximity detection system faulty?
Only if the site’s risk assessment and procedures define a fallback control for that situation, and that fallback is actually applied. Without one, treat the fault as a reason to park the truck and report it.
Should the haul truck checklist be different from the light vehicle one?
Yes. A truck needs hoist, body-up restraint, retarder, access, fire suppression and large tyre checks that a light vehicle form lacks. Build each form from the manufacturer’s checks and your risk assessment.