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Free vehicle damage report

Download a free vehicle damage report. Record damage location, severity, cause and repair needs for fleet vehicles. PDF ready to print.

Updated 3 May 2026

Fleet Vehicle Damage Report

Vehicle damage assessment and documentation

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0 of 24 checks

Damage Description

1Location of damage on vehicle clearly identified
2Type of damage described (dent, scratch, crack, etc.)
3Approximate size and severity of damage documented
4Structural integrity assessed (cosmetic vs structural)
5Vehicle safe to drive in current condition

Photographic Evidence

6Close-up photos of damage taken
7Wide-angle photos showing damage location on vehicle
8Photos include date and time metadata
9Photos uploaded to fleet management system

Cause Assessment

10Cause of damage identified or investigated
11Driver responsible identified (if applicable)
12Third party involvement assessed
13GPS or telematics data reviewed for incident time
14Environmental factors considered (weather, road debris)

Repair Requirements

15Repair quote obtained from approved repairer
16Parts availability confirmed for repair
17Expected repair timeframe documented
18Replacement vehicle arranged if needed
19Repair booking confirmed with repairer

Authorisation

20Fleet manager notified of damage
21Insurance claim lodged (if above excess threshold)
22Repair expenditure approved by authorised person
23Purchase order raised for repair works
24Cost allocation assigned to correct department

Reporter Sign-off

Signature

Print name

Date

Fleet Manager Authorisation

Signature

Print name

Date

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These templates are free general guides provided as-is. They do not constitute legal, safety or compliance advice. You are responsible for ensuring any form meets your specific workplace obligations, industry standards and applicable regulations.

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Jarrod Milford

Jarrod Milford

Co-Founder & Commercial Director

Updated 3 May 2026
Also see:GPS and fleet tracking →Best fleet management software (AU) →MapTrack vs Fleetio →

Short answer

A vehicle damage report records new or unrecorded damage on a fleet vehicle: vehicle details, location marked on a diagram, damage type and severity, suspected cause, photos and repair action. Drivers or fleet staff complete it whenever damage is found, at pre-start, handover, wash, service or after an incident. Section 89 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law bars using an unsafe heavy vehicle on a road.

Checked against Model WHS Act (Model WHS Bill as at 5 December 2025 (includes the Model WHS Legislation Amendment (Incident Notification) 2025)) on by the MapTrack templates team. How we check templates

Key takeaways

  • The MapTrack vehicle damage report contains 24 checks across 5 sections. Sections covered: Damage Description, Photographic Evidence, Cause Assessment, Repair Requirements, Authorisation.
  • Records what happened, where on the vehicle, and the conditions, with photos, close enough to identify the damage again a month later.
  • A damage report records the state of the vehicle. An accident report records an incident with people involved. Keeping them separate keeps both usable.
  • Report cosmetic damage too. Small unrecorded damage accumulates until nobody can say which hire, driver or site caused what.
  • Photograph all four corners plus the damage close-up, with the registration or asset tag in frame, so the record is tied to the vehicle.

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Used by construction, mining and field service teams

Saunders InternationalMineral ResourcesSupagasHacer GroupMetro TunnelUltrabuilt

What is a vehicle damage report?

A vehicle damage report is a document used to record any damage found on a fleet vehicle, whether discovered during a pre-start inspection, handover, wash, service or after an incident. The report captures the vehicle details, damage location (using a vehicle diagram), damage type and severity, suspected cause, photographs and the recommended repair action. Fleet managers use damage reports to track repair costs, manage insurance claims and identify patterns of recurring damage.

Damage reporting is distinct from accident reporting. An accident report covers the full circumstances of a collision, while a damage report focuses on documenting the damage itself regardless of when or how it was discovered. Many instances of fleet vehicle damage are discovered without a known incident, for example, a dent found in a car park or a scratch noticed during a wash. Prompt and detailed damage reporting ensures that repairs are scheduled before the damage worsens, insurance claims are supported with contemporaneous documentation, and accountability is maintained across drivers and shifts.

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Benefits of using this vehicle damage report

  • Timely repairs: documenting damage when discovered ensures it enters the repair queue rather than going unreported.
  • Insurance support: a detailed damage report with photographs and a vehicle diagram supports insurance claims.
  • Cost tracking: recording repair costs by damage type and location helps fleet managers understand damage patterns and total repair spend.
  • Accountability: linking damage to the driver on record at the time of discovery helps attribute responsibility.
  • Trend analysis: tracking damage frequency by vehicle, location and cause reveals patterns that can be addressed with training or operational changes.
  • Resale value: a complete damage and repair history supports accurate residual value assessments at end of lease or disposal.

Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack

When you move your reports from paper to MapTrack, you get:

  • Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
  • Email the right people when a form is submitted, with an automation you set up.
  • File every completed form against the asset, location or person it covers.
  • Download any completed form as a PDF, with failed answers listed at the top.
  • Fill in forms offline; they upload when the device is back online.
  • Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
  • Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
  • Electronic signatures.
  • Edit forms later without reprinting.
  • Set who can view, fill in or edit forms with user roles.
  • Upload a paper form (PDF, Word, Excel or a photo) and MapTrack's AI builds a digital version for you to check.
  • Schedule services by odometer, engine hours or date for every vehicle.
  • Keep fuel receipts and service records with each vehicle's inspections.
  • Record repair costs on each work order against the vehicle.

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Intuitive for field crews

“MapTrack's a great platform - intuitive for the guys out in the field and also has fantastic support.”
Supagas

Matthew Anderson

Maintenance Planning Supervisor, Supagas

What to include in a vehicle damage report

This vehicle damage report covers 10 key areas:

  • Vehicle details: registration, fleet number, make/model, colour, odometer, assigned driver.
  • Discovery details: date and time damage was found, discovered by (name), circumstances of discovery (pre-start, handover, wash, incident).
  • Damage location: vehicle diagram (front, rear, left, right, top) with marked damage areas.
  • Damage description: type (dent, scratch, crack, gouge, broken), size, severity (cosmetic/minor/moderate/major/structural).
  • Suspected cause: known incident, car park damage, road debris, vandalism, unknown.
  • Photographs: spaces for attaching or referencing photographs of the damage.
  • Repair recommendation: cosmetic repair, panel repair, panel replacement, mechanical repair, windscreen replacement.
  • Estimated cost: initial estimate for repair, to be confirmed by repairer.
  • Insurance: claim to be lodged (yes/no), excess amount, insurance reference number.
  • Signatures: person reporting, driver assigned at time, fleet manager.

How to use this vehicle damage report

  1. Identify and document the damage as soon as it is discovered.: Do not wait until the end of the day or week. Complete the damage report immediately, while the details are fresh. Note the date, time, your name and the circumstances under which the damage was discovered.
  2. Mark the damage location on the vehicle diagram and describe the damage in detail.: Use the vehicle outline to mark exactly where the damage is located. Describe the type of damage (dent, scratch, crack), approximate size and severity. Note whether the damage is cosmetic only or affects structural integrity or vehicle operation.
  3. Take photographs from multiple angles.: Photograph the damage close up and from a wider angle to show context. Include a reference object (such as a coin) for scale if the damage is small. Take at least three photographs per damage area. Attach or reference the photos in the report.
  4. Record the suspected cause and any known circumstances.: If the cause is known (for example, reversed into a bollard), describe what happened. If the cause is unknown, state that. Note the driver who was last assigned to the vehicle and whether they were aware of the damage.
  5. Submit the report to the fleet manager for repair scheduling and insurance assessment.: The fleet manager reviews the report, obtains a repair quote, decides whether to lodge an insurance claim and schedules the repair. File the completed report with the vehicle record. Retain damage reports for at least five years for insurance and disposal purposes.

In MapTrack, you can track your fleet with GPS and digital pre-starts. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.

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How often should you complete this report?

A vehicle damage report should be completed every time new or previously unrecorded damage is discovered on a fleet vehicle. This may happen during pre-start inspections, vehicle handovers, scheduled washes, services or ad hoc observations. There is no scheduled interval. The trigger is the discovery of damage.

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Frequently asked questions

An accident report documents the full circumstances of a vehicle collision or incident, including third parties, witnesses, insurance details and a driver statement. A damage report focuses specifically on documenting the physical damage found on a vehicle, regardless of when or how it was caused. Many instances of damage are discovered without a known incident. Both reports may be completed for the same event if an accident results in damage.

Yes. All damage should be reported, regardless of severity. Minor cosmetic damage that goes unreported can worsen over time, for example, a small paint chip can lead to rust. Unreported damage also creates confusion at vehicle handover or disposal. Consistent reporting of all damage, no matter how minor, maintains vehicle records and supports insurance and resale value.

Take at least three photographs per damage area: one close-up showing detail, one from a metre away for context, and one from further back showing the damage location on the vehicle. Include a reference object like a coin for scale. Ensure photos are clear, well-lit and in focus. Date-stamp the photos if your camera allows it.

Yes. This vehicle damage report template is completely free to download and use. Enter your email on this page and it downloads as a ready-to-print PDF. Keep printed copies in the fleet office and in each vehicle glove box. No MapTrack account is required.

Vehicle damage reports should be retained for at least five years from the date the damage was recorded to support insurance claims, third-party recovery and resale disputes. Where the damage relates to a notifiable WHS incident, section 38(7) of the WHS Act requires a record of the incident to be kept for at least five years from the day notice was given to the regulator. When the vehicle leaves the fleet through sale, trade-in or end of lease, the consolidated damage and repair history should transfer with the asset file so the next owner or lessor has accurate condition evidence at point of handover. Retain the original damage records for at least three years after the asset is disposed of.

Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, every party in the chain has a primary duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of its transport activities, and the NHVR adds that executives must exercise due diligence to see that the business complies. Damage found and left unrepaired is a safety matter, and a completed damage report is the evidence that it was found, assessed and acted on rather than driven around. For light vehicles the same logic runs through the WHS Act's primary duty of care. Either way, the report's value is that it dates the discovery and names who was told.

It fixes the facts while they are fresh and ties them to the claim. This form records the registration, the date the damage was discovered, where the vehicle was and who reported it, then carries the insurance claim number and an estimated repair cost, so the report and the claim can be matched months later. Keep the photographs with it and have a supervisor countersign it, so the account has been reviewed by someone other than the person involved. Where another party is involved, record their details and their version separately rather than asking them to sign anything that reads as an admission.

Not if the damage could affect how it drives, until someone other than the driver has cleared it. Damage to lights, glass, tyres, mirrors, or anything touching steering or braking, is a safety question rather than a cosmetic one, and for a heavy vehicle the Chain of Responsibility primary duty covers that decision. Complete the report on the shift the damage is found, photograph first, and hand it to the supervisor who decides whether the vehicle is repaired, taken off the road, or noted and monitored. If the damage was found at a pre-start, both records should carry the same date and registration.

Applicable regulatory standards

This template is a starting point. Check the current requirements that apply to your equipment, work and location. The template alone does not establish compliance.

  • Model Work Health and Safety Act (Model Work Health and Safety Bill)

    Edition: Model WHS Bill as at 5 December 2025 (includes the Model WHS Legislation Amendment (Incident Notification) 2025)

    The primary duty of care; where damage comes from a notifiable incident, the notice record is kept for at least 5 years.

    • s 19: Primary duty of care: a PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others, including safe plant, systems, training and supervision.
    • s 38(7): A PCBU must keep a record of each notifiable incident for at least 5 years from the day notice of it was given to the regulator.

    Safe Work Australia (drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel's Committee)

  • Heavy Vehicle National Law (Queensland)

    Edition: Current as at 1 August 2026, incorporating the Heavy Vehicle National Law Amendment Act 2025 (Queensland)

    For heavy vehicles (GVM or ATM over 4.5 t, or a combination with one): the Chain of Responsibility primary duty and the unsafe vehicle ban.

    • s 26C: Primary duty: each party in the chain must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of its transport activities.
    • s 89: Safety requirement: a person must not use, or permit to be used, on a road a heavy vehicle that is unsafe.

    Queensland Government (Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel), administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

  • Chain of Responsibility (CoR)

    Edition: NHVR web guidance current at check date

    NHVR guidance on the Chain of Responsibility duties.

    National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Each source was read at its publisher and the page checked on 26 October 2026. The publisher's current text is the authority.

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Vehicle damage report preview

Vehicle damage report template preview showing fields and layout

The numbers behind this vehicle damage report

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<div style="max-width:480px;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,'Segoe UI',Roboto,sans-serif;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:12px;padding:20px;background:#ffffff;">
  <p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#071D49;margin:0;">Free template</p>
  <p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">Vehicle damage report</p>
  <ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Vehicle details: registration, fleet number, make/model, colour, odometer, assigned driver.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Discovery details: date and time damage was found, discovered by (name), circumstances of discovery (pre-start, handover, wash, incident).</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Damage location: vehicle diagram (front, rear, left, right, top) with marked damage areas.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Damage description: type (dent, scratch, crack, gouge, broken), size, severity (cosmetic/minor/moderate/major/structural).</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Suspected cause: known incident, car park damage, road debris, vandalism, unknown.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Photographs: spaces for attaching or referencing photographs of the damage.</li>
  </ul>
  <p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/fleet-vehicle-damage-report" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">Vehicle damage report</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>

Free to reuse, including commercially. This template is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Copy it, adapt it, put it on your own site or in your own docs. All we ask is that you credit MapTrack with a link back to this page. The snippet above already includes that credit, so if you use it as-is you’re covered.

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Writing about this topic? You’re welcome to quote this checklist. Here’s the wording to use so your readers can find the original.

The MapTrack vehicle damage report contains 24 checks across 5 sections.

Short attribution
MapTrack Vehicle damage report, https://www.maptrack.com/templates/fleet-vehicle-damage-report
Reference list
MapTrack. (2026). Vehicle damage report [Checklist template]. Retrieved from https://www.maptrack.com/templates/fleet-vehicle-damage-report

Free to reuse with credit under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. If you’d rather link straight to it, the page is https://www.maptrack.com/templates/fleet-vehicle-damage-report.

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