Free preventive maintenance checklist
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A preventive maintenance checklist is a scheduled service form used by technicians to inspect, service and document equipment at planned intervals, such as every 250 hours or monthly. This page explains what to include in a preventive maintenance (PM) checklist, how to use it, and offers a free PDF-ready template you can download and use straight away. No sign-up required.
Last updated: 2026-02-20 · MapTrack
Commercial Director
How to use: Fill asset and service details → mark Done ✓ / Action / N/A for each task → note parts used → record any outstanding actions → sign and date → save as PDF (Print → Save as PDF in your browser).
- ✓ PDF-ready - 44 items across 2 pages (A4)
- ✓ Covers filters, fluids, lubrication, belts, hoses, electrical and safety
- ✓ Free to use with or without MapTrack
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Preview the template
See the first part of the checklist below. Enter your email above to download the full preventive maintenance checklist (PDF-ready, 2 pages).
What is a preventive maintenance checklist?
A preventive maintenance (PM) checklist is a structured list of service tasks a technician completes at scheduled intervals to keep equipment in reliable, safe and efficient operating condition. Unlike a daily pre-start check, which an operator completes before each use - a PM checklist is carried out as part of a planned maintenance programme at set hours or calendar intervals (for example, 250-hour service, monthly or annually).
The checklist covers the full scope of a service: filters and fluids, lubrication, belts and hoses, electrical systems, safety devices, structure and fasteners. Completed forms become the maintenance record for each asset - evidence that the service was done, what was found and what parts were used.
Benefits of preventive maintenance
- Fewer breakdowns and unplanned downtime - catching wear and deterioration before failure keeps equipment running and avoids costly emergency repairs.
- Longer asset life: regular servicing reduces cumulative wear and extends the usable life of plant and equipment.
- Lower total cost of ownership: a small, planned service cost is far less than an unplanned breakdown, tow or component replacement under pressure.
- Compliance and duty of care: documented maintenance demonstrates that equipment is maintained to manufacturer standards and applicable WHS obligations.
- Safer workplaces: serviced equipment with functioning safety systems reduces the risk of incidents and injuries on site.
- Accountability and consistency: a standardised checklist ensures nothing is skipped regardless of who completes the service.
- Audit-ready recordkeeping: a complete service history for each asset supports insurance, warranty, audit and resale requirements.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move from paper or static PDFs to digital PM forms in MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- 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.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
Book a demo to see digital PM schedules and forms in MapTrack.
What to include in a preventive maintenance checklist
Our free PM checklist template covers 44 items across two A4 pages:
- Asset and service details: asset ID, make/model, serial number, service type and interval, meter/hours at service, work order number, technician, date and next service due.
- Visual inspection and general condition - overall condition, leaks, safety decals, external damage, access points and operator area.
- Filters and fluids: engine oil and filter, fuel filter, air filter (primary and secondary), coolant, hydraulic oil and filter, transmission oil, differential and gearbox oil.
- Lubrication: all grease fittings, pivot pins and bushings, slew ring/turntable, drive chain and roller chain, bearings and linkage joints.
- Belts, hoses and drives: drive belts, hydraulic hoses, coolant hoses and clamps, fuel hoses, drive chain and sprockets, CV joints and driveshafts.
- Electrical and controls: battery, alternator/charging system, gauges and instruments, warning lights and alarms, lights, control levers and switches.
- Safety systems: fire extinguisher, emergency stop/kill switch, ROPS/FOPS/guards, seatbelt, reversing alarm and mirrors.
- Structure, fasteners and tyres: frame and chassis, mounting bolts and critical fasteners, pins and bushes, tyres, undercarriage/tracks and post-service tidy.
- Service result: Complete / Action Required / Hold.
- Actions and parts table: list any outstanding actions with parts used and completion details.
- Technician declaration and sign-off - technician and supervisor/manager signatures with date.
How to use the preventive maintenance checklist
- Complete all asset and service details at the top - asset ID, service type, meter/hours, technician and date.
- Work through each item systematically. Mark ✓ (Done/OK), A (Action required) or N/A for each task.
- Add notes in the Notes/Parts Used column for any item that needs explanation, parts used or follow-up action.
- Record all items marked A in the Actions Required table - include the item number, description, parts used and who resolved it.
- Mark the overall Service Result: Complete, Action Required or Hold (do not return to service).
- Sign and date the form. Have the supervisor or maintenance manager review and countersign before the asset returns to service.
- Save a copy: use Print → Save as PDF in your browser, then file it against the asset record.
In MapTrack, you can build this (or your own) PM checklist as a digital form completed on mobile. Results, photos and parts attach to each asset, work orders raise automatically for outstanding items, and service history builds over time with no filing required. Book a demo to see how.
Get the free template
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Back to download formHow often to complete preventive maintenance
PM frequency depends on the equipment type, manufacturer service schedule and operating conditions. Most plant and equipment follow hour-based or calendar-based intervals - whichever comes first:
- Daily / pre-shift: fluid levels, leaks, safety devices (covered by a separate pre-start checklist).
- Weekly or monthly: greasing, visual inspections, battery check.
- 250-hour or quarterly service: oil and filter change, air filter inspection, full lubrication, belt and hose check.
- 500-hour or six-monthly service: all 250-hour tasks plus hydraulic filter, transmission oil, coolant check, comprehensive safety system check.
- 1,000-hour or annual service: full overhaul scope including coolant flush, all filters, undercarriage inspection, structural and fastener check.
Always use the manufacturer's service manual as your primary reference and adapt intervals for heavy use, harsh conditions or high-criticality assets. In MapTrack, you can set automated reminders so PMs are never missed, triggered by meter hours, calendar date or both.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a preventive maintenance checklist and a pre-start checklist?
- A pre-start checklist is completed by the operator before each use or shift to confirm the equipment is safe and fit for operation that day. A preventive maintenance (PM) checklist is completed by a technician at scheduled service intervals, such as every 250 hours, monthly or annually to service, replace and inspect components as part of a planned maintenance programme. Both are important: pre-starts catch daily safety issues; PM checklists keep equipment reliable and extend its life.
- How often should preventive maintenance be completed?
- Frequency depends on the asset type, manufacturer recommendations and operating conditions. Common intervals include daily (engine oil check), weekly or monthly (visual and fluid checks), 250-hour or 500-hour service (oil changes, filter replacements, lubrication) and annual overhauls. Heavy-use or high-criticality equipment may need more frequent PMs. Always follow the manufacturer's service schedule as a baseline and adjust for site conditions.
- Can I use this checklist for any type of equipment?
- Yes. The template is designed to be generic and covers the most common PM tasks for plant and mobile equipment - excavators, loaders, generators, compressors, forklifts and more. Mark items N/A for anything that doesn't apply to your asset. You can also customise the form or build a digital version specific to each asset type in MapTrack.
- Is the template free to use without MapTrack?
- Yes. Download and use the preventive maintenance checklist for free. No MapTrack account required. Open the file and use your browser's Print → Save as PDF to keep a copy. If you later want digital PM schedules tied to each asset with work orders, parts tracking and automated reminders, we'd be happy to show you MapTrack.
Need digital PM schedules attached to each asset?
Build PM checklists in MapTrack by describing them to AI, uploading an existing form, or using a template. Service history, work orders and parts tracking all live on the asset record.
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