Three brand-new day cabs just rolled off the carrier and the dealer wants your signature on the delivery sheet. Sign it, and anything you miss — a cracked mirror housing, the wrong rear-axle ratio, a missing wet kit — quietly becomes your problem on your dime. Pre-delivery inspection software turns that signature into a documented decision: every new truck inspected, photographed, and checked against the spec before you accept it. Book a demo to see the acceptance inspection
Inspect it before you sign for it — not after the warranty clock starts
A structured PDI with photo proof catches factory defects, delivery damage, and wrong-spec trucks while the dealer is still responsible, not you.
Why the new-truck handover is the riskiest signature you'll make
You trust a new truck is perfect because it's new. It usually isn't. Trucks ship with factory misses, pick up damage on the transport carrier, and sometimes arrive built to the wrong spec entirely. The moment you sign the delivery receipt without a documented pre-delivery inspection, the burden of proof flips to you — and "it was like that when it arrived" is a hard thing to argue three weeks later with no photos.
Factory defects
Fluid leaks, loose fittings, electrical faults, paint and trim issues that left the plant unflagged.
Delivery damage
Chips, scrapes, cracked glass or mirrors, and dings picked up on the transport carrier or the lot.
Missing options
Ordered equipment that isn't on the truck — wet kit, inverter, APU, aero package, extra fuel tank.
Wrong spec build
Incorrect axle ratio, engine rating, transmission, or GVWR that won't do the job you bought it for.
Each of these is cheap to fix when it's the dealer's problem at handover and expensive when it's yours after the ink dries. A photo-stamped PDI record is what keeps it the dealer's problem. Start free and build a PDI template for your spec
Accept, fix-first, or reject — decided on evidence
A pre-delivery inspection isn't a formality you rush through to get the keys. It's a three-way decision, and the documentation behind it is your leverage. HVI structures the handover so every unit lands in one of three clear outcomes, each backed by a signed, photographed record.
Spec matches the order, no defects found. Baseline condition recorded and the truck enters service clean.
Minor defect logged with a photo. Dealer corrects it before you pay, tracked to completion.
Wrong spec or major damage. Documented and sent back — the evidence makes the case for you.
Without a record, every delivery defaults to "accept" because you have nothing to push back with. With one, you choose the outcome and the dealer sees you have the proof. Book a demo to see the accept/reject workflow
The new-truck pre-delivery inspection checklist HVI loads by default
A good PDI walks the whole truck against the purchase order — not just a quick look for dents. This is the checklist HVI ships ready to run, signed on the phone at the dealer lot before you take the keys, with a photo attached to every flagged item.
Spec vs. order
- VIN matches purchase paperwork
- Engine make, model & rating
- Transmission type & ratio
- Front & rear axle ratings / ratio
- GVWR & wheelbase correct
- Ordered options all present
- Paint, decals & trim as spec'd
Condition & damage
- Body panels — chips, dents, scrapes
- Glass, mirrors & lights intact
- Tires — matched, correct, no damage
- Interior, seats & dash condition
- Undercarriage & frame clean
- No fluid leaks under the unit
- Delivery mileage recorded
Function test
- Engine start, idle & warning lights
- Brakes & air system build-up
- All lights, signals & wipers
- HVAC, gauges & electronics
- Fifth wheel / PTO operation
- Fluid levels & DEF filled
- Documents, keys & manuals present
Every item checked against the order, every defect photographed, the whole PDI signed and dated before handover. The record is your baseline and your leverage. Start free — the PDI checklist is loaded on day one
Who eats the cost: signed blind vs. signed documented
The difference between a thorough PDI and a quick glance isn't the fifteen minutes it takes — it's who pays when something's wrong. A documented inspection keeps the dealer and OEM on the hook for what they shipped. A blind signature moves every one of those costs onto your maintenance budget.
Signed blind
- Defect found later — your repair bill
- No photo to prove it arrived that way
- Wrong spec discovered in service
- Warranty disputes with no baseline
- Downtime on a truck you just paid for
Signed documented
- Defect caught at handover — dealer fixes
- Dated photo proves delivery condition
- Wrong spec rejected before you pay
- Clean baseline backs every warranty claim
- Truck enters service verified and clean
According to industry guidance on fleet acquisition, acceptance inspections are one of the simplest ways to protect against defect and warranty disputes — because the party with the dated record controls the conversation. HVI makes that record automatic on every delivery. Book a demo to see delivery defects documented in seconds
From a fleet acquisition manager
We took ten new tractors in a batch once and waved them through because they were new — who inspects a brand-new truck? Two months later one of them turned out to be built with the wrong rear ratio, pulling fuel economy numbers that made no sense. By then it was ours. The dealer's position was basically, you signed for it.
Now nobody signs a delivery sheet without the PDI done on the app, photos and all, matched line by line against the build order. We've caught two wrong-spec builds and a shipping-damaged fairing since, all fixed on the dealer's dime because we had it dated and documented before handover.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pre-delivery inspection for a new truck?
It's a structured inspection done at handover that checks a new truck's condition, function, and spec against the purchase order before you accept it, documenting any defect with photos while the dealer is still responsible.
Can HVI check a new truck against its build spec?
Yes. The PDI template verifies VIN, engine, transmission, axle ratios, GVWR, and ordered options against the purchase order, so a wrong-spec build is caught before you sign for it.
Does HVI document delivery damage with photos?
Yes. Every flagged defect gets a dated photo on the inspection record, giving you proof of the truck's condition at handover to back a fix-first or reject decision.
What happens to a defect found during the PDI?
You can mark the unit accept, fix-first, or reject. A fix-first defect opens a work order tracked to completion, so the correction is documented rather than forgotten after handover.
How quickly can I set up pre-delivery inspections?
Most fleets run their first PDI within a day or two of signup. Building a template matched to your standard spec and rolling it to your team typically takes under two weeks.
Never accept a new truck you haven't documented
Spec check, condition, function test, and photo proof — signed at the lot before you take the keys, so every delivery defect stays the dealer's to fix.
No credit card · No hardware install · PDI template from day one
- Spec-vs-order verification
- Photo-documented defects
- Accept / fix-first / reject
- Fix-first opens a work order
- Baseline condition on record
