What is a vehicle pre-mobilization inspection?
Before a contractor's vehicles start work on an oil and gas site, the client inspects them against its own vehicle standard: documents, age and odometer limits, IVMS, seat belts, rollover protection on pickups, fire extinguisher and first aid kit, tires, brakes and lights. A vehicle that fails waits at the gate, and every day of waiting is a day of standby on the contract.
The pre-mobilization inspection is your own check before the client's. This template turns the client's list into a checklist you can run on the whole fleet, shows which vehicles are ready, and records what was fixed, so the client's inspector finds nothing new.
How to use the checklist
- Load the client's items: on Settings, edit the example items to match the client's checklist, set Required and Critical, and add their own items in the empty rows.
- Write the client's limits: maximum age, maximum odometer and minimum tread depth go in Client reference, next to the item.
- Inspect each vehicle: print the Word form for the yard, or fill the Checklist column directly. Mark every item Pass, Fail or N/A.
- Fix and re-inspect: the result shows which vehicles cannot go; fix the failed items and check again.
- Record acceptance: on Vehicles, enter the re-inspection date, the client's acceptance and the sticker or permit number.
What do the 44 items cover?
| Section | Examples |
|---|---|
| Documents and limits | Registration, insurance, periodic inspection, age and odometer within the contract limit |
| IVMS and tracking | Device reporting, driver identification, seatbelt signal, speed limits set, satellite tracker for remote areas |
| Occupant protection | Three-point belts on all seats, head restraints, airbags, rollover protection on pickups, load barrier |
| Safety equipment | Fire extinguisher, first aid kit, warning triangles, vests, chocks, reverse alarm |
| Lights, tires, brakes | Lights and mirrors, tread depth and damage, spare wheel, brake test, steering, leaks |
| Desert and off-road | Sand flag, four-wheel drive, recovery kit, tire gauge and compressor, drinking water |
How does the checklist decide the result?
Items not marked Required are recorded but do not change the result. Which items are critical is your client's decision: in the example, documents, IVMS, seat belts, rollover protection, fire extinguisher, tires, brakes and steering are critical.
Worked example: four vehicles before a new contract
- LV-101, a 2025 pickup, passes every required item: Ready. The client accepted it and issued sticker IVMS-2026-0412.
- LV-102, a 2023 pickup, has no rollover protective structure. The item is critical, so the result is Not ready: critical item; the structure is fitted and the vehicle is re-inspected on 29 October.
- HV-303, a truck, has an oil leak. The item is required but not critical: Not ready until the leak is fixed.
- BUS-201 has four tire items not yet checked: Incomplete, and the empty cells show in amber.
Common mistakes before a client inspection
- Checking against a generic list. Each client has its own items and limits; load theirs.
- IVMS fitted but not reporting. The client looks at the platform, not the box under the dashboard. Check the vehicle shows online with its driver.
- Forgetting the age limit runs on. A vehicle that passes today may age out next year; check the whole contract with the Contract Vehicle Compliance Checker.
- Expired extinguisher tags and first aid kits. Small items fail more vehicles than big ones.
- No record of the fix. Keep the re-inspection date and what was done; the client may ask.
Sources
- IOGP Report 365, Land transportation safety recommended practice, fourth edition (2020), with vehicle specifications by type of vehicle (section B.1): IOGP, 16 September 2020. Source: IOGP.
- OGP's recommendation that vehicles owned, leased or contracted for more than three months have IVMS installed: NIOSH and SPE paper 156535 (2012). Source: CDC Stacks. Last reviewed 21 October 2026.
What the template does not do
The items are common examples, not any client's official checklist, and the template does not know Aramco, ADNOC, PDO, QatarEnergy or KOC requirements. Your client's inspection decides acceptance. Driver documents and training are outside this checklist; use the Driver Onboarding & Compliance Pack for them. For a daily walk-around once the vehicle is working, use the Vehicle Inspection Checklist.