A checklist in EAM is called an inspection form. You build it once and reuse it on as many vehicles as you like.
There are two halves to this: the checks themselves, and what should happen when one of them fails. The second half is the part worth slowing down for.
Build the checklist
1. Open the list of forms
In EAM, go to Settings → Inspection Forms. This shows every checklist your organization has, and how many checks are on each one. Click Add Inspection Form to start a new one.
2. Give it a name people will recognise
Name it the way your team says it out loud — “Pre-Trip”, not “Form A”. This is the name drivers and mechanics pick from on their phone.
Description is optional and just for your own reference — it never shows up anywhere an inspector can see, so use it for internal context like which vehicles or shift the form is for. Color tags the form so you can tell it apart from others in your list of forms — it's cosmetic and doesn't change how the form behaves.
Usage decides how the checklist gets used. Leave it on Standalone for a checklist someone runs on its own, like a daily pre-trip. Choose Service Task only if it should run as a step inside a work order.
Integration Settings and Parts Settings apply to the whole form, so set them before you start adding checks. Turn on Record meter entry automatically to have EAM pull the reading straight from a connected Samsara device when the inspection is completed, instead of asking the inspector to enter one — only available when the form has no Meter Entry item. Turn on Enable Parts on Inspection to let inspectors log parts they used during the inspection itself, such as topping off a fluid or swapping a filter.
3. Add your checks
Click + Add Item once for each check. There are eleven kinds to choose from, and most checklists only need two or three of them.
The builder is split into two panes. Your items show as a list on the left; click any one of them to open its full settings on the right. Drag an item by its handle to reorder the list — that's the order inspectors see it in on their phone.
Every item has an Item Name — what the inspector sees for that check — and usually Instructions for Inspector, a short line shown underneath it. Turn on Required to stop the inspector from submitting the inspection until they've answered that item. Text is the one exception: it's not a check at all, just a heading or note for the inspector. The only things you set on a Text item are its size and what it says.
Kind of check | Use it when you want… |
Pass/Fail | A simple yes-or-no check. This is most of a typical checklist. |
Multi-select | Several related checks answered together, like all the exterior lights at once. |
Meter Entry | The odometer or hour reading. This updates the vehicle’s mileage. |
Number | A measurement, like tyre pressure. Set a pass range and anything outside it fails on its own. |
Dropdown | One answer from a list you write. Any option can be set to fail the check. |
Photo | A picture, every time. |
Free Text | A typed note. |
Signature | A sign-off you can print later. |
Date or Date & Time | A date recorded on the checklist. |
Text | Instructions for the person inspecting. Not a check — it just tells them something. |
You can add only one Meter Entry item per form — it's the check tied to the asset's maintenance schedule. If you'd rather not have inspectors type it in, turn on Record meter entry automatically under Integration Settings to pull it from Samsara instead. To just record a number without that validation or scheduling, use a Number or Free Text item in its place.
💡 Multi-select works a little differently. The first option is the “all clear” answer. Every option after it is a fault the person can report. If they tick one or more faults, those are grouped into a single Issue rather than one Issue per fault.
4. Save it
When your checks are in, click Create New Inspection Form.
Choose what happens when a check fails
Every check that can fail has a Fail Mode. This is where you decide how much noise a failure should make.
Fail Mode | What happens | When to use it |
Record only | Written on the record only. | Things you want a history of but do not need chased. |
Create issue | Opens an Issue against the vehicle. | Most faults. |
Urgent action required | Shows the inspector an urgent, dismissible warning right away, and opens an Issue just like Create issue does. | Anything that makes the vehicle unsafe. |
How important is it?
Issue Severity — Low, Medium or High — sets how the Issue is ranked when maintenance look at their list.
A rule of thumb: use High for faults that need attention soon but still leave the vehicle safe to drive. Use Urgent action required for brakes, steering and lights — the things that mean the vehicle should come off the road.
Two settings that save your team time
Issue Title — wording that appears in the Issue’s title, so maintenance know what it is without opening the inspection.
Making people show their work
Photo or comment required can be set separately for a pass and for a fail. The setup most organizations use is No for a pass and Yes for a fail, so people only have to explain themselves when something is wrong.
Changing a checklist later
💡 Editing a form creates a new version of it. Inspections already completed keep the version they were done against, so your old records stay accurate. People on the mobile apps pick up the new version the next time their app refreshes.
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