Pre & Post Hire Checklists: What to Check and Why
Why we run both, every hire
Every machine that leaves PSG is checked out, and checked back in, against a written checklist. That isn't paperwork for its own sake. The pre-hire check is your baseline: it records exactly what condition the machine left in, so there is never an argument about a scratch, a cracked mirror or a half tank of fuel. The post-hire check closes the loop, and it's what catches a slow hydraulic weep or a chewed pin before the next hirer inherits it.
If you're hiring, be part of both. Walk around with us at pickup (or photograph the machine on delivery), and do your own two-minute check at off-hire. It's the cheapest insurance in the industry.
Sample pre-hire checklist
This is the shape of what we run before a machine goes out. The detail varies by machine type, an excavator adds tracks, pins and attachments; a trailer adds lights, brakes and couplings.
| Area | What gets checked |
|---|---|
| Engine & fluids | Engine oil, coolant, hydraulic oil levels; leaks under the machine; fuel level recorded |
| Hours & ID | Hour meter reading recorded; serial/rego matches paperwork |
| Structure | Panels, glass, mirrors, guards; existing damage photographed and noted |
| Undercarriage / tyres | Track tension and wear, or tyre pressures and tread; wheel nuts |
| Attachments | Buckets, pins, hitches present and secure; quick hitch function |
| Safety systems | Seatbelt, ROPS, horn, lights, beacon, reverse alarm, fire extinguisher where fitted |
| Function test | Start, controls, brakes, slew and lift through full range |
Sample post-hire checklist
| Area | What gets checked |
|---|---|
| Condition vs baseline | Walk-around against the pre-hire record; any new damage noted with the hirer present |
| Fuel | Returned full, or refuelling charged at the rate in the terms |
| Hours | Meter read and compared for excess-hours billing on metered hires |
| Attachments & extras | Everything that left comes back: buckets, keys, chargers, remotes, load charts |
| Cleanliness | Reasonably clean; mud and concrete slurry noted before the next service |
| Service flags | Anything the hirer reports (or the check finds) tagged for the workshop before re-hire |
What it means for you as the hirer
Before you leave (or at delivery): sight the checklist, photograph the machine on your phone, all four sides plus the hour meter, and say so if you spot anything the check missed. At off-hire: fuel it, hose the worst off, and be there for the return check if you can. Disputes about hire damage are almost always disputes about missing baselines, and the checklist is the baseline.
Want a copy of the relevant checklist for your machine before you book? Ask, we'll email it with your booking confirmation. Machines are serviced between every hire either way, the checklist is how nothing slips through.