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Annual Vehicle Safety Review

One scheduled review each year, before the busy season, catches problems that daily use hides. It also gives the whole farm a chance to talk about safety.

Why do an annual review?

Wear builds slowly. A brake that is slightly worse each week feels normal until it fails, and a worn hitch pin or cracked hose can look harmless for months. A yearly review looks at each machine with fresh eyes.

It also builds a habit. When a review is on the calendar, safety stops being something done only after an accident or a close call.

Treat the review as a team activity. People who help look at a machine learn what normal looks like, and they notice changes sooner during the year.

When and how should you schedule it?

Pick a time before planting or harvest, when machines are not needed daily. Block out time, assign each vehicle to a person who knows it, and keep a written checklist. Involve a mechanic or dealer for work you cannot do yourself.

Use the manufacturer's manual as the main guide for each machine, and keep manuals where people can find them.

• Late winter or early spring before planting
• Late summer before harvest
• After any major repair or accident
• Assign each machine to a person who knows it
• Keep the manual with the machine
• Use a written checklist and sign it off

What should you inspect on each vehicle?

Look at brakes, steering, tires, lights, reflectors, slow-moving-vehicle emblems, mirrors, hitches, safety chains, guards and shields, seat belts and rollover protection where fitted. Look for leaks, cracks and worn parts.

Specifications such as pressures and ratings come from the manual and a qualified mechanic. I will not state them here. Fix or tag out anything unsafe, and do not use it until it is repaired.

Use a tag or a clear sign to mark any machine that is out of service, and take the key out so no one uses it by mistake.

• Brakes, steering and tires
• Lights, reflectors and slow-moving-vehicle emblems
• Hitches, pins, chains and guards
• Seat belts and rollover protection where fitted

What about trailers, wagons and attachments?

Check hitches and pins, tongues, axles, wheel bearings, lights and brakes, and the condition of floors and sides. Look for worn or missing guards and shields on any powered equipment.

Make sure that trailers are matched to the tow vehicle in capacity, as the manufacturers specify. Keep chocks, safety chains and warning devices with each trailer.

If a trailer or wagon is rarely used, still check it, because tires dry out, bearings seize and lights fail while equipment sits.

• Check hitch pins, tongues and axles
• Check wheel bearings, lights and brakes
• Match each trailer to its tow vehicle as the maker specifies

What about the drivers?

Review who drives what. Check licenses where required, training and experience, and confirm that young or new workers have been properly shown the machine. Child labor and youth driving rules vary by state, so confirm them with the U.S. Department of Labor and your state agency.

Talk about fatigue, distraction, alcohol and medicines, and agree on rules. Ask each driver what worries them about the machines.

• Confirm training for new and young workers
• Check licenses where required
• Review rules about fatigue and distraction

What about emergency readiness?

Check fire extinguishers, first aid kits, flashlights, phones and radios, and the contact list in each vehicle. Update farm address information and practice calling 911 and giving your location.

Look at your breakdown plan and your fire plan, and review them with everyone. Ask your local fire department to visit if they offer it.

Test lights, horns and backup alarms while someone watches, and replace anything that does not work.

How do you record and follow up?

Write down what you found, what you fixed and what needs a professional. Set dates for repairs, and check that they are done. Keep records with the equipment files.

After the review, talk with the team about one change you will make this year. A short list of actions that people actually complete is better than a long list nobody follows.

Keep a single folder, paper or digital, with every review so that you can see patterns and plan major repairs ahead of time.

• List what needs a professional
• Set repair dates and confirm they are done

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.