The pre-shift inspection is one of the shortest requirements in the powered industrial truck standard and one of the most frequently cited, usually because the sheet exists and the practice doesn't.
Frequency. Industrial trucks must be examined before being placed in service and must not be placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting the safety of the vehicle; the examination must be made at least daily, and where trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis, after each shift (29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)).
Consequence. If at any time a powered industrial truck is found to be in need of repair, defective, or in any way unsafe, it must be taken out of service until it has been restored to safe operating condition (29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1)). "Any time" is broader than the inspection: a horn that quits at 2 p.m. parks the truck at 2 p.m.
Related duties. Repairs are made only by authorized personnel (29 CFR 1910.178(q)(1)), and the operator training rule separately requires an evaluation of each operator at least once every three years (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii)) with refresher training after unsafe operation, an accident or near-miss, or a change in equipment or conditions (1910.178(l)(4)(ii)).
The standard does not require a written checklist. Almost every employer uses one, because "we looked at it" is a difficult sentence to prove on the day it matters.