How to Fill Out the California CHP 108 Truck and Tractor Inspection

To fill out the CHP 108, enter the carrier and vehicle information in the header, work down the 40 numbered inspection items and check either “OK” or “DEF” for each one in the current month’s column, write in the inspection date, and have the authorized representative sign the “Signatures of Inspectors” block at the bottom. One form covers one truck or tractor for a full calendar year, with a column for each month. You can download the four-page PDF free from the California Highway Patrol website, and the form itself notes that carriers may reproduce it privately since bulk supplies are not available from CHP.1California Highway Patrol. CHP 108 Truck and Tractor Maintenance and Safety Inspection Form

California accepts computer-generated versions in place of the paper form, as long as the printout captures every required data point.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34505.5 – Section (d)

The Header Fields

The top of the form identifies the vehicle and the carrier responsible for it. Fill in each field exactly:

  • Carrier Name: the motor carrier’s legal business name. This ties the record to the entity that holds the California Carrier Permit.
  • Unit Number: your internal fleet number for the truck or tractor.
  • Year and Make: the vehicle’s model year and manufacturer.
  • License Number: the California license plate number assigned to the vehicle.
  • Mileage: the odometer reading at the time of inspection.

Accuracy here matters more than it looks. During a Basic Inspection of Terminals audit, CHP officers match these records against the actual vehicles in your fleet.3California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34501.12 A transposed digit in the license number or a unit number that does not match your fleet roster makes the form untraceable to a specific vehicle, and a form that cannot be tied to a truck effectively does not exist for compliance purposes.

If the vehicle is leased, the carrier operating it fills in its own name as the carrier, not the leasing company’s. California’s recordkeeping regulations also require you to include the name of the lessor or contractor furnishing the vehicle in your maintenance files.4Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Tit. 13, 1234 – Required Records for Motor Carriers

Marking the 40 Inspection Items

The body of the CHP 108 lists 40 numbered inspection items covering the major mechanical systems of a truck or tractor. Each item has two check boxes: “OK” and “DEF” (defective).1California Highway Patrol. CHP 108 Truck and Tractor Maintenance and Safety Inspection Form There is no “adjusted” or “repaired” column. You mark the component’s condition at the time of inspection as either acceptable or defective, and nothing else.

The 40 items span the vehicle’s major systems. Representative groupings include:

  • Brakes: hydraulic brake system adjustment and condition, air brake system adjustment and components, brake release after complete loss of service air, parking brake hold, and the one-minute air or vacuum loss test.
  • Steering and suspension: steering system mounting and free lash, steering arms, drag links and tie rod ends, suspension springs, shackles, U-bolts, and torque rods.
  • Tires and wheels: tread depth, inflation, tire condition, wheel and lug nut cracks or looseness.
  • Connecting devices: fifth wheel, pintle hitch, and safety devices.
  • Drivetrain: transmission and differential mounting and leaks, drive shaft and universal joints, clutch adjustment and free play.
  • Electrical and lighting: wiring condition, all lights, signals, reflectors, mudflaps, starting and charging system, batteries.
  • Engine and exhaust: engine mounting, exhaust system and manifold leaks, radiator and coolant, belts, fuel system, air filter.
  • Safety equipment: fire extinguisher, reflective warning devices, horn, defroster, mirrors, windshield wipers, and warning gauges for air, oil, temperature, and vacuum.

Items on the form marked with an asterisk correspond to the five minimum inspection categories required by Vehicle Code Section 34505.5: brake adjustment, brake system components and leaks, steering and suspension, tires and wheels, and vehicle connecting devices.5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34505.5 The remaining items go beyond the statutory floor but are standard practice for a thorough preventive-maintenance program, and CHP officers reviewing your maintenance program during a BIT audit look at the whole picture.

Date and Signature for the Month

The form is laid out with columns for each calendar month, January through December, so a single CHP 108 can cover an entire year of inspections for one vehicle. Each monthly column has a space for the inspection date and the corresponding OK/DEF marks across all 40 items. At the bottom, a “Signatures of Inspectors” section captures the name of the person who performed each monthly check.1California Highway Patrol. CHP 108 Truck and Tractor Maintenance and Safety Inspection Form

You need to fill in at least four columns per year to meet the 90-day cycle required by CVC 34505.5, though many carriers inspect monthly and fill in all twelve. Vehicles sitting out of service for more than 90 days do not need to keep to the 90-day schedule, but they must be inspected before they go back on the road.5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34505.5

The signature is not optional filler. It is the authorized representative’s attestation that the inspection happened and all listed defects were corrected. A CHP 108 without a signature is just a worksheet, and auditors treat forms with blank signature lines as incomplete.

What to Do When You Mark DEF

When an inspector marks “DEF” on any item, that vehicle cannot be driven on public roads, except to a repair facility, until every defect has been corrected and the carrier’s authorized representative signs off on the repairs.6California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34505.5 – Section (b)

The CHP 108 itself has no dedicated column for repair notes. Document the corrective work on a separate repair order and keep it alongside the inspection form. CVC 34505.5 requires each record to include the “date and nature of each inspection and any repair performed,” so your repair documentation needs to be specific enough to show what was wrong and what was done about it.

A DEF mark with no matching repair record raises an obvious question during an audit: did the vehicle go back on the road with a known defect? CHP auditors look for a clear paper trail connecting the deficiency to a completed repair before the truck’s next trip.

Where the Form Goes After You Fill It Out

Completed CHP 108 forms stay at your terminal. You do not mail them to CHP or any other agency. Vehicle Code Section 34505.5 requires you to keep these 90-day inspection records for two years and make them available on request to any authorized CHP employee.7California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34505.5 – Section (c) Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 1234, separately requires carriers to retain general inspection, maintenance, lubrication, and repair records for at least one year.4Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Tit. 13, 1234 – Required Records for Motor Carriers The two-year window from CVC 34505.5 is the controlling requirement for the 90-day inspections documented on the CHP 108.

Interstate vehicles that are not physically based in California do not need to keep their 90-day inspection records in the state. Those vehicles are still subject to CHP inspection when they are present in California, and if the inspection reveals maintenance problems, CHP can require the carrier to produce records within 10 working days.8California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34505.5 – Section (e)

Computer-generated printouts are accepted in place of signed paper forms as long as they include the vehicle identification and the date and nature of each inspection and repair.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34505.5 – Section (d)

Mistakes That Sink an Otherwise Good Form

A form that is technically filled out can still fail an audit for small reasons. The common ones:

  • Missing signatures. The authorized representative’s signature is what certifies the inspection happened and defects were addressed.
  • Gaps in the 90-day cycle. If your last inspection was in January and the next one is in June, that is a gap. Vehicles out of service for over 90 days are the exception, but you need evidence the truck was parked.
  • DEF marks with no repair documentation. Keep the repair order physically attached to or filed directly alongside the CHP 108.
  • Wrong vehicle identification. A transposed digit in the license number, or a unit number that does not match your fleet roster, makes the form untraceable.
  • Confusing retention periods. Some carriers throw away CHP 108 forms after one year because they mix up the 13 CCR 1234 general record requirement with the two-year requirement under CVC 34505.5. Keep 90-day inspection records for the full two years.

A clean, complete, correctly identified, signed CHP 108, with repair records attached whenever something was marked DEF, is what the form is supposed to look like when it leaves your desk.