What This Checklist Is For

I work in quality compliance for a mid-size industrial operation in the Midwest. That means I'm the last person between the delivery truck and our production floor—crushers, screens, asphalt plants, whatever's on the schedule that month.

In 2024, I reviewed 217 individual equipment deliveries. We rejected about 12% on first pass. Not because the machines were bad—most weren't. But the specs were off, the documentation was missing, or someone skipped a check that seemed small at the time.

Here's the checklist I use. It works for anything heavy—jaw crushers, screens, asphalt plants, even the roof coating rigs. Whether it's an Astec unit or another brand, the principles don't change much.

Step 1: Start With the Paperwork

This is the step most people want to skip. Don't.

Before you walk the lot, pull these:

  • Bill of materials with serial numbers
  • Manufacturer test reports (including the Astec testing documentation if applicable)
  • Material certificates for critical components
  • Lifting and safety inspection certificates, with dates

The check: do the serials match? Are the test dates within the last 90 days? I once accepted a delivery because the plant manager told me "the documentation's in the mail." It never came. We spent six weeks chasing down a missing load test. That one still stings a little.

Checkpoint: If the file isn't complete, don't unload. You lose leverage once it's on your floor.

Step 2: Walk the Structure

Walk the frame. Look at the welds. Look at the bolt pattern.

Surface rust on a painted panel is one thing—cosmetic, usually easy to fix. Cracking at a weld toe is another. If you can catch a fingernail in it, that's a reject. Doesn't matter what the paint looks like on top.

On asphalt plant components specifically, check the protective jacket on the dryer drum—what some of the crew calls the "Eddie jacket." It's a ceramic-liner heat shield, and it's easy to crack during transit. Tap it with a rubber mallet. A hollow sound with no visible damage is fine. A dull thud usually means moisture got behind it and the insulation is compromised. Replace it before you run the drum, not after. (Learned that one the hard way, but that's a story for another time.)

Two things most people skip here:

  1. Bolt torque marks. If the paint marks are missing, nobody checked the torque after assembly.
  2. Alignment on conveyor sections. A 5mm offset at the delivery end compounds into a tracking mess within weeks.

Step 3: Check the Tires (or Tracks)

Tires are the easiest thing to check and the easiest thing to overlook. Pressure, tread depth, sidewall condition. A simple tread gauge takes 30 seconds per tire. Sidewall bubbling is an automatic reject—it's internal separation, and it won't get better.

On tracked units, check tension and shoe wear. The correct tension is in the manual, and it varies by model. We keep a laminated cheat sheet on the wall for each unit we run. Saves us a phone call every time.

Don't skip the axle seals either. A leaking seal on a new delivery usually means bearing damage somewhere behind it. You won't see the bearing, but you'll see the oil streak on the inner rim (unfortunately, usually the same color as the grease they use on the fittings—check both).

Step 4: Look at the Hydraulics and Electrical

Open the panel. Look at the hose routing. If it looks like someone just wanted to get it done, that's a red flag—not about the hose, but about what else got rushed.

Check the oil fill level and color. New machines ship with oil, and it should be clear amber. Cloudy or dark fluid means contamination somewhere in the line.

A specific thing I always check: grounding. Take a multimeter to the chassis and test continuity from the frame to the earth lug. Improper grounding is more common than you'd expect, and it causes problems that nobody traces back to the ground—until something electronic fails.

Step 5: Run It Empty

Don't run it under load. Run it empty.

Here's what I do: start it, let it idle for 10 minutes, then run a full cycle with no material in it. Watch for three things:

  • Noise. Anything rhythmic that wasn't there on the test video.
  • Heat. Put a hand on the motor housing after 10 minutes—carefully. Warm is fine. Hot is not.
  • Vibration. A nickel on the frame should stay there for 30 seconds. I've seen it bounce off in 5.

None of these need calibrated instruments. Your hands and ears work fine for a first pass.

Step 6: Verify the Safety Systems (Every One)

Every emergency stop. Every guard. Every warning label.

Don't assume the factory covered everything on your spec. I've seen units ship with decals missing because someone on the line was out sick that week. It happens.

Here's the one most people miss: check that the lockout/tagout procedure matches the actual machine. The manual says to lock out one circuit. The machine requires two. That gap is where people get hurt—and it's the kind of thing a quick review won't catch.

Step 7: Lock Down the Support

Before the driver leaves, get three things in writing:

  1. The name and direct number of the service technician assigned to your account
  2. A dated document that confirms your warranty start date
  3. Access to the OEM parts portal, with your unit's serial number already registered

The service relationship matters more than most people think. The team that handles our equipment has a nickname around here—the Astec warriors—because they're the ones who actually know how these machines behave under load, not just on paper. Build that relationship before something breaks. Not after.

What This Checklist Won't Do

A few honest notes:

This won't replace a relationship with your supplier. I've had vendors ask me to sign off early because "we've been working together for five years." That's exactly when the small things slip. The checklist protects both of you.

Adjust for your situation. This works for our operation—mid-size, year-round production, predictable scheduling. If you're running seasonal shutdowns where everything has to be right in a two-week window, the calculus is different. You want more lead time, not less.

The samples are limited. My experience is based on about 200 mid-range deliveries over the past four years—jaw crushers, screens, asphalt plants. If you're dealing with 500-ton mining excavators or specialty roof coating systems, the priorities shift. Tire checks become track checks, and the documentation process gets heavier, not lighter.

And the butterfly question. A new hire asked me last month: "How does a turn into a butterfly?" She was joking about a beat-up crusher that had just come off the truck. But it's the right question. The answer isn't romantic—it's a checklist, a torque wrench, and someone willing to say "not yet" when the papers aren't in order. That's the whole metamorphosis. No wings involved.