Guide · UK goods vehicles
The daily walkaround check, explained
What the check is, what it covers, what to do with a defect and what to keep — in plain words, for the transport manager who has to show it and the driver who has to do it.
01 Questions
Is a daily walkaround check a legal requirement?
DVSA treats the driver's daily check as a core part of keeping a vehicle roadworthy, and an operator is expected to have a system in place so that drivers check their vehicle, report defects and get them rectified. The detail is in DVSA's Guide to maintaining roadworthiness; read it for your own operation, and ask your transport manager.
When should the check be done?
Before the vehicle is used for the day. A vehicle that has been driven by someone else overnight or by a different driver at changeover deserves its own check at the point the driver takes it.
What does a walkaround check cover?
lights & indicators, tyres & wheels, brakes, steering, body & doors, mirrors & glass, fluids & leaks, load security. The free check sheet lists all 30 items.
What should happen when a defect is found?
The driver records what is wrong and where, tells the office before the vehicle goes out, and the vehicle is not driven if the defect is dangerous. The defect stays open until someone records who fixed it, when, and what was done.
How long should check records be kept?
DVSA's guide says a report listing defects is part of the vehicle's maintenance record and should be kept for at least 15 months, together with the rectification work and who did it. Check the current wording in the guide, because guidance changes.
Do clean checks need recording as well?
Yes. A sheet with every item ticked OK is the evidence that the vehicle was looked at that day; a gap in the sequence is what an examiner will notice first.
Paper or an app?
Paper works until a pad goes missing or a month of sheets has to be put in date order for a visit. An app keeps the same record searchable and prints it as one file; the check is still the driver's own walk round the vehicle.
This is a plain-English summary for orientation, not legal advice. Your operator's licence conditions and DVSA's current guidance are what apply to you.