HGV daily walkaround checks: from driver report to office action

Start with the official vehicle check

DVSA says drivers should check the vehicle before a journey and report defects in writing. Its checklist covers the cab, the outside of the vehicle and relevant specialist equipment. A report identifies the vehicle, date, defect or symptom, driver, assessment and recipient. Record a nil result when nothing is found. Dangerous defects must be put right before the journey continues.

Source: DVSA: carry out HGV daily walkaround checks

Agree the handover before the early start

Decide who receives routine reports, who answers an urgent call and who covers their absence. Put those instructions where a driver can find them at 4am. A form is only one part of the process; the driver also needs to know how to get a response.

Ask a new driver to demonstrate the reporting process during induction. Check that they can select the correct vehicle and trailer, describe a problem clearly and find the contact number. This short rehearsal can reveal practical gaps before the first job.

Make the observation useful to the next person

Encourage descriptions that help someone locate the issue. In a fictional example, 'near-side rear light lens cracked' is easier to act on than 'light problem'. Add a photograph when it helps, but retain the written description so the report remains understandable on its own.

Keep new observations as new entries. If a driver adds detail later, show when it was added rather than replacing the original account. That makes it easier for the office and workshop to understand what was known at each point.

Give the office a short review list

Use a morning review to answer four questions. The list below is an office routine, not a substitute for the full vehicle inspection checklist.

• Which expected reports have not arrived?
• Which reported issues still need a response?
• Who owns the next action for each open issue?
• What information do the driver and planner need before allocating work?

Keep the evidence easy to retrieve

DVSA requires defect reports and the related assessment and repair details to be kept for at least 15 months. Its recommendation for nil-defect reports is at least three months. These are different record categories.

Source: DVSA: guide to maintaining roadworthiness, section 3

• Use the vehicle reference and report date consistently when filing records.
• Check that a colleague can find the original report and its follow-up without asking the driver to resend it.
• Include a sample of missing, nil and defect reports in your internal process review.