In line with DVSA regulations, UK transport operators have a legal responsibility to ensure that all vehicles in their fleet, whatever the size, must be safe to drive at all times. For certain tasks, operators share the responsibility with the individual drivers, and one such area is the daily walkaround checks.

All commercial vehicles have specific checks that must be performed by drivers before the start of any journey, as part of their role in ensuring the safety and roadworthiness of the vehicle they are using. For the safety of all road users, drivers and members of the public, daily walkaround checks represent a core element of the compliance landscape.

What does an HGV / Commercial Vehicle daily check entail?

All commercial vehicle drivers must be aware that they are legally responsible for the condition of the vehicle they are driving, be that a HGV or a small van, and that carrying out the required daily walkaround checks is an essential step to complete, prior setting off on any journey, even if they are taking over the vehicle from another driver on the same day.

Commercial vehicle daily checks help to ascertain whether the vehicle is roadworthy at that time and must cover all key parts of the vehicle, inside and out, including any trailer that is being used.

How long should daily walkaround checks take?

The answer to the question ‘how long should a walkaround check take’ is quite simply, ‘as long as necessary’ to complete the required checks correctly.

The checking process itself is quite straightforward, but the main emphasis must be on completing every requested check with proper attention to detail and not leaving anything out. The daily checks should not be rushed, Typically it is when drivers are under too much time pressure that things get overlooked and mistakes are made.

What kind of record keeping is required for daily walkaround checks?

Once the daily walkaround checks have been completed, and before commencing driving, the driver must record any defects found during the daily check. Furthermore, should any issues arise during the time that they are responsible for the vehicle, the details of these must also be recorded in a timely fashion and brought to the attention of the operator.

It doesn’t matter whether paper-based forms or electronic (app based) methods are used for defect checks and reporting. What is crucial though, is that a process is in place to confirm that all the required checks have been carried out on the day, and that at any time in the future the details of that specific walkaround check and any defects identified can be reviewed.

Once the checks are completed the driver may only commence their journey if none of the identified defects affect the safety of the HGV or other commercial vehicles. If defects detected do pose a threat to safety, then the vehicle must be taken off the road and not integrated back into the fleet until the repairs have been carried out.

Ignore daily walkaround checks at your own risk!

Some drivers may not be aware that they are responsible for the vehicle they are driving along with the licensed operator. If they get caught by the DVSA driving a vehicle that has not had the required daily checks completed before the journey began, then both they and the operator are going to be held accountable.

The DVSA can demand to see the daily walkaround check for the vehicle and the results that were recorded at the time. Traffic commissioners have the power to act against the driver which may lead to sanctions including court proceedings, fines, points on the licence or even loss of licence if the condition of the vehicle is considered dangerous.

Of course, ultimately transport managers and operators must ensure their fleet vehicles are roadworthy and compliant, and part of this responsibility is in educating all their drivers in how to conduct effective daily walkaround checks correctly. Explaining the procedures for completing the checks, emphasising why they are so important and submitting accurate reporting is an essential element in training staff and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all road users.

Daily walkaround checks: paper vs digital?

Traditionally, daily walkaround checks involved a great deal of paperwork, manual data entry, and the common risk of human error.

Two of biggest issues with a paper-based system are; storage and access. There are significant business efficiency and productivity costs to storing large volumes of paper as well as an actual cost. Access is a major part of this – the document you need to view may not be in the same location as you. There is also the common problem of documents being misfiled or going missing. Hugely frustrating, time consuming and a drag on productivity.

Reactive vs Proactive.
In addition, a paper-based system by default is a reactive system, whereas a digital process is very proactive. For example – under a paper based walkaround system, if a driver logs an issue that check report has to be physically seen by (or communicated to) a manager before actions can be taken. With Convey’s digital system the app can alert the appropriate manager immediately to that issue. This proactive approach is far more efficient and can dramatically reduce costs, save time and drive productivity gains.

The advent of digital, software based walkaround systems – such as our WalkAround app – this administrative task has become much simpler, faster and more efficient, and significantly more reliable for operators.

Even if you are an operator who feels wary of technology the savings in time, the greater recording accuracy and secure audit trails along with the productivity gains that all come with a digital walkaround system will easily outweigh concerns about using the technology. In addition, our walkaround app has been specifically designed with drivers in mind and is genuinely easy to use.

Operators who are still using paper-based walkaround checks really are putting their businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

Increasingly operators are coming to the view that opting for digital compliance software-based solutions is the smart choice when it comes to managing HGV daily walkaround checks. Below are a few more reasons why this is so.

Key benefits of digital walkaround checks?

1. Offers optimal efficiency with user-friendly mobile app. Easy to use, saves time without compromising quality

2. Ensures adherence to DVSA guidelines and regulated compliance – allows managers to prove compliance at any time.

3. Facilitates defect reporting and monitoring with real-time data uploads – allows much faster responses to issues reported

4. Cloud storage means greater security and simple access and retrieval and a permanent, reliable audit trail. No scrabbling around for mis-filed or lost papers.

5. Built-in compliance checks and reminders mitigate risks of checks not being completed or elements being missed, thus avoiding future issues.

6. Data-driven insights help identify issues and enable proactive measures. Fix issues quicker and keep vehicles operational for longer.

Why use Convey’s WalkAround app

Quite simply our acclaimed WalkAround App will transform how you manage your safety processes, improve business efficiencies and achieve compliance. Available for iOS or Android mobile devices. With Convey’s Walkaround module gives you a proactive management process and eliminates inefficient, insecure, costly paper-based systems.

• Designed specifically for drivers.
• You create the checklists your business needs.
• Gain immediate and dynamic data views.
• One Interface shows you everything.
• Prevent problems escalating.
• Use it for Gateway checks and other random spot checks.

Using our WalkAround solutions means;

• Ensuring DVSA Walkaround compliance
• Avoiding expensive business disruptions
• Eliminating time consuming paper trails
• Simplicity for you and your drivers
• A single view of fleet UK roadworthiness
• Confidence in vehicle safety

Not only that…

Our Walk around checks app can also be used for checks on things other than commercial vehicles. We have customers using it for managing checks on plant and machinery for example. The process is the same and so are all the benefits.

Outstanding Value for Money!

Gain all these benefits and more, at super competitive pricing!

• No Limits on Usage ‐ simply use it whenever you want.
• 20 Vehicles and 200 checks? You pay only per vehicle.
• 50 tractor units and 200 trailers? You pay only for the tractor units.
• No Contract Required.
• No Hidden Fees.
• No checks = no charge!

Want to know more?

Please Call Paul Herridge 01793 676257 to discuss how we can help your business or to request a software demonstration or just ask us to contact you.

We have helped thousands of operators to make their businesses more efficient and profitable.
We can do the same for you.

Contact us today ‐ We’re ready to help.