What a DVSA daily walkaround check must cover

The daily walkaround check — sometimes called the first-use or pre-use check — is the driver's roadworthiness inspection at the start of the working day, before the vehicle is first used on the road. It is one of the cornerstones of the operator licence (O-licence) undertakings, and DVSA, the UK's fleet regulator, expects every commercial vehicle to have one recorded for every day it is used.

DVSA publishes a recommended list of items in its 'Guide to maintaining roadworthiness'. The exact items vary by vehicle type — an articulated HGV with a trailer has more to check than a 3.5-tonne van — but the principle is the same: the driver works around the vehicle methodically, looking for anything that would make it unsafe or illegal to drive.

Exterior and under-vehicle items

Walking around the outside of the vehicle, a driver should be checking the items most likely to cause a roadside prohibition:

• Tyres and wheels — condition, tread depth, inflation, and visible damage; wheel fixings and any sign of movement (look for tell-tale rust streaks or a missing nut indicator).
• Lights and indicators — all working, correct colour, lenses clean and undamaged, including marker and number-plate lights.
• Mirrors and glass — clean, secure, not cracked, and giving the legally required field of view.
• Registration plates — present, clean and legible.
• Bodywork and security — doors, panels, and any tail-lift or ramp secure; no sharp edges or loose parts.
• Fuel and oil — no obvious leaks under the vehicle; filler caps secure (including AdBlue where fitted).
• Spray suppression and guards — fitted and secure where required.

Cab and controls

Inside the cab, the driver checks the controls and instruments that confirm the vehicle is safe to take out:

• Brakes — service brake, parking brake and, for air-braked vehicles, the air build-up and warning systems; check for any warning lamps or low-pressure alerts.
• Steering — free play and operation.
• Horn, washers and wipers — all working.
• Warning lamps and gauges — no fault lights left on after start-up.
• Seat belts and seat security.
• Mirrors and view to the front — properly adjusted and unobstructed.
• Tachograph and speed limiter — present and functioning where fitted.

Load, trailer and coupling

Where the vehicle carries a load or tows a trailer, the check extends to securing and coupling. The trailer has its own walkaround, and the coupling itself must be checked every time it is made:

• Load security — the load is restrained and within limits, and nothing can shift or fall.
• Coupling — the fifth wheel or towing pin is properly engaged and the secondary catch is in place.
• Electrical and air lines (susies) — connected, secure and not chafing.
• Trailer brakes, lights, tyres and bodywork — checked as for the towing unit.

Recording the check

DVSA expects more than the inspection itself — it expects a record that the check happened. A good walkaround record names the driver and vehicle, is dated and timed, lists the items checked, and records the result, including a positive 'nil defects' confirmation when nothing is found. Where a defect is found, it should be recorded with enough detail for the workshop to act on, and the vehicle should not be used until any safety-critical defect is put right.

The walkaround is the driver's safety check, not a substitute for scheduled maintenance. It sits alongside the Preventative Maintenance Inspection (PMI), which is a deeper, workshop-based inspection on a planned interval. Together they form the backbone of a roadworthy fleet — and the records of both are what an auditor will ask to see.