Daily vehicle checks:
the driver and the office.
A van needs two kinds of check. The driver walks round it before the journey, and the office inspects it, its paperwork and its kit on a schedule. What each covers, and how a defect is closed.
Published ·8 min read·Written by Darshan Parmar, Founder
A company van needs two kinds of check. The driver walks round it before the first journey, to confirm it is safe to use that day. The office inspects it on a schedule, to confirm the vehicle, its paperwork and the kit it carries are in order. HSE’s guidance for employers says workers should carry out and record daily vehicle checks, and that defects are reported and put right promptly. Done well, the two checks build one history for each vehicle.
Why the checks matter
GOV.UK tells van drivers plainly that they are responsible for making sure the van is safe to drive. Using a vehicle in a dangerous condition is an offence under section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and so is causing or permitting somebody else to use one. GOV.UK puts the penalty for a van at up to £2,500 and 3 penalty points.
The employer carries a duty too. HSE’s guidance says health and safety law applies to work on the road in the same way as on a fixed site. Any vehicle used for the business must be safe, and remain safe. The Highway Code adds that driving an unroadworthy vehicle may invalidate the insurance.
HSE also makes a point many firms miss: an MOT certificate only covers basic defects, and it does not guarantee that a vehicle is safe. A van can pass its MOT in March and have a split tyre by June. The checks between tests are what keep it safe.
The driver’s daily walkaround check
The walkaround takes a few minutes before the first journey. GOV.UK’s list for vans, written by DVSA, runs inside then outside:
- Inside. A clear view, with mirrors, cameras and glass in place and undamaged. Wipers and washers, dashboard warning lights, steering, the horn, the footbrake and handbrake, and the seats and seat belts.
- Outside. Lights and indicators, fluid levels and leaks, the battery, bodywork and doors, tyres and wheels, and the load and how it is secured.
- Depending on the van. AdBlue on a diesel, the exhaust, any alternative fuel system, the number plates, a tow bar and trailer, and equipment such as a tail lift.
Tyres deserve the closest look. Cars and light vans must have at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tread and all the way round. GOV.UK notes that each tyre that is not safe and legal can mean 3 penalty points.
The check is recorded every day, including when nothing is wrong. GOV.UK says to record nil defects, so the sheet shows the check happened. It names what to write for a defect: the registration, the date, the defect or symptom, the driver’s assessment of it, their name and who it was reported to. Drivers for firms with a goods vehicle operator licence should record and report every defect, and DVSA can ask for the record at a roadside check.
A check nobody recorded is a check nobody can prove.
The office vehicle inspection
The driver’s check answers one question: is this vehicle safe to use today? The office inspection answers a wider one: is the vehicle, its paperwork and everything in it in order? It is usually done by the fleet manager or office staff, on a schedule the firm sets, and whenever a vehicle changes driver or goes back to a lessor.
A thorough office inspection covers:
- Documents and dates. MOT, road tax, insurance and service, each checked against the certificate or record. The V5C logbook, and any hire or lease agreement.
- Safety equipment. The first aid kit present and in date, the fire extinguisher present, secured and in date, and whatever else the firm has decided each vehicle carries.
- Condition. Bodywork, glass, lights, tyres, the spare, the cab, the load area, racking and restraints.
- Damage. Marked on a diagram of the vehicle and photographed, so the next inspection can tell what is new.
- The driver’s checks. Whether the daily checks are being done, and whether reported defects were closed.
On first aid kits, HSE says the employer’s first aid assessment decides whether people who travel long distances, or are continuously mobile, carry a personal first aid kit. On extinguishers, an ordinary van is not generally required to carry one. A van carrying dangerous goods under the small load exemption, such as gas cylinders, must still carry one 2 kg dry powder extinguisher or equivalent. Many trades firms fit both in every van as their own standard.
The law sets no fixed interval for an office inspection. Monthly or quarterly is common, with an extra inspection whenever a vehicle changes hands.
The two checks side by side
| Daily walkaround | Office inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | The driver | Fleet manager or office staff |
| When | Before the first journey | On the firm’s schedule, and at each change of driver |
| Question | Is it safe to use today? | Are the vehicle, paperwork and kit in order? |
| Covers | The DVSA walkaround items | Dates, documents, first aid kit, extinguisher, condition, damage |
| Record | A check sheet with nil defects or each defect | An inspection form with actions and sign-off |
How a defect gets closed
A defect mentioned in the yard is a defect nobody owns. HSE’s guidance asks employers to have procedures for reporting defects, to remedy them promptly, and to have a clear policy that unsafe vehicles are not driven. In practice, a defect is closed in four steps:
- Reported. Written down the same day, with a photograph, saying who was told.
- Judged. Dangerous means the vehicle does not move until it is fixed. GOV.UK says a dangerous defect found on the road must be fixed before the journey continues.
- Repaired. By a competent person, with what was done and when.
- Signed back. Somebody confirms the vehicle is safe to use again, on the same record as the report.
The last step is the one most often missed. Without it, the record shows a fault and never a fix.
What an insurer or investigator asks for
After a collision, the questions are predictable. Was the vehicle checked that morning, and by whom? Were known defects reported and fixed? When was it last inspected and serviced? Were the MOT, tax and insurance in date? HSE’s guidance notes that the police lead investigations into road traffic incidents, and that HSE usually becomes involved where serious management failures contributed.
A firm with dated driver checks, closed defects, office inspections and a maintenance record can answer each question in minutes. A firm with a glovebox book can usually answer none of them.
The free forms cover all three records: the daily vehicle check sheet for drivers, the vehicle inspection checklist for the office, with a van damage diagram, and the vehicle maintenance log for services and repairs. The driving for work toolbox talk briefs the team.
This is general guidance, not legal advice.
In Unibuild, drivers do the daily vehicle check in your firm’s own staff app, and it lands on its own Daily Driver Vehicle Check tab in the office portal. Office staff carry out periodic office vehicle checks on a separate tab, recording whether the first aid kit and fire extinguisher are in date, with comments and uploaded damage diagrams. Defects are logged with photographs and video and tracked until fixed. MOT, road tax, insurance and service dates are reminded by email and app notification, and a bird’s-eye view shows which vehicles need attention.
Where to start, this week
Pick five vehicles. For each one, find the last recorded daily check, the last office inspection, every open defect, and the MOT, tax, insurance and service dates. Time how long it takes. If any answer depends on one person’s memory, start with the check sheet in every cab and the inspection checklist on the office desk.
Sources
Checked against the source rather than against commentary. Where a schedule, a rate or a threshold is definitive on a government site, read it there.
- GOV.UK: Carry out van daily walkaround checks (DVSA) GOV.UK
- GOV.UK: Driving a van GOV.UK
- HSE: Make sure vehicles used to drive or ride for work are safe Health and Safety Executive
- HSE: Make sure drivers and riders are safe Health and Safety Executive
- HSE: First aid at work, frequently asked questions Health and Safety Executive
- HSE: Carriage of dangerous goods manual, exemptions Health and Safety Executive
- The Highway Code, annex 6: vehicle maintenance, safety and security GOV.UK
- Road Traffic Act 1988, section 40A legislation.gov.uk
The follow-up questions.
How the daily driver check and the office vehicle check sit on their own tabs, against each vehicle, is on vehicles and fleet.
What should be on a daily vehicle check for a van?
Are daily vehicle checks a legal requirement?
Who should inspect company vehicles in the office?
How often should the office inspect a company van?
Does a van need a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher?
Is an MOT enough to show a van is safe?
Can drivers do the vehicle check on a phone app?
How long should vehicle check records be kept?
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