The DVSA Daily Walkaround Check List (Free PDF + App)

Every driver of an HGV, PCV or van must complete a daily walkaround check before the vehicle is first used — and keep a record of it. This is the full DVSA-aligned check list, item by item with pass/fail guidance, plus how to run it in about two minutes on a phone.

Is a daily walkaround check a legal requirement?

Yes. Under DVSA's Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness, a responsible person must carry out a walkaround check before a commercial vehicle is first used each day. Drivers must report any defect promptly, and knowingly using a vehicle with a roadworthiness defect is a prosecutable offence that puts your operator's licence at risk.

The check is a pre-use inspection of everything that affects roadworthiness. It applies to HGVs, PCVs/PSVs and vans used in a business. For the duties behind the list — who's responsible, retention rules, what happens at the roadside — see the complete walkaround checks guide.

How to use this list

Three habits turn a list into a reliable check:

• Walk the same route around the vehicle every time — most drivers start at the cab door and work clockwise — so nothing gets skipped on a dark, wet morning.
• Record as you go, not from memory at the end. A tick made next to the tyre is evidence; a sheet filled in at the café is fiction.
• Record the outcome either way. A defect gets reported with detail and a photo; a clean check gets recorded as a nil-defect declaration — positive proof the inspection happened.

The DVSA daily walkaround check list

Each section heading links to a detailed guide for that item, with common defects and pass/fail guidance.

Lights and indicators

• Headlights (dip and main), sidelights and tail lights
• Indicators and hazard warning lights, front and rear
• Brake lights, including any high-level lamp
• Reversing lights
• Number plate lights
• Marker and side lights along the length of long vehicles and trailers — all clean

Fail it if: any lamp doesn't work, a cracked lens shows white light to the rear, or grime is dimming the output. Bulbs are the cheapest defect you'll ever fix at the depot.

Tyres and wheels

• Tyre condition — no deep cuts, bulges or exposed cords
• Tyre pressure (visual, ideally a gauge)
• Tread depth — at least 1mm for HGVs and PCVs, or 1.6mm for vans up to 3.5 tonnes
• Inner tyres on twin-wheel axles — easy to miss, wear just the same
• Wheel fixings secure — check the position of any wheel-nut indicators

Fail it if: tread is at or below the limit anywhere, any cut reaches the cords, any bulge, or a loose fixing. Tyres are the most common cause of roadside prohibitions.

Mirrors, glass and washers

• Mirrors present, secure, clean and correctly adjusted for this driver
• Windscreen and windows free of dangerous cracks or chips in the swept area
• Camera or blind-spot monitor systems working, where fitted

Wipers and washers

• Wipers work on all speeds and the blades clear the screen without smearing
• Washers spray and reach the screen, fluid topped up with screen wash

Fail it if: the screen can't be kept clear in rain or spray — working wipers and washers are a legal requirement.

Brakes

• Service (foot) brake operates and feels normal
• Parking / secondary brake holds the vehicle
• Air build-up and low-pressure warnings behave correctly, where fitted
• No audible air leaks; ABS/EBS warning lamps clear — including for any trailer

Fail it if: pressure won't build or hold, the parking brake won't hold, or a brake warning stays lit. Brake defects take the vehicle off the road, no exceptions.

Steering

• No excessive free play at the wheel
• Power-steering warning lamp clears; no fluid leaks
• No unusual noises or stiffness when turning

Under the vehicle: leaks and fluids

• Ground under the vehicle clear of fresh oil, fuel, coolant or hydraulic leaks
• Engine oil, coolant and washer levels
• Fuel and AdBlue level adequate for the journey

Fail it if: there's any fuel leak at all, or a significant oil or hydraulic leak. A fresh puddle is a message — read it before the motorway does.

Body and load security

• Bodywork and doors secure, with no dangerous damage
• Load restrained by adequate straps, chains or a rated system — in good condition
• Load evenly distributed and within limits; nothing able to shift or fall
• Curtains, tailboards and doors closed and secure; sheeting secure on tippers and open loads

Fail it if: the restraint doesn't match the load's weight and type. Unsecured loads are a top enforcement priority — don't move until it's corrected.

Coupling — articulated and drawbar combinations

• Fifth wheel or drawbar coupling correctly engaged and locked; kingpin fully home
• Landing legs fully raised and secured
• Susie (air) lines and EBS connected, not chafing or leaking
• Electrical (ABS/lighting) plug secure

Fail it if: anything about the coupling is in doubt. Do the tug test — a dropped trailer is catastrophic.

Number plates

• Front and rear plates present, secure, clean and legible
• Rear number plate light working; trailer plate correct and secure

Cab and safety equipment

• Tachograph working and set to the correct mode
• Horn working
• Seatbelt condition and operation
• Warning lamps clear after start-up
• Fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and warning triangle present and in date, where required

Buses and coaches (PCVs) also cover passenger doors and interlocks, emergency exits, interior condition and a stocked first-aid kit. See the PCV walkaround check for the passenger-specific items.

The list changes with the vehicle

Use the right template, not the longest one. The dedicated checks per vehicle type cover what's genuinely different:

• HGV — coupling, load restraint and air brakes on top of the basics
• Trailer — its own recorded check, whoever it's coupled to
• Van — no air brakes or coupling, but the same duty and a 1.6mm tread limit
• PCV / bus — passenger doors, exits, interior and first aid
• Coach — luggage bays, seatbelts and onboard facilities
• Minibus — passenger access, seatbelts, wheelchair equipment
• Tipper — tipping gear, body prop and sheeting system

Report defects — don't just note them

Finding a defect is only half the job. DVSA wants evidence that every defect was reported, assessed, repaired and signed off — a closed loop with the detail to match: which vehicle, which item, what's wrong, a photo, who reported it, and how it was fixed. A note in a book that nobody actions is exactly what an examiner looks for. That's what defect management is for.

How long must you keep the records?

Walkaround reports, defect reports and the record of the repair must be kept for at least 15 months — the window a DVSA examiner can ask to see at an audit or public inquiry. It's one of the undertakings behind O-licence compliance from check to audit pack, and there's more detail in the complete walkaround checks guide.

Get the checklist — or skip the paper altogether

Paper sheets get lost, soaked and back-dated. The walkaround check app turns the whole list above into a guided two-minute check on a phone — with photo, GPS and signature evidence, defects routed straight to a mechanic, and every record kept for the full 15 months automatically. See per-vehicle pricing to price it for your fleet.