What is driver defect reporting (DDR)?

Driver defect reporting is the legal duty for drivers to report any roadworthiness defect found during or after use. HaulGuard captures the report, routes it for repair, and records the rectification.

What counts as a reportable defect?

Anything affecting roadworthiness — lights, brakes, tyres, steering, leaks, security of load and more. Severity-rating helps prioritise safety-critical items.

How does a closed-loop defect record help in a DVSA audit?

Auditors want to see not just that a defect was found, but that it was assessed, repaired and signed off. HaulGuard keeps that full fault-to-fix trail with evidence.

How long must defect records be kept?

Defect reports and their rectification should be kept for at least 15 months — retained automatically by HaulGuard.

Can drivers report defects found mid-shift, after the morning check?

Yes. A defect can be raised against a vehicle whenever a fault is found — on the morning walkaround or later in the shift — with the same severity rating, photos and routing to the mechanic.

What happens if a defect can't be repaired immediately?

Mark the vehicle off-road (VOR). It stays off the road until the repair is signed off, shows in the manager's live fleet view, and is never billed while it's off-road.

Defect management

Vehicle defect reporting that closes the loop

Raise, route and rectify defects with photo evidence — from fault to fix to sign-off, in one auditable record built for UK fleet compliance.

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In short

Defect management is how a fleet records, repairs and signs off vehicle faults. HaulGuard captures defects with photo evidence on the daily walkaround check, routes them to a mechanic, and keeps the closed-loop record for 15 months — the trail a DVSA auditor expects.

What you get

From fault to fix, with evidence

Severity-rated reporting

Drivers raise defects with severity and photos the moment they're found.

Auto-routing to mechanics

No paper slips left on a dashboard — the defect is in the mechanic's queue before the driver leaves the yard.

Photo evidence

Visual proof attached to every defect and every repair.

Rectification tracking

Track each defect open → in progress → resolved → verified, with full history.

SLA escalation

Overdue safety-critical defects escalate to managers before they become a roadside PG9.

Closed-loop record

Fault → repair → sign-off in one auditable trail.

The loop

Four steps, fully recorded

1
Driver raises a defect
Severity, location and photos captured on the walkaround — safety-critical items can take the vehicle off the road immediately.
2
Mechanic is notified
The defect lands in the mechanic portal with all the evidence.
3
Repair & evidence
The mechanic fixes it and attaches proof of the work.
4
Verified & recorded
The defect is signed off and the closed-loop record is kept for 15 months.

The regulation

What DVSA expects from driver defect reports

DVSA’s Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness expects drivers to report roadworthiness defects promptly and in writing — including a positive nil-defect record where the operator requires one, so a completed check is never a silent gap.

A safety-critical defect means the vehicle doesn’t move. HaulGuard’s severity rating and off-road (VOR) marking take an unroadworthy vehicle out of service the moment the defect is raised, before it becomes a roadside prohibition (PG9).

The rectification record has to show who fixed what, when, and with what evidence. HaulGuard keeps that full fault-to-fix trail for 15 months — the same evidence that keeps prohibitions and failures off your OCRS.

FAQ

Defect reporting, answered

Keep reading

Walkaround checksWhere most defects are caught — the guided DVSA daily check.O-licence compliance hubWhere defect records fit in your wider O-licence duties.For transport managersOversee the open-defect backlog and off-road vehicles in real time.

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