Before you start the walkaround
Allow time before departure and use the operator’s checklist for the actual vehicle and trailer. Work in a safe place, follow site rules and use the equipment and training needed for the checks. Do not crawl under an unsupported vehicle or attempt repairs beyond your competence.
Identify the tractor or rigid vehicle and any trailer. Check again when a change of vehicle, trailer, loading or circumstances makes an earlier result unreliable. DVSA’s checklist covers both inside and outside the vehicle; it is not limited to a quick look at the tyres.
Inside the cab: visibility, warnings and controls
Check the view through the glass, mirrors or camera systems, wipers and washers. Check warning lights and gauges, steering, horn, seat belts, cab security, doors and steps. Follow the official procedure for brake operation, air build-up and warning systems.
Check the displayed vehicle height against the actual combination. Loading, unloading and fifth-wheel adjustment can change height. An old height marker or a height copied from a different trailer is not a reliable route-planning input.
Outside: vehicle, trailer and load
Check lights, indicators, reflectors and markings; tyres, wheels and fixings; bodywork, guards and spray suppression; batteries, fluid levels where required, and signs of fuel or oil leaks. Check brake lines, electrical connections, coupling security and the trailer parking brake using the relevant procedure.
Check load stability and the securing system, doors, equipment and anything specific to the vehicle. For electric or alternative-fuel vehicles, use the applicable manufacturer and operator checks, including isolation arrangements; do not handle high-voltage components without the required competence. Use DVSA’s full list rather than treating this overview as a complete inspection manual.
Record the result, including nil defects
Use the employer’s reporting system or the official defect-report template. Record the registration or identification mark, date, defect details or symptoms, your assessment, your name and the person to whom you reported it. Make the vehicle and trailer identities clear.
If no defects are found, record a nil-defect result. A blank form does not communicate the same thing. A photo can support a report but does not replace the written description, assessment and handover. Keep the report accessible through the operator’s record process; DVSA may ask for it at a roadside check.
- Check the combination
- Record the outcome
- Report and resolve
If a defect is found before or during the journey
Report defects in writing to the person responsible for dealing with them. Do not assume that submitting a report authorises departure. Follow the operator’s escalation process and obtain a competent assessment where needed. Dangerous defects must be repaired before the vehicle is used or the journey continues.
If a problem becomes apparent on the road, find a safe place to stop, assess and report it. Do not continue simply to meet a collection slot. Record the repair and release decision through the operator’s process so the next driver can see what was resolved and what remains outstanding.
Worked example: a trailer light fault at collection
During the check you find that a trailer light does not work. Record the trailer identity, the affected light and the symptom, then notify the responsible person. Clarify the collection timing with dispatch while the defect is assessed and resolved.
This example does not classify the defect or approve movement. The practical outcome is a documented handover and a competent decision before departure, rather than an unexplained delay or an assumption that the annual test covers the fault.
Daily checks and the annual test do different jobs
Daily checks identify current visible or operational problems. Planned safety inspections and maintenance are separate operator processes; the annual test checks the vehicle against the applicable test requirements at that time. None replaces the others.
Use the MOT guide for annual-test preparation, the load-security guide for securing the freight, and the route-planning guide for checking whether the actual combination fits the proposed journey.