HGV Walkaround Check: What the Law Requires and a Free Digital Template

2 April 2026Last reviewed 5 March 2026

A daily walkaround check takes about 10 minutes. Missing one — or doing it badly — can result in a prohibition notice, OCRS points, and a very uncomfortable conversation with a DVSA examiner at the roadside.

This guide covers what the law actually requires, what to check, and how to record it properly. There's also a free digital template at the end if you want to move away from paper pads.

The Legal Requirement for Daily Walkaround Checks

There is no single statute that says "you must do a walkaround check." The requirement comes from a combination of regulations:

The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 — make it an offence to use a vehicle in a dangerous condition on a public road.
Your O-licence undertakings — when you received your operator's licence, you committed to ensuring vehicles are kept fit and serviceable. The goods vehicle operator licensing guide makes clear that daily checks are part of that commitment.
Health and safety law — the employer (or self-employed driver) has a duty to ensure work equipment is safe.

The practical effect: every vehicle must have a walkaround check completed before its first use each day. If the vehicle is used by a second driver the same day, a further check is expected before they drive it.

The DVSA Moving On blog has been explicit about this — walkaround checks are not optional, and "we did one last week" is not acceptable.

What DVSA Expects to See

At a roadside encounter or operator premises visit, DVSA examiners look for three things:

Evidence that checks happen daily — a complete, unbroken record of walkaround checks for every vehicle, every working day.
Evidence that defects are recorded — not just "all OK" every day for months. If every single check says nil defects, the examiner will question whether checks are being done properly.
Evidence that defects are acted on — a defect found on a walkaround must have a corresponding repair record. Finding a defect and sending the vehicle out anyway is worse than not checking at all.

Records must be retained for at least 15 months. This applies whether you use paper or digital systems.

What to Check: The Concise HGV Walkaround Checklist

DVSA publishes guidance on the items that should be inspected. The categorisation of vehicle defects document gives you the full breakdown of what constitutes immediate, delayed, and advisory defects. Here's a practical checklist based on that guidance:

Exterior — Walk Around the Vehicle

Lights and indicators — all working, lenses intact, not obscured by dirt
Tyres — legal tread depth (1mm across 75% of the breadth for HGVs), no cuts exposing cords, correct inflation by visual check
Wheels and wheel fixings — no missing nuts, no cracks, no signs of movement (look for rust "staining" lines from nut to rim)
Bodywork and load security — curtainsiders: straps and buckles intact; flatbeds: load secured; any body damage that affects safety
Mirrors and glass — all mirrors present, not cracked, correctly adjusted; windscreen free of damage in the swept area
Number plates — present, legible, correctly illuminated
Fuel and oil leaks — check underneath for fresh drips or puddles
Exhaust — no excessive smoke, no visible damage to the system
Mudguards and spray suppression — fitted and not hanging off

Coupling Equipment (Articulated Units)

Fifth wheel coupling — properly locked, no excessive wear
Kingpin — seated correctly, locking mechanism engaged
Airline connections — red and yellow lines connected, no air leaks
Electrical (suzie) connections — trailer lights working via the unit
Landing legs — fully raised and secured

Cab Interior

Brakes — service brake, secondary brake, parking brake all functional; air pressure builds to operating level
Steering — no excessive free play
Windscreen wipers and washers — working, washer fluid present
Horn — working
Seatbelt — present, not damaged, latches properly
Warning lights — no dashboard warning lights illuminated after start-up (ABS, EBS, engine)
Tachograph — functioning, driver card inserted, mode set correctly

Trailer (If Separate Check)

Lights and reflectors — all functioning when connected
Tyres and wheels — same standard as tractor unit
Body condition — doors secure, curtains intact, floor not damaged
Brakes — parking brake applied and released correctly; air system holds pressure

This looks long on paper, but an experienced driver covers all of it in a structured walk that takes 10–15 minutes. The key is a consistent route around the vehicle — starting at the same point every time reduces the chance of missing something.

How to Record a Walkaround Check

Every check must record:

Date and time of the check
Vehicle registration (and trailer registration, if applicable)
Driver name or identifier
The result — either nil defects, or a description of each defect found
Driver confirmation — signature on paper, or digital confirmation in an app

If a defect is found, the record should include:

What the defect is
Whether the vehicle was taken out of service or the defect was judged safe to continue (with reasoning)
When and how the defect was repaired
Who authorised the vehicle back into service

Paper vs Digital: What Actually Works

Paper Check Sheets

Paper pads (the traditional NCR duplicate books) work. They're cheap, they don't need a phone signal, and every driver knows how to use them. The problems are practical:

They get lost, left in cabs, or damaged
Filing 15 months of paper sheets per vehicle takes space and discipline
Finding a specific check from 8 months ago takes time
Defects recorded on paper don't automatically alert anyone — the driver has to phone it in separately

Digital Walkaround Checks

A digital system (app or browser-based) solves the storage and retrieval problem. Checks are timestamped, GPS-stamped, stored in the cloud, and searchable. Defect alerts can be instant.

The downsides: drivers need a charged phone, some apps require a data connection, and there's a learning curve for drivers who've used paper for 20 years.

For most operators — especially those with 1–5 vehicles — the advantages of digital outweigh the drawbacks. The 15-month retention requirement alone makes digital storage simpler than maintaining paper filing. If you want to compare app options, our guide to the best walkaround check apps covers what to look for.

Common Defects Found on Walkaround Checks

Based on DVSA roadside encounter data, the most common defects found on HGVs fall into predictable categories:

Tyre condition — under-inflation, tread below legal minimum, sidewall damage. Tyre defects are the single most common reason for immediate prohibition.
Lights not working — especially trailer lights and indicators. Connection faults between tractor and trailer are frequent.
Insecure loads — curtain straps missing or damaged, loads shifted in transit.
Brake faults — imbalanced braking, air leaks, worn pads.
Wheel fixings — missing or loose wheel nuts.

Every one of these is something a proper walkaround check would catch before the vehicle leaves the yard. That's the point — 10 minutes of checking prevents a PG9 prohibition notice and the OCRS damage that comes with it.

Get Started: Free Digital Walkaround Check Template

If you want to try digital walkaround checks without committing to a paid app, use our free Digital Walkaround Check Template. It follows the DVSA-recommended format, works in your browser, and lets you export completed checks as a PDF. No signup required.

Already using digital checks but struggling to keep the rest of your compliance in order? Walkaround checks are one part of the picture — your O-licence compliance checklist covers the full set of conditions you need to track.