Daily Vehicle Check and Driver Log
Record the check before driving and the journeys after it on one sheet per day.
VE-13 2 pages
Professional drivers · PD-12
HGV Walk-Around Check Sheet
A free printable HGV daily check sheet — the walk-around outside the vehicle and in the cab, the coupling and trailer, then defects and a fit-to-drive sign-off.
Download Free · no sign-up
One page. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Do the same walk-around in the same order every day and leave a record of what was found, who it was reported to and what happened next.
Who it is for
HGV and rigid drivers, agency drivers on an unfamiliar vehicle, and the transport office that keeps the sheets.
How to use it
- Fill in the vehicle, trailer, odometer and time before you start walking.
- Work round the outside in one direction, then under the coupling, then the cab.
- Tick each item as it is looked at, not at the end from memory.
- Write every defect in the table with who it was reported to and the time.
- Tick 'no defects' or record the fit-to-drive decision, and sign.
What is on the sheet
One page, top to bottom:
Printed under the title: The walk-around before the vehicle moves — outside the cab, under the trailer and in the cab — with a place to write the defects found and what was done about them.
Write-on lines: Vehicle reg · Trailer no. · Odometer · Date · Time · Driver
Outside the vehicle — your operator's own list and the handbook add to this; they also decide what stops the vehicle
- Lights, indicators and hazards — lenses whole, working
- Mirrors, glass and camera lenses clean and secure
- Wipers and washers working, screen clear
- Tyres — tread, cuts, bulges, inflation by eye
- Wheel nuts and indicators — none loose or moved
- Bodywork, doors, curtains, shutters and caps secure
- Number plates, markers and reflectors clean
- No leaks of fuel, oil, coolant or air; exhaust secure
- Spray suppression and mudguards fitted and secure
- Coupling, fifth wheel and landing legs secure
- Air lines and electrical connections to the trailer
- Load secure, or trailer empty and doors shut
In the cab
- Service brake and parking brake
- Steering — no excess play or stiffness
- Horn, and warning lights clear once running
- Seat, seat belt and head restraint
- Tachograph and speed limiter operating, card in
- Windscreen, view and cab glass
- Height marker matches the vehicle and load
- Cab tidy — nothing loose to move under braking
Write-on lines: Extras from your operator's list (tail lift, crane, fridge unit…) · Checked (tick)
Defects found — leave blank and tick 'no defects' if the walk-around was clean
Table, 3 rows: Item · Defect · Reported to · Time · Action / rectified by
Write-on lines: No defects found (tick) · Driver signature · Fit to drive? (yes / no) · Manager / fitter
Questions
The sheet does not say what counts as a dangerous defect. Why?
Because that decision is made by the rules where you drive and by your operator's own procedures, and it differs by vehicle and load. The sheet records what you found and who decided; the deciding is done by the people your operator names.
Can I add items to the checklist?
Yes — there is a write-on line under the cab section for anything your operator's list or the vehicle handbook adds, such as tail lifts, cranes or temperature units.
Related sheets
Van Daily Check Sheet
Give a driver one sheet per vehicle per day, with enough room to describe a defect properly instead of ticking a box nobody reads.
WT-09 2 pages
Load Securing and Strap Check Sheet
Show, for one load, that the restraints used were the ones specified, were in fit condition and were checked again after the first miles and at each stop.
PD-15 1 page
Trailer Pre-Tow Inspection Checklist
Run the same walk-around every time, in the same order, so nothing gets skipped because you were in a hurry.
VE-05 2 pages
