Free template & checklist

Free HGV daily walkaround check template (2026)

Q: What should an HGV walkaround check template include?

A compliant HGV walkaround template should cover lights and indicators, tyres and wheel fixings, brakes and air lines, mirrors and glass, steering and horn, fluid levels and leaks, bodywork and load security, trailer coupling and connections, plus space to record the driver, date, vehicle, any defects and their rectification, and a nil-defect confirmation.

Q: Is a paper walkaround template DVSA compliant?

Yes, a paper template is acceptable to DVSA if it is completed, signed, dated and retained for 15 months. The risk with paper is lost or unfindable records and no timestamp proving the check wasn't rushed — which is why many operators move to a digital walkaround app.

Updated August 2026 · ~5 min read

Below is a free, DVSA-aligned HGV daily walkaround check template you can copy and use today — plus the point at which a paper sheet starts costing you more than it saves.

Copy this checklist. A compliant template records the driver, date and vehicle, every check item below, any defect + rectification, and a nil-defect confirmation — then it's signed and kept for 15 months.

The walkaround check template

Header: Driver name · Date & time · Vehicle reg · Trailer reg (if applicable) · Odometer

Check items (mark each Good / Defect)

Lights, indicators, reflectors & number plate
Tyres, wheels & wheel fixings (condition, pressure, security)
Brakes, brake lines & air build-up
Mirrors, glass, wipers & washers
Steering & horn
Fluid levels & leaks (oil, fuel, AdBlue, coolant)
Bodywork, doors & security of load
Load-restraint equipment (straps, sheets, props)
Trailer coupling, landing legs & electrical/air connections
Warning lamps & gauges on start-up
Tipper only: tipping body, safety props & sheeting system

Footer

Defects found: ________ Reported to: ________ Action / rectified by: ________
Nil defects ☐ Driver signature: ________ Safe to drive confirmed: ☐

When a paper template starts costing you

A paper template is genuinely DVSA-acceptable — if it's completed, signed, dated and kept for 15 months. The problems start with the everyday reality:

The one record DVSA asks for is the one you can't find.
Paper can't prove a check wasn't done in two rushed minutes.
No photos of defects; sheets get wet, lost or binned.
Nil-defect days quietly go unrecorded — the most common failure of all.

Skip the paper — get the same check on the phone, free for 14 days

Raahi's walkaround is timestamped, photographed and kept 15 months automatically, with defects going straight to the workshop. Same checklist, none of the paperwork.

See the walkaround app →

For the full legal detail behind each item, read our complete DVSA daily walkaround check guide and how long to keep records.

What should an HGV walkaround check template include?

The driver, date and vehicle; every safety-critical check item; defects and their rectification; and a nil-defect confirmation — signed and kept 15 months.

Is a paper walkaround template DVSA compliant?

Yes if completed, signed, dated and retained 15 months. The risk is lost/unfindable records and no proof the check wasn't rushed.

General information, not legal advice — refer to current DVSA guidance.