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Vehicle Checks and Defect Reporting for Small Fleets: The Complete Guide

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"Is a daily vehicle walkaround check a legal requirement in the UK?" It's one of the most common questions small fleets ask, and the honest answer is a bit more interesting than yes or no. I'll cover it below.

But here's what I think matters more. The check itself is the easy bit. A driver walks round a van for five minutes. What decides whether your fleet runs safely is what happens next: whether the fault gets written down, reaches the right person, gets fixed and gets closed off.

This guide covers the lot, from the law to the daily routine to the records. Each section links to a deeper article if you want more.

What the law says about daily checks

Short version: you're responsible for making sure your van is safe to drive, and DVSA's guidance tells drivers to carry out a walkaround check before the journey. Using a van in a dangerous condition can mean an unlimited fine and a prison sentence. You can read it all in DVSA's guidance on van daily walkaround checks.

Where it gets more nuanced is the paperwork. Recording and reporting defects is something DVSA expects from businesses with an operator licence, and DVSA's guidance on running a fleet of vans goes further for fleets generally, telling them to record defects and keep records for at least 15 months.

My opinion: do the checks, write them down, and don't spend time arguing about whether you strictly have to. The full breakdown is in Daily Walkaround Checks: Are They a Legal Requirement for Vans?. I'm not a lawyer, so check with DVSA if you're unsure about your own set-up.

What a defect check actually is

People use "walkaround", "vehicle check" and "defect check" as if they mean the same thing. They don't quite.

  • The walkaround is the act of checking the van.
  • Defect reporting is what happens when something's found.
  • A defect check, done properly, is both, plus making sure the fault is fixed and closed.

A defect is any fault, from a blown bulb to a failing brake. Some are minor and some mean the van shouldn't move. For every defect, record the registration, the date, what's wrong, how serious it is, the driver's name and who it was reported to. What Is a Vehicle Defect Check and Why It Matters goes through the whole process.

Step 1: Choose your checklist

Start with a short list of things to check. Keep it to what you'll actually do every day, because a list that takes 20 minutes is a list nobody finishes. DVSA's guidance splits the checks into inside the van and outside it, covering things like the windscreen and mirrors, wipers, warning lights, brakes, lights, tyres, fluids, load and bodywork.

You can copy the free template in Free Vehicle Check Template for Small Fleet Businesses, or download FleetGuv's free vehicle check sheet and print it.

Step 2: Build a routine people will follow

Three layers work well for a small fleet:

  • Daily: the driver checks their van before it leaves, in about five minutes
  • Weekly: a named person does a deeper check on each van: pressures, a full lights cycle, fluids and racking
  • Monthly: the manager walks round every van and reviews open defects and upcoming dates

The most important part is naming one person who reads every report, with a stand-in for holidays. A check nobody reads is just a morning ritual, which is the Governor's view and I agree with him.

For the step-by-step version, including how much time it all takes, see Setting Up a Vehicle Check Routine for a 3-5 Van Fleet.

Step 3: Know what gets missed

Most defects that cause trouble aren't hidden. They're in plain sight and nobody's looking properly. The usual culprits are:

  • Tyre damage on the inner sidewall, and uneven wear
  • Brake lights, which you can't see from the driver's seat
  • Number plate lights and indicators
  • Warning lights that have been on for weeks
  • Windscreen chips, wipers and washer fluid
  • AdBlue running low
  • A load or racking that's worked loose
  • Slow leaks, and brakes wearing gradually

The pattern is that the defects people miss are familiar, rushed or hard to see. Common Vehicle Defects Small Fleets Miss (and How to Catch Them) has a way to catch each one.

Step 4: Report and track every defect

Chasing drivers about faults is a symptom of having no system. The fix is simple:

  1. One list for every defect on every van
  2. One owner who reads it and decides what happens
  3. Four statuses: reported, assessed, booked, closed
  4. A time limit by seriousness: dangerous means the van doesn't move

Then spend ten minutes a week going through anything not closed. How to Report and Track Vehicle Defects Without Chasing Paperwork shows how to set it up.

Step 5: Know what to do when a fault turns up mid-job

Sooner or later a driver will ring you from the road. If you've decided what to do beforehand, you won't be making it up under pressure.

The principle is that safety beats the schedule. If there's any doubt, the van stops, and drivers should never be told off for stopping. Then ask the same few questions every time, decide whether the van stops, gets fixed today or gets booked in, and write it down. What to Do If a Driver Reports a Fault Mid-Job has a full script.

Step 6: Decide between paper and digital

I'm not going to pretend paper is dead. A sheet in the glovebox is much better than nothing, and for one or two vans with a diligent driver it can work well.

Paper's weakness is the follow-up. Sheets get lost, handwriting can't be read, nobody sees a fault until somebody reads the sheet, and you can't search it. Digital checks send faults straight to the right person and keep a history for each van, but they cost money.

My rule of thumb: stay on paper with one or two vans, and move to digital at three or more, or when you're tired of chasing. Digital vs Paper Vehicle Checks: Why Small Fleets Are Switching has the full comparison.

Step 7: Keep records that stand up

Good records show you ran a proper system. Keep the defect reports, maintenance, repairs and servicing for at least 15 months, and longer if you can.

Be honest with yourself about what records do. They don't make you immune after an accident, and a record showing a fault was reported and ignored is worse than no record. They protect you when they show you acted. And never change a record after the event. How Vehicle Checks Protect You From Liability After an Accident goes through it.

How checks fit with the rest of your fleet admin

Vehicle checks are one piece of a bigger picture. Defects found on a check become maintenance jobs, those jobs have costs, and the whole lot ties to your MOT and tax dates. If you want to see how it all connects, start with Vehicle Maintenance Tracking for Small Fleets: The Complete Guide. For the money side, Fleet Costs and Budgeting for Small Businesses: The Complete Guide covers what it all adds up to.

How FleetGuv does it

FleetGuv is built for small limited companies with small fleets, and it needs no hardware. Drivers and managers log vehicle checks through a checklist on their phone, each item ticked or marked as a fault, and any fault is reported straight to the manager. The repair then goes into that van's maintenance log, with the work due, the work scheduled and the cost. MOT details come through from DVSA.

Pricing is flat. The Starter plan covers up to five vehicles for £25 a month, and Growing Trade covers six to 20 vehicles at £5 per vehicle per month. You can start with a free trial and you don't need a card. Details are on the FleetGuv pricing page.

Where to start this week

If this feels like a lot, here's the short list:

  1. Pick a checklist, or download the free sheet
  2. Do the daily check for two weeks and see what comes up
  3. Name the person who reads the reports, and a stand-in
  4. Put every defect in one list with a status
  5. Agree what happens when a fault turns up mid-job

Everything else can wait until that's running.

The short version

  • Do the daily check and write it down. Even where the paperwork isn't strictly required, a dangerous van is a serious offence.
  • Name one person to read every report.
  • Use one list, one owner and four statuses for defects.
  • Decide in advance what to do when a driver rings from the road.
  • Stay on paper while it works, and move to digital when it starts to creak.
  • Keep records for at least 15 months, and never alter them afterwards.

Written by Chris, Founder of FleetGuv

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