A plain guide to DVSA guidance on daily walkaround checks for HGVs, buses, coaches and vans: who checks, how often, what to record and how long to keep it. Then what PreStart records, and what stays with you.
In short: DVSA guidance says a walkaround check must be done at least once every day, or in every 24 hours a vehicle is in use, by the driver or a trained person, covering the whole vehicle and any trailer. Defects are reported in writing, dangerous defects are fixed before the journey continues, and nil defects are recorded. Operators keep defect reports and repair records for at least 15 months. PreStart records each check, every defect with notes and photos, and the workshop's repair notes. Operators remain responsible for meeting the rules.
The driver, or a responsible person the operator has trained and judged competent. If someone else does it, the driver must see evidence that it was done and the vehicle is free of safety defects. The check covers the whole vehicle or combination, and every trailer used. Source: Guide to maintaining roadworthiness.
At least once every day, or at least once in each 24-hour period the vehicle is used, preferably just before it is used. Arduous or off-road work may need more than one check a day. If the driver changes during the day, the new driver should check the vehicle unless a robust defect reporting system covers it.
DVSA publishes walkaround checklists for HGVs, buses and coaches and vans. Van drivers driving for a business with an operator licence should record and report defects. Every driver is responsible for making sure their vehicle is safe to drive.
The vehicle registration or identification mark, the date, details of defects or symptoms, the assessment of each defect (for example, dangerous), the reporter's name and who the defect was reported to. Use a form that lists each item checked, and record nil defects when there are none.
Defects are reported in writing to the person responsible for vehicle defects, including any found during the journey. Dangerous defects must be fixed before the journey continues. The operator needs a system to record how each defect was put right before the vehicle is used, and to take unroadworthy vehicles out of service.
Defect reports, with the assessment, repair work and who did it, should be kept for at least 15 months. Nil defect reports are recommended to be kept for at least 3 months. Electronic records are accepted if they meet the guide's standards for signatures, time stamps, security and audit trail.
A summary of the DVSA checklists. Use the full GOV.UK checklist for your vehicle type, and add any equipment specific to your vehicles.
PreStart is a daily vehicle check and defect reporting app. Here is how it lines up with what DVSA asks, including the parts it does not cover.
| What DVSA asks | What PreStart records |
|---|---|
| A check every day the vehicle is used | The driver picks the vehicle, enters the odometer reading and marks every item Pass, Fail or N/A before they drive. Pro adds a Today board showing which vehicles still need checking, and an email when a vehicle has not been checked by a set time. |
| Registration, date and name | Each check is saved against the vehicle in your fleet list and the driver's own sign-in, with the date and time. |
| Defect details and assessment | Each failed item becomes its own defect with the driver's note, a severity of minor, major or critical, and up to 3 photos. |
| Who it was reported to | Every defect goes straight into the workshop queue. Pro lets the workshop assign each defect to a person with a fix-by date, and sends an instant email when a critical fault is reported. |
| Record nil defects | Checks where everything passed are saved too, so each daily check is on record. |
| Dangerous defects fixed before use | A critical fault takes the vehicle off the road until the workshop fixes it. For a major fault the driver is told not to drive until a supervisor or the workshop says it is safe. Train drivers to report a defect DVSA would call dangerous as critical. |
| Record how each defect was put right | The workshop adds notes and marks each fault fixed. Ask them to write the work done and who did it in the fix note. |
| Digital signature | Pro: driver declaration with typed name and finger signature on each check. Lite has no signature. |
| Each trailer checked | Ready-made trailer checklist, so a trailer can be checked as its own vehicle. |
| Keep records for 15 months | Full check and defect history stays in your own Cloudflare database. Pro adds printable check reports and CSV export for audits, insurers and roadside checks. |
You stay responsible. PreStart records walkaround checks, defects and repairs. It does not make a fleet compliant, and it is not approved by DVSA. The operator remains responsible for meeting DVSA guidance and its operator licence conditions, including driver training, fixing defects before vehicles are used and keeping records. DVSA expects electronic systems to be secure, tamper-proof and to keep a clear audit trail, so review PreStart against that guidance before relying on it as your only record.
The demo runs PreStart Pro with a sample fleet. Sign in as a driver, fail an item and add a photo of the tyre, sign the declaration, then switch to the workshop and mark the fault fixed. It resets every night.
The full check and defect workflow: Pass, Fail or N/A with photos for each fault, clear next steps for drivers, ready-made checklists, the defect queue, the off-road rule, fleet list, check history and roles. Open source under the MIT licence. You run it in your own Cloudflare account.
Download free on GitHub$149 USD once for one business, no monthly fee. On sale now.
Everything in Lite, plus:
PreStart installed in your own Cloudflare account, with your business name, vehicles, checklist and first team members set up and ready for drivers. Turnaround is within 1 to 5 days, depending on complexity and workload.
$499 USD, paid once.
Book the Turnkey SetupA check of a commercial vehicle before it is used, to make sure it is safe to drive: mirrors and glass, wipers, warning lights, steering, brakes, lights, tyres and wheel fixings, bodywork, load security and more. DVSA publishes checklists for HGVs, buses and coaches, and vans on GOV.UK.
DVSA's Guide to maintaining roadworthiness says at least one walkaround check must be carried out every day, or at least once in each 24-hour period the vehicle is used. Vehicles on arduous or off-road work may need more than one check a day. If the driver changes during the day, the new driver should check the vehicle unless a robust defect reporting system covers it.
The driver, or a responsible person the operator has trained and judged competent. If someone other than the driver does it, the driver must see evidence that the check was done and the vehicle is free of safety defects. Each trailer used must be checked too.
DVSA's van guidance says you are responsible for making sure your van is safe to drive and advises a walkaround check before your journey. If you drive for a business that has an operator licence, you should record and report any defects you find. The roadworthiness guide says its principles could equally apply to vans below the operator licensing thresholds.
The vehicle registration or identification mark, the date, details of the defects or symptoms, your assessment of each defect (for example, dangerous), your name and who the defect was reported to. Record nil defects if you find none. The operator's record should also show how each defect was put right and when.
DVSA's Guide to maintaining roadworthiness says defect reports, with the assessment, repair work and who did it, should be kept for at least 15 months. Nil defect reports are recommended to be kept for at least 3 months. DVSA can ask to see a record of your walkaround check at a roadside check.
Yes. The guide accepts electronic systems, including checks on a handheld device. It expects a suitable digital signature, secure data entry and storage, date and time stamps including on nil reports, a tamper-proof record with a clear audit trail, and confirmation that the vehicle is roadworthy at the start of the journey. Review any app, PreStart included, against that guidance before relying on it as your only record.
No app can do that on its own, and PreStart is not approved by DVSA. PreStart records each walkaround check, defects with photos and repair notes in your own Cloudflare account. The operator remains responsible for meeting DVSA guidance and the conditions of its operator licence, including training drivers, fixing defects before vehicles are used and keeping records.
PreStart Lite is free and open source. PreStart Pro is $149 USD once for one business, with no monthly fee, and adds driver signatures, the Today board, missed-check email, defect assignment with fix-by dates, printable reports, CSV export and offline checks. The Turnkey Setup, where PreStart is installed for you with your vehicles and checklist, is $499 USD. Prices are in US dollars.