Vehicle Inspection, Maintenance and Defect Reporting
Daily checks
A professional driver inspects the vehicle before use. Walk around the combination checking tyres for damage, tread and pressure, wheels and nuts for security, lights and reflectors, mirrors, glass, wipers, washers, bodywork, load security, coupling security, air lines and electrical connections, and signs of leaks. In the cab, check warning lamps, brakes, steering, horn and instruments. Record the result.
Defects and the law
A defect affecting safety must be reported and put right before the vehicle is used. Drivers should know the difference between a defect that makes the vehicle unroadworthy and one that can be deferred and monitored, and that the decision is recorded. Never sign off a check you have not carried out. Maintenance schedules and periodic inspections form part of operator compliance, and records must be kept.
Traps
Questions often ask what to do when a defect is found mid-journey. The safe answer is to stop, assess, report, and not continue if safety is affected. Another trap is confusing a warning lamp with a fault: a lamp that stays on after start-up indicates a system needing attention.
Rule of thumb
If a defect could affect braking, steering, tyres, lights, coupling or load security, the vehicle does not move until it is fixed.
Worked example
During the walk-around you find a deep cut in a tyre sidewall exposing cord. Correct: do not use the vehicle, report the defect, and have the tyre replaced. Inflating it and continuing is wrong.