Maintaining a roadworthy fleet of business vans is one of the top priorities for fleet managers. Even seemingly small vehicle defects like low tyre pressure or a malfunctioning windshield wiper could result in a vehicle breakdown, or worse. You must ensure that business van checks are completed regularly – download our check sheet template for more information. A Van Damage Check Sheet can help identify vehicle defects and damage before a driver gets behind the wheel, making the road a safer place for everyone.
We’ll explain why van checks are so important. Plus you’ll gain access to a free downloadable van damage check sheet:
Van Damage Check Sheet Template
What Are Van Checks?
Business van checks are a specified set of conditions that both drivers and fleet managers need to look out for before operating a van. The van check sheet requirements encompass the entire van, both interior and exterior.
It is recommend that business van checks be completed on a daily basis, or just before a van is driven. Vimcar has created a downloadable business van damage check sheet that walks you through every aspect of the van you need to inspect.
Here’s an overview of what should be included in a daily van check:
- Tyres and wheels
- Load
- Bodywork and doors
- Tow-bars and tail-lifts
- Exhaust
- Number plates
- Battery
- Fuel, fluids and oil
- Brakes
- Lights
- Mirrors
- Seats and seatbelts
- …and more!
A daily van check shouldn’t take too long to complete, but it’s best to use a van check sheet to ensure you don’t miss anything.
Why Are Van Checks Important?
Whether you manage a large fleet or you’re self-employed, business van checks are crucial to ensuring that the road stays a safe place for everyone. By performing these checks, you’re lowering the chances of one of your drivers or someone else on the road being injured due to vehicle maintenance issues.
Moreover, you are legally required to keep business vans safe and roadworthy. Reports should be filed after every van check, even if no defects or damage was uncovered.
What To Do If A Business Van Has Been Damaged
If a defect or damage has been detected on a van, it should be noted in a report and the fleet manager (or another specified employee) should be notified immediately.
Damage reports should include the make and model of the van, a detailed explanation of the damage, who reported it and who the damage was reported to.
Read more: Employee Company Car Agreement | Contract Template And Tips
Serious defects must be repaired before the van is driven again. Additionally, fleet managers are responsible for following up on damage reports to ensure that the van has been appropriately repaired and is once again safe to drive.
Van Damage Check Sheet Template
How long should reports be kept on file?
There is no specified amount of time that van damage reports must be kept on file. However, HGV damage reports must be kept on file for 15 months, so keeping a van damage report for that amount of time makes sense.
It’s better to have extensive records on each van within your fleet than to have too little information, should your fleet be inspected in the future.
FAQs answered on Van Check Sheets
At Vimcar, we are aware that all businesses have jargon. For this reason, we chose to demystify the common van check sheet phrases to help you understand its importance and how Vimcar can assist you. Below are our van check sheet FAQs.
1. What is the purpose of a daily vehicle check on a commercial vehicle?
Any business operating commercial vehicles must ensure its vans are up to roadworthy standards. Daily vehicle checks are a straightforward way to ensure your drivers stay safe through the early detection of car problems. A van check sheet is an excellent tool when you want to detect faults in time plus reduce the repair and maintenance costs.
Read more: Best Van Tyres
2. What are the five most essential vehicle checks before driving off?
Before we answer this question, remember that there are dozens of checks on a van check sheet. You can find all of them all here.
Some important checks include:
- Lights. Examining your front and rear lights is essential before hitting the road. The key steps include checking that the lights are working and are not faded. It’s also a good idea to confirm that the fog lights, brake, and indicator lights are functioning.
- Tyres. Commercial vans experience lots of wear and tear. Some of the things to check for include air pressure, tyre treads, and damage. Besides that, it would be wise to confirm that each van’s spare tyre is in pristine condition.
- Oil and fluids. This vehicle check should never miss on your van check sheet to ensure your HGV vehicles are running efficiently. The things to check include coolant, brake and windscreen fluid, and engine oil.
- Air filter. We cannot stress enough the importance of checking your vehicles’ air filters. Confirm that there is no dust buildup. We recommend changing the filter routinely if your cars cover high mileage.
- Dashboard. Your van check sheet must also include dashboard checks. We recommend checking the manual of your vehicles to familiarize yourself with any flashing that appears.
3. Is it a legal requirement to undertake daily vehicle safety checks before commencing a driving duty?
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requires all vehicle operators to perform daily walkaround checks to ensure roadworthiness.
4. Which of the following are vehicle checks that should be done daily?
Our van check sheet has a complete list of things to check daily. These daily checks fall under two categories: external and internal.
- External checks include bodywork, tyre condition, windows, and lights
- Internal checks have seat belts, fire extinguishers, and fluid condition
5. Why are vehicle checks necessary?
The safety of everyone, from the driver to the pedestrian, is the most obvious basis for undertaking routine vehicle checks. Such checks also ensure you are compliant with DVSA requirements which is why they must be included in a van check sheet.
Read more: How To Ensure Drivers Take Care Of Your Fleet Vehicles
6. What do you check before driving a van?
Similar to other light goods vehicles, your van check sheet should include the following checks.
- Tyre condition
- Load
- Exhaust
- Fluids
- Lights
- Battery
We hope we’ve answered most of your questions about Van Check Sheets. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more details on how VimCar’s fleet management software could work for you.
How To Ensure Drivers Complete Business Van Checks
Completing van walkaround checks is the responsibility of both fleet managers and drivers. Therefore, it’s important that fleet managers properly incentivise their drivers to complete these checks.
A few ways to ensure drivers complete daily van checks include:
- Explaining the importance of business van checks during driver training.
- Providing drivers with step-by-step van damage check sheets to make daily walkaround checks even easier.
- Rewarding drivers who complete van checks.
Fleet managers simply can’t check every single van each day. Therefore, a business needs to have systems in place to encourage drivers to complete van checks regularly.
Read more: How Tracks on Vans Can Improve Your Van Maintenance
Keeping Your Business Van Roadworthy
Completing daily van checks is crucial to keeping vehicles roadworthy. Van checks are the responsibility of both fleet managers and drivers. To make this process easier and ensure nothing is skipped, using a van check sheet is recommended.
Keep in mind that van checks are just one of the many responsibilities of fleet managers. For assistance with other fleet management tasks, contact Vimcar today. Our software is easy to use and addresses other key fleet management tasks, such as fleet GPS tracking.
Read more: Driving At Work – How To Create A Safe Driving Policy & What is a GPS tracking system?
Introducing Van Check Sheets To Your Fleet Operations
Larger businesses tend to rely on dedicated fleet manages to complete walkaround checks of vehicles on a daily basis. However, more modest enterprises often depend on drivers themselves to complete such inspections. Regardless of which model your business adopts, making use of a van check sheet will streamline inspection procedures considerably.
However, compiling a thorough van check sheet will only go so far in identifying early damage and vehicle roadworthiness. Ultimately, you need to encourage drivers to make proper use of them by providing incentives. All fleet operators should underline the importance of van check sheets during the induction and training of new drivers. Although van check sheets should be comprehensive and cover a full breakdown of interior and exterior elements, they should also be accessible and easy to use.
