Every check, filtered
Filter by vehicle, driver, result or period, then download selected checks as a ZIP. A red count shows defect reports that still need to be acknowledged.
Daily vehicle check
Walkaround check app for HGV, PSV and van fleets.
Drivers complete the daily walkaround check on their phone in the TachoAssist Companion app. No defects? Send a nil defect report in a few taps. Found a defect? Add photos and mark the vehicle as Safe to drive or Do not drive. The office sees each check under Reports and documents → Vehicle checks, then acknowledges it and records the repair.
Included in the Business plan. No payment card to start. No minimum term.
A walkaround check that reaches the office.
Paper defect sheets only work if they are completed before the vehicle moves and reach the office the same day. GOV.UK tells drivers to use the system provided by their employer, and the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness accepts electronic defect records with reliable dates and times.
TachoAssist puts the check on the driver’s phone and keeps the record in the same workspace as your tachograph analysis.
How the daily walkaround check works.
Five steps, the same for every vehicle type.
- Pick the vehicle.The driver adds each vehicle once. Vehicles found on the tachograph card are suggested under “From your card”.
- Walk round the vehicle.The check follows a numbered vehicle diagram, with Tachograph and Equipment sections underneath. It covers the items in the DVSA walkaround check list for that vehicle type. A coupled trailer is included in the same check.
- No defects? Send a nil defect report.Tap “All OK”, then “Confirm and send”. The driver confirms the vehicle is roadworthy for the start of the journey, and the nil defect report is saved with the date and time.
- Found a defect? Add details and photos.Choose what is wrong, add a note and up to three photos, then answer: Safe to drive or Do not drive. A photo is required for Do not drive.
- The office takes it from there.The check appears under Reports and documents → Vehicle checks. If the driver selects Do not drive, the account owner and all admins are emailed straight away.
My vehicles: each registration with its latest check. 
Add a vehicle: registration and vehicle type. 
The check follows a numbered vehicle diagram. 
A defect: what is wrong, where it is and a note. 
Add photos, then choose Safe to drive or Do not drive. 
Sent. A Do not drive check reaches the office straight away.
Four vehicle types, one way of checking.
Choose the vehicle type once for each registration number. For a minibus, select Bus or coach.
Truck
Tractor unit
Bus or coach
Van
Tachograph analysis and walkaround checks
Built around the tachograph card.
The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness says drivers using tachograph records should record the walkaround check and related repairs as “other work”. The check reminds them: the Tachograph row reads “Card in, set to ‘other work’”.
- Vehicles found on the driver card are suggested automatically, with the date each one was last driven.
- Walkaround checks sit in the same workspace as driver card and vehicle unit analysis, infringements and driver debriefs.
See how tachograph analysis and vehicle checks work together
What the DVSA walkaround check guidance asks you to record.
GOV.UK’s HGV walkaround guide lists what a check record should contain. Every check sent from the Companion app records:
- The vehicle registration, plus the trailer if one was coupled.
- The date and UK time.
- Defect details in the driver’s own words, with photos.
- The driver’s assessment: Safe to drive or Do not drive.
- The driver’s name and driver card number.
- Who the defect was reported to, with the acknowledgement time.
The guide also says to record nil defects and notes that DVSA can ask to see walkaround check records at a roadside check. Drivers can see their last 7 days of checks in the Companion app, with each PDF in English.
Defect reports must be kept for at least 15 months. TachoAssist keeps every check, including nil defect reports, for at least 15 months.
Traffic commissioners describe apps as support tools, not a replacement for the physical inspection. The driver still walks round the vehicle; the app records the check and sends it to the office.
What the company sees.
Reports and documents → Vehicle checks: every check your drivers send, on desktop or phone.
Acknowledge
Open a check to see the defects, photos, checked zones and the driver’s declaration. Acknowledging the report records who received it and when.
Mark repaired
Record the repair date, who carried it out and what was done. The check then shows Repaired, with the date and name.
Reports and documents → Vehicle checks, with a count of new defect reports. 
A defect report opened: the photos, the zones checked and Acknowledge. 
After the repair: who acknowledged it and who did the work.
What the report looks like.
Every check is saved as a PDF. These examples use a demo company, demo driver and made-up registrations.
Sample nil defect report (PDF) (PDF, 46 KB)
Sample defect report, acknowledged and repaired (PDF) (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Walkaround checks, your O-licence and your OCRS.
Traffic commissioners describe the walkaround check as “a legal duty and safety priority”. Their 2025 statement lists possible consequences for operators, including OCRS impact and action against the licence, up to revocation.
For DVSA Earned Recognition, the operator standard expects a process that shows walkaround checks are carried out effectively, including a nil defect process.
How tachograph infringements feed your OCRS · Earned Recognition and the tachograph KPIs
Running vehicles in Ireland?
Irish operators follow RSA and CVRT rules, with defect records kept for two years. See the daily walkaround check app for Irish fleets.
Pricing
Included in the Business plan.
Vehicle checks are included in the Business plan at no extra cost: £2.50 for each driver whose data you analyse that month — about 58p a week.
- No VAT charged, no minimum term, and a 14-day trial with no payment card.
- Turn vehicle checks on under Settings → Companion app → Vehicle checks. Available in UK and Irish workspaces.
- Invite each driver once from their driver page with “Invite to the Companion app”.
Compliance support, not legal advice.
A vehicle check records the driver’s own assessment. TachoAssist does not decide whether a vehicle is roadworthy and is not DVSA approved. The operator remains responsible for the walkaround routine, defect reporting and repairs.
Official sources
The guidance behind the check.
GOV.UK: carry out HGV daily walkaround checksWhat to check, and how to record and report the result
Guide to Maintaining RoadworthinessDefect reporting, electronic records and the 15-month rule
Traffic commissioners: the walkaround checkA legal duty and a safety priority
DVSA Earned Recognition: HGV operator standardsWalkaround checks and the nil defect process
Related reading.
Questions
Walkaround check app FAQ
Are digital walkaround checks legal in the UK?
Yes. DVSA guidance allows drivers to use the system provided by their employer, and the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness accepts electronic defect records. Records of reported defects and repairs must be available for at least 15 months. The driver must still carry out the physical walkaround check.
Is there a free app for HGV walkaround checks?
DVSA provides a free printable defect report form. TachoAssist vehicle checks are included in the Business plan, which you can try free for 14 days without a payment card.
How long should an HGV walkaround check take?
The guidance does not set a fixed time. The check should take as long as needed to inspect the vehicle properly. Drivers using a tachograph should record the check as other work.
How long do you need to keep vehicle defect reports?
At least 15 months under the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness, together with the repair record. Keeping nil defect reports is also good practice. TachoAssist keeps every check, including nil defect reports, for at least 15 months.
What happens when a driver reports a defect?
The check appears under Reports and documents → Vehicle checks. A red count shows it until someone acknowledges it. If the driver selects Do not drive, the account owner and all admins are emailed straight away. You can then acknowledge the report and record the repair date, who did the work and what was done.
Is the app DVSA approved?
No. TachoAssist is not DVSA approved and is not a validated DVSA Earned Recognition supplier. The check follows the items in DVSA’s published walkaround guidance and records the information drivers are expected to keep.
Do drivers need to install anything?
No. The Companion app opens in the driver’s phone browser from the invitation link. It works on the driver’s own phone or a company device. A signal is needed to send the check. If the connection drops, the answers stay on screen until the driver tries again.
Vehicle checks in the Business plan
Take the walkaround check off paper and into the office.
Register and try it with your own drivers for 14 days. No payment card. No minimum term.