Are your HGV daily walkaround checks as effective as they should be? Knowing your vehicle is crucial, and West Midlands HGV drivers are particularly under scrutiny at the moment. In January 2025, 3 separate HGVs struck the Erdington Bridge in the same week.
That’s not unusual either. 65 bridge strikes took place in the West Midlands in April and March 2024 alone, with Network Rail revealing the most bashed bridges locally as:
- Cradley Road, Cradley Heath
- Station Road by Berkswell Station, Balsall Common
- Brimingham Road, Warwick
As a result, Network Rail are asking lorry drivers in Birmingham and West Midlands to check their vehicles’ heights to cut down on the number of incidents. And of course, the same applies wherever your route takes you across the country.
Confirming your vehicle height forms part of the daily walkaround check anyway, so it’s a good opportunity to make sure nothing’s left to chance. If you want to refresh your HGV walkaround check procedure is up to scratch, here’s what to do.
Checking Your Vehicle Height in the Daily Vehicle Walkaround
Confirming your vehicle’s height, and that it’s displayed correctly on the vehicle height marker in the cab, should be part of your daily vehicle check. Since vehicle heights can change for a number of reasons, you can’t make assumptions.
On top to the risk to pedestrians, road and rail users and you, the HGV driver, railway bridge strikes cost you and the company. And it doesn’t even take a serious situation like striking a railway bridge to get in trouble. The police or Driver and Vehicle Standards agency (DVSA) can pull you over for a vehicle check and hand out penalties if your lorry doesn’t meet standards.
Who’s Responsible for Daily Vehicle Checks?
HGV drivers are legally responsible for making sure the HGV you’re driving is in good condition and safe to drive. That’s why you must always carry out a daily walkaround check. Don’t just go through the motions, make sure you’re actually taking everything in.
What If You Find a Defect During an HGV Walkaround Check?
If your daily vehicle check shows up a problem or something that needs looking at, make a written report for your supervisor. You can’t let it go unmentioned, or you could be held responsible.
How to Carry Out a Lorry Walkaround Check
You can refresh your memory of the right way to carry out daily HGV walkaround checks with the government’s walkaround video and HGV walkaround check diagram. It takes less that 5 minutes to watch the video, and it shows you what you’re expected to do for each stage.
They also provide an HGV daily check sheet of what you’re expected to cover, including:
- Cab doors, steps, trailer doors and panels
- Reflectors and number plate
- Vehicle markings and warning plates
- Wheels and tyres
- Lights, indicators and stop lamps
- Fluid levels, fuel cap and signs of fuel leaks
- High voltage emergency cut-off switch
- Fuel isolation switch
- Vehicle height marker in the cab
- Windscreen, windscreen wipers and front side windows
- Seatbelts
- Steering wheel, horn and dashboard instruments
- Brakes
Wait, that’s not all. You should make sure you’re kitted out with the right set-up and paperwork for your route, too. For example, before driving in Greater London, you’ve got to meet the TfL Direct Vision Standard.
Safe Vehicle and Safe Driver
Your vehicle’s condition isn’t the only concern though – you’ve also got to take care of your own health. In fact, it’s another legal requirement. All HGV drivers need to pass the DVLA D4 driver medical to get their licence, but your fitness levels can change at any time. If you’re concerned about your all-round health, eyesight or mental health, speak to a doctor to make sure you’re still safe to drive.
If you need an HGV driver medical near Birmingham, contact My Driver Medical to book online or by phone. We offer same day and short notice D4 medicals with a fully qualified GP.