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Vehicle Inspection Checklist: Pre-Use Walk-Around for LDVs and Trucks

A pre-use walk-around for light delivery vehicles, trucks and truck-tractors with trailers, in the counter-clockwise order of the K53 pre-trip inspection. The driver completes it before the vehicle moves, photographs the items marked PHOTO, and reports every defect so it is closed before the next trip.

Before the first trip of every shift, and again on any change of vehicle or trailer · 42 checks · free printable PDF

Legal basis checked 26 October 2026

A worker in a hard hat and hi-vis talking to a truck driver at the cab before the truck moves

What the checklist covers

Documents and discs

Licence disc valid and displayedPhoto
Roadworthy certificate current, for a goods vehicle over 3,500 kg GVM
Operator card valid and displayed, where the vehicle needs onePhoto
Driver's licence of the correct code, and a professional driving permit where one is required
Trailer licence disc, clearance certificate and plate, if a trailer is coupled
Site or mine access permit for the vehicle, where the site requires one
Defects from the previous inspection repaired and signed off

Walk-around, counter-clockwise

Four corners of the vehicle photographed before the walk-aroundPhoto
No oil, fuel, coolant or air leaks under the vehicle
Mirrors intact, clean and secure
Windscreen free of cracks in the driver's line of sight; wiper blades in good condition
Lenses and reflectors clean and unbroken; registration plates present and legible
Bonnet, grille and bumper secure; engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and fan belt checked
Body, doors and drop sides undamaged and closed; any new damage reportedPhoto
Chevrons and reflective tape present, clean and undamaged, where fittedPhoto
Tilt-cab lock engaged, on a truck
Batteries and holder secure; fuel tank and cap secure; exhaust intact

Wheels and tyres, every wheel

Tread visible across the full width and round the tyre, at least 1 mm deep and above the wear indicatorPhoto
No cut or break reaching the cords longer than 25 mm or 10% of the tyre width; no exposed cord; no bulgesPhoto
Inflation correct; valve caps fitted
Wheel nuts all present and secure; no oil or grease leaking at the hub
Nothing stuck between dual wheels
Spare wheel, jack and wheel spanner present

Air, brakes and trailer coupling (trucks)

Air builds up to working pressure and holds with the engine off; no air leaks heard
Air tanks drained of water
Service lines and couplings connected and undamaged
Fifth wheel and safety lock pin engaged; no gap between the trailer and the fifth-wheel platePhoto
Tug test done against the trailer brakes
Trailer support legs fully raised and the handle stowedPhoto
Trailer park brake released before moving off

Cab, lights and safety equipment

Seatbelts working on every seat
Horn, wipers and washers working
Footbrake firm; handbrake holds on a slope
Steering has no excessive free play
Gauges normal and no warning lights after start-upPhoto
Headlights, tail, brake, indicator, hazard and reverse lights working; reverse alarm and beacon where fitted
Fire extinguisher present, sealed and within its service date
Warning triangles present
First aid kit present and stocked; wheel chocks where the site requires them
Load secured, covered if loose, and within the rated capacityPhoto

Driver and result

Driver rested and fit to drive; not impaired by alcohol, drugs or medication
Result recorded: safe to drive, or a defect reported and the vehicle not driven until it is repaired

How to use this checklist

1Keep a pad of sheets in the cab, one per vehicle per day, or run the same checks on a phone.
2Fill in the header first: vehicle, trailer, odometer, driver and site.
3Walk round the vehicle counter-clockwise before starting it, then do the air, cab and light checks with the engine running.
4Take the photos marked PHOTO with a phone and keep them with the sheet; in the app the photo is attached to the item.
5Mark every item OK, Defect or N/A. A blank box is not a pass.
6Write each defect in the defects table, tell your supervisor, and do not drive a vehicle with a safety defect until it is repaired and signed off.

A general guide. Add your manufacturer's checks and your site's own standards, and follow your site's procedures for reporting and isolating defective equipment. The walk-around follows the order of the pre-trip inspection in the K53 test for heavy vehicles (Notice R.95 of 2006). The tyre limits are those in regulation 212 of the National Road Traffic Regulations. A goods vehicle over 3,500 kg GVM needs a roadworthy certificate (regulation 142) and its operator card displayed (section 47 of the National Road Traffic Act, 93 of 1996, and regulation 272). On a construction site, regulation 23(1)(k) of the Construction Regulations, 2014 requires the operator to check construction vehicles and mobile plant daily before use against a checklist, with the findings recorded in a register kept in the vehicle.

Legal basis checked on 26 October 2026 against: National Road Traffic Act, 93 of 1996, section 47; National Road Traffic Regulations, regulations 142, 212 and 272; K53 test for heavy vehicles, pre-trip inspection (Notice R.95 of 2006); Construction Regulations, 2014, regulation 23(1)(k).

Convert this checklist into a digital form

Run it on an Android phone with no signal, attach photos as evidence, and every failed item raises an issue with an owner and a due date.

Start the trial from here and this checklist is waiting in your workspace as a ready-made form.

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Paper finds the defect. Then what?

On paper, a ticked "Defect" box often stays a ticked box. In Inspecable the same checklist keeps going after it is signed:

Run the checklist on an Android phone with no signal; it syncs when the crew is back in range.
A failed item raises an issue with an owner and a due date.
A corrective action cannot close without evidence and a signature.
Every completed inspection produces a signed PDF with its photos.

How the vehicle inspection app works

Questions

Who should complete a vehicle inspection checklist?

The driver who takes the vehicle out, before the first trip of the shift and again on any change of vehicle or trailer. A supervisor or the fleet controller reviews the sheets and makes sure every reported defect is repaired and signed off before the vehicle goes out again.

What is the legal minimum tyre tread depth in South Africa?

Regulation 212 of the National Road Traffic Regulations sets 1 mm of tread, with the pattern visible across the full width and round the tyre, and the tread above the wear indicator. Many mines and fleets set a higher site standard, so check against both.

In what order should a driver walk round the vehicle?

Counter-clockwise, the order of the K53 pre-trip inspection for heavy vehicles: look under the vehicle for leaks on the way to it, then work round from the front, checking mirrors, glass, lights, each wheel, the body and, on a truck, the air system, coupling and trailer.

Is this checklist enough for a mine or construction vehicle?

It covers the general pre-use checks. A mine adds its own requirements, such as access permits, beacons, buggy whips and the mine's standard for surface or underground vehicles, and a construction site keeps the completed checks in a register in the vehicle. Add those to the form before you use it.

Get the free printable PDF