Making Sure HGVs Stay Roadworthy: A Guide to Inspections and Compliance
Keeping Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) safe, legal, and fit for the road is one of the most important responsibilities for anyone managing a fleet. Regular checks help prevent expensive breakdowns, reduce the risk of accidents, and keep your business on the right side of the law.
In this guide, we’ll look at how HGV inspections work, the most common reasons vehicles fail, and how using digital tools like Autocheck can help simplify the entire process.
Understanding HGV Inspections
Inspections are a key part of running a safe and reliable fleet. They’re not just about ticking boxes—they help you catch problems early, often before they cause any real disruption. HGVs need a range of inspections throughout their life on the road, forming a core part of any effective HGV maintenance programme.
HGV Inspection Types
Daily Walkaround Checks
Drivers are expected to check their vehicles at the start of each working day. This includes lights, tyres, brakes, mirrors, and anything else that could affect the vehicle’s roadworthiness. A properly completed HGV inspection sheet helps make sure no detail is missed and that findings are clearly recorded.
Preventative Maintenance Inspections (PMIs)
PMIs are more thorough than daily checks. These are usually scheduled every six to eight weeks and take place in a workshop, where vehicles are lifted or placed over a pit so technicians can inspect the underbody and key systems. This structured approach to automotive inspections ensures consistent vehicle condition monitoring.
Annual MOT Test
Every HGV must pass an annual test approved by the DVSA. It’s a legal requirement and checks overall roadworthiness, emissions, and mechanical condition.
Ad-Hoc Spot Checks
The DVSA can carry out random roadside checks without warning. If your vehicles are in poor condition, you may face prohibitions, fines, or even licence action.
How Often Should HGVs Be Inspected?
There’s no fixed schedule that suits every operation. The right inspection frequency depends on how your vehicles are used, the type of loads they carry, and even the terrain they drive on. Getting the inspection intervals right is a fundamental part of managing HGV maintenance successfully.
Light Loads, Easy Conditions
Vehicles that carry lighter goods on well-maintained roads tend to wear more slowly. In these cases, inspections every 10 to 13 weeks might be appropriate.
General Haulage and Trunking
For fleets running regular trunking routes between depots, inspections every five to ten weeks are often enough to keep problems in check.
Heavy or Arduous Work
If your trucks are under constant strain from heavy loads or demanding environments, inspections should happen more often—usually every four to eight weeks.
Off-Road or Harsh Terrain
Vehicles working on construction sites, in quarries, or across unpaved roads will pick up damage more quickly. A four-week inspection cycle is generally recommended.
Older Vehicles
For any vehicle over 12 years old, a six-week maximum interval is strongly advised, regardless of workload. Age alone increases the chance of parts wearing out or failing unexpectedly.
Key Compliance Areas and Common Reasons for Failures
There are a few recurring faults that lead to failed inspections or roadside prohibitions. Understanding these can help you stay ahead of problems and reduce the risk of delays or safety incidents. This is especially relevant during a fleet safety inspection where vehicle condition must be clearly demonstrated.
Braking System Faults
Worn components, missed servicing, or poor brake test records are all common causes of failure.
Lighting and Signalling
Faulty lights, blown bulbs, or damaged wiring are easy to overlook but regularly result in enforcement action.
Steering and Suspension Wear
Loose steering joints, worn bushings, or leaking suspension parts can seriously affect handling and road safety.
Tyre Defects
Bald tyres, incorrect pressures, or sidewall damage are a constant risk, especially on older trailers.
Emissions Problems
HGVs must meet strict emissions standards. Problems with AdBlue systems or DPF faults can lead to MOT failures.
Chassis and Body Issues
Rust, cracked welds, or structural damage are not always obvious but must be checked carefully.
Load Security Failures
Loads that aren’t properly secured pose a serious safety risk and can attract immediate prohibitions.
The key is to address faults before they develop into something more serious. Good record-keeping, regular inspections, and clear communication between drivers and workshop staff all play a role here.
What to Monitor When Changing Inspection Intervals
If you’re thinking of adjusting how often inspections happen—perhaps moving from fixed intervals to mileage-based checks—there are a few things you’ll need to keep an eye on. Making these adjustments correctly helps keep your HGV inspection routine aligned with operational needs.
Track Defects Carefully
Keep a close watch on any new issues that appear between inspections. If faults are cropping up more often, that could be a sign the current interval is too long.
Focus on Safety-Critical Parts
Brakes, tyres, steering, and lighting systems need particular attention. These are the areas most likely to show early signs of trouble.
Carry Out Monthly Reviews
Take time each month to look at recent inspection reports. If you notice a trend—say, a rise in brake-related faults—act quickly.
Stay Flexible
If changing your schedule leads to more breakdowns or compliance failures, don’t be afraid to revert to the old routine. What works on paper doesn’t always hold up in practice.
Being proactive in your monitoring allows you to make informed adjustments while staying compliant with your O-licence undertakings.
How Operating Conditions Impact HGV Inspection Schedules
The type of work your vehicles do makes a big difference when it comes to planning inspection intervals.
Light Use, Easy Roads
If your trucks mainly stick to well-surfaced roads and carry lighter loads, wear and tear is reduced. This means you can usually allow longer gaps between checks—up to 13 weeks in some cases.
General Haulage and Trunking
Vehicles that run consistent routes, especially on motorways or A-roads, fall into a mid-range category. A five to ten-week inspection cycle is typically enough to stay ahead of wear.
Heavy Loads and Tough Jobs
Where trucks are always operating near capacity, the physical strain takes its toll. These vehicles need inspecting every four to eight weeks to catch wear before it becomes dangerous.
Off-Road or Harsh Conditions
Construction work, unsealed roads, and poor site conditions all increase the risk of damage. In these cases, you should carry out inspections every four weeks.
Older Vehicles
Anything over 12 years old should be inspected every six weeks, no matter how easy the workload. Parts degrade with time, and age-related faults can appear with little warning.
Customising Inspection Schedules for Your Fleet
Not every vehicle in your fleet will need the same schedule. If you run a mix of older trucks, newer models, and trailers working different types of jobs, it makes sense to tailor your inspections.
Some operators choose to move from a time-based model to one that tracks mileage. This can give a better picture of how much wear a vehicle has actually experienced. But if you take this approach, make sure your admin is in order.
Set the maximum interval in the VOL system. If you inspect every 13 weeks based on mileage, record that.
Tick the “mixed frequency” box on your licence records if some vehicles follow different intervals.
Review monthly. If defect levels increase, reduce the gap again.
Document everything. Compliance means being able to show your process is working, not just having a plan.
A flexible system only works if you keep a close watch on results and are ready to change course if things start to slip.
How Digital Tools Like Autocheck Make Inspections Easier
Managing inspections on paper is time-consuming. It also makes it harder to track trends, flag recurring faults, or demonstrate compliance when DVSA comes calling. That’s where software like Autocheck can make a real difference.
What Autocheck Offers
Digital Inspection Templates
Set up custom inspection sheets for every vehicle type and ensure technicians carry out consistent, complete checks. Each digital HGV inspection sheet is stored automatically, helping reduce the chance of paperwork being missed or lost.
Photos and Video Logging
Visual evidence of faults supports decision-making and helps with audits.
Remote Review and Sign-Off
Inspectors can upload results instantly. Managers can review and approve them from anywhere.
Task Scheduling and Parts Tracking
Manage PMIs, services, repairs, and parts all in one place.
Centralised Record Storage
Access vehicle history and compliance documents at any time, from any device.
Simple Pricing
Autocheck works on a flat monthly fee. There are no per-user charges or hidden extras.
By using Autocheck, fleet managers save time, reduce paperwork, and stay in control of compliance. It’s a practical tool that makes automotive inspections easier and more reliable.
Why Roadworthiness Matters: Legal and Moral Reasons
There’s more to compliance than keeping the DVSA happy. A well-maintained fleet helps protect the people who drive your vehicles, as well as everyone else on the road.
The consequences of poor maintenance can be serious—fines, prohibitions, or even criminal liability in the worst cases. But beyond the legal side, there’s a duty of care. Your drivers rely on their vehicles being safe. Other road users trust that your vehicles won’t put them at risk.
By staying on top of inspections and fixing faults promptly, you reduce the risk of accidents, unplanned downtime, and enforcement action. It’s about doing the job properly and running a business you can be proud of.
