HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles) play a vital role in the transportation industry by facilitating the efficient transportation of goods nationwide. Utilising HGV inspections, this guide provides valuable insights for maintaining the roadworthiness and safety of heavy goods vehicles.
What is HGV inspection?
The HGV inspection is a comprehensive examination ensuring heavy goods vehicles’ roadworthiness and compliance with safety regulations. This assessment involves inspecting the vehicle’s interior, exterior, technical systems, and documentation.
The legal requirements for HGV inspections
The inspections of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) go beyond being a safety practice; they are a legal requirement mandated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in the United Kingdom. These inspections are crucial to ensure safety and compliance with the law. Non-compliance with these regulations can have profound consequences for businesses, including penalties such as the suspension of your fleet’s operating license and fines.
Failing an HGV inspection can lead to various implications such as
- Expensive repairs
- Vehicle Impoundments
- Increased insurance premiums
Operating an unsafe vehicle puts not only the driver at risk but also poses a danger to other road users and the goods being transported.
How to prepare for an HGV inspection
Before an HGV inspection, which can also be referred to as a daily walk around check, you should have a pre-inspection checklist that includes key focus areas to help prepare your vehicle thoroughly.
Exterior inspection
It includes examining for any visible damages such as body work, mirrors provide proper visibility, ensuring tyres have good tread depth and lights work in order.
Interior inspection
This checks the condition of the seatbelt, the driver’s seat, dashboard controls, gauges, safety equipment and the cabin is free of obstructions and clean.
Mechanical inspection
To achieve the mechanical inspection, you must conduct a comprehensive inspection of the engines, brakes, suspension, fluid levels, exhaust, and emissions. These checks can be completed either on paper or in a more convenient and efficient manner using Webfleet’s fleet safety and maintenance solutions. By utilising this system, you can go beyond traditional methods and benefit from features such as driver support, active coaching for drivers, fleet protection, mitigation of unexpected incidents, and improved vehicle maintenance management. This ensures that you stay proactive in addressing challenges, enhancing safety, and maintaining the optimal performance of your fleet.
Checking your HGV brakes and tyres
Regular tyre checks are vital for enhancing the safety of your fleet operations, and thus are important for the inspections. According to the DVSA standard, Heavy Goods Vehicles should have a tread depth of at least 1mm. Any tread depth below this requires an immediate report and a prompt replacement of the affected tyres. To ensure that you stay within the recommended tyre pressure range of 8 to 9 bar (not exceeding 10).
The latest Webfleet Trailer solution provides 24/7 tyre view with tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) in-built, safety monitoring with fault detection, enabling you to address any issues before they escalate into major repairs. The integrated Electronic Braking Performance Monitoring System (EBPMS) allows you to report on your vehicle’s brakes.
The Webfleet Trailer solution generates a bespoke Webfleet Braking Performance Report. The report identifies any abnormalities in braking performance through remote monitoring of your vehicle’s braking events. It alerts you if the values fall below the pass mark of 5 set by the DVSA.
Webfleet Trailer enables you to exceed the requirements for conducting a roller braking test at least four times per year, resulting in a significant reduction of £100 in annual inspection costs for each Heavy Goods Vehicle in your fleet.
HGV inspection manual DVSA
The DVSA has provided an extensive guidebook for operators and inspectors of Heavy Goods Vehicles. This handbook encompasses all aspects of HGV inspections, from pre-inspection procedures to a detailed checklist for each vehicle component.
It is a valuable resource that promotes the smooth and efficient operation of HGVs while upholding the highest safety and compliance standards. The HGV inspection manual offers a step-by-step guide. It empowers operators and inspectors to conduct thorough inspections and identify any potential issues or concerns.
By adhering to the guidelines outlined in this manual, operators can proactively manage their fleet, minimise downtime, and optimise the performance of their HGVs.
It serves as an indispensable tool for those committed to ensuring the utmost safety and regulatory compliance in the operation of Heavy Goods Vehicles.
What to do if you find any HGV defects
Ensuring the thorough inspection of all vehicles in your fleet, it is crucial to address any identified defects promptly. After conducting the necessary checks mentioned above, it is your responsibility to immediately report any defects discovered. If a defect poses a safety risk, it is imperative that the vehicle is not driven.
With the comprehensive technical solutions provided by Webfleet, users can avoid the need for manual recording of defect details such as the vehicle’s registration number, name, and date of identification.
Fleet managers and drivers will receive real-time updates via the Webfleet app, ensuring immediate access to information on any issues. This streamlined process eliminates the need for manual documentation and ensures efficient communication between all parties involved.
The DVSA also requires the retention of all defect reports for a period of 15 months, as paper checklists can be prone to misplacement.
Guarantee the security of your driver and vehicle. Maintain the optimal state of your vehicle, reducing the cost of inspection spent per vehicle. Remain on top of your vehicle maintenance decreasing the chances of inspection failures within your fleet operations.
Explore our extensive selection of fleet management solutions, specifically designed to ensure your fleet operates smoothly and efficiently, ensuring compliance and reducing risks.
