Every UK fleet operator must evidence a daily walkround before a vehicle leaves the yard. This is the DVSA-aligned daily van safety check template, run over WhatsApp instead of a paper card or a separate app. The DVSA rule is UK-specific; Quickler itself runs any inspection in any country WhatsApp reaches.
Template + how-to
Daily van walkround on WhatsApp.
UK fleet operators must evidence a daily walkround on every vehicle before it leaves the yard. Quickler runs the DVSA-aligned check over WhatsApp, with defect photos and live status per vehicle.
Free forever: 20 reports a month. No card, no trial clock.
The requirement
What the DVSA expects
The driver inspects the vehicle before first use each day and reports any defects. The record should be dated, attributable to the driver, list items checked and defects found, and be retained. A standard walkround covers lights, brakes, steering, mirrors and glass, tyres and wheels, fluid levels, load security, exhaust and bodywork, plus required documents.
How it runs
The walkround in chat
- 1
One item per message
The driver replies OK, defect, or attaches a photo. A defect prompts a photo and one line describing it.
- 2
PDF plus dashboard
Each completed walkround produces a timestamped PDF and a red, amber or green row per vehicle.
- 3
Defects alert the manager
Defect rows trigger an email and dashboard alert carrying the defect line and the driver's photo.
Why it works
Better than paper or a driver app
vs paper: no shoebox of dated cards, no illegible handwriting, no forgotten hand-ins; every check is timestamped on send. vs a driver app: nothing new to install or open, it runs in the WhatsApp chat already on the phone. If you need full fleet management, a dedicated platform is still the right pick.
Ready to try it?
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Setup to first live workflow usually takes under a week.
The short version
- The DVSA daily check requires a dated, driver-attributable record of items checked and defects found.
- This is a proper van safety check UK workflow: a daily walkround check sent item by item over chat.
- It works as a DVSA walkround app and inspection checklist app with no install for the driver.
- Output is a timestamped PDF plus a live red, amber or green dashboard, making it real fleet compliance software.
- As a focused FleetCheck alternative, it covers the daily walkround, not full fleet management.
- It is WhatsApp inspection software and a field compliance app in the tool drivers already use.
The rule
What the DVSA expects
The DVSA expects the driver to inspect the vehicle before first use each day and report any defects to the operator. The record should be dated, attributable to the driver, list the items checked and any defects found, and be retained for the period the operator must keep it. Refer to current DVSA guidance for the exact record-keeping rules that apply to your licence category.
A standard walkround covers, at minimum: lights and indicators, brakes, steering, mirrors and glass, tyres and wheels, fluid levels, load security, exhaust and bodywork, plus a check that all required documents are present.
How it runs
The daily van check over WhatsApp
Every driver receives the walkround on WhatsApp at the start of the shift. Each item is a single chat message. The driver replies OK, defect, or attaches a photo. Answer defect and the driver is asked for a photo and one line describing it. The fleet manager sees status live.
The item list is built during onboarding from what the operator already inspects, covering at minimum the DVSA categories above. The completed walkround produces a timestamped PDF carrying every answer and photo, plus a dashboard row showing red, amber or green per vehicle. Defect rows trigger an email and dashboard alert.
Why it wins
Better than paper or a driver app
vs paper: no shoebox of dated cards, no illegible handwriting, no driver forgetting to hand the card in. Every check is timestamped the moment the driver sends it.
vs a driver app: nothing new to install or open. The walkround runs in the WhatsApp chat already on the phone.
Honest note: if you need full fleet management beyond the daily walkround, a dedicated platform is still the right pick. Quickler covers daily walkround compliance specifically. See where Quickler fits and where it does not.
Evidence
Audit trail and DVSA evidence
Every check is stored: timestamp, driver, vehicle, every answer, every photo. Records are retained per the operator's policy and exportable as PDF or CSV. When DVSA asks for proof, it is one search away.
Questions, answered
How does the fleet manager see defects?
The dashboard shows one row per vehicle with red, amber or green status. A defect triggers an email and dashboard alert carrying the defect line and the driver's photo.
Can I edit the template for our specific fleet?
Yes. Each operator's template is built during onboarding from the items they already check. Different vehicle types can have their own variants.
What if the driver has no signal at the yard?
WhatsApp queues the messages on the phone and delivers them when signal returns.
Does this also cover the weekly and six-weekly inspections?
The daily walkround is a separate workflow from the planned weekly and six-weekly maintenance inspections, which require a qualified inspector. Talk to us if you want to run those alongside.