Before you roll, you walk the vehicle. Lights, tyres, mirrors, load security — the list is familiar. What often falls apart is the record: a paper pad in the door pocket, a photo dump on your phone, or nothing at all until someone asks for proof.
Walkaround check in HGV Time Pilot Pro is a structured, DVSA-style pre-shift check on the web dashboard — checklist by vehicle type, defect photos, history, and PDF/email export — so the daily check lives in the same account as your drivers' hours and vehicle safety tracker.
This post explains how to use it, who it is for, and what it deliberately is not. It is not legal advice. Your operator's procedures and DVSA expectations remain the authority.
Who it is for
- Owner-operators who are both driver and office
- Agency and freelance drivers who want their own photo-backed record of what they checked
- Small fleets where a PC in the yard or office is the natural place to complete and file a check
- Pro subscribers — including anyone in their 14-day Pro card bonus
It is not a full workshop or fleet maintenance system. No job cards, no parts ordering, no multi-depot workflows. Daily walkaround here; longer-cycle PMI/MOT dates live in the vehicle safety tracker.
Where to find it
- Sign in at v3.hgvtimepilot.com.
- Open Tools → Walkaround check.
Pro required. Free users see the tool card and can upgrade — the same pattern as vehicle compliance history. Walkaround is web-first today. The Android app focuses on the live shift timer and card download; complete the walkaround on a phone browser, tablet, or PC before you start the timer.
Email preferences: you can opt out of walkaround-related emails under Preferences if auto-email on submit is more noise than help.
Vehicle types and checklists
Checks are framed by vehicle type:
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Rigid | Rigid goods vehicles |
| Tractor | Artic tractor units |
| Trailer | Trailers as their own profile |
Each type gets a DVSA-style checklist — location-based sections for rigid and tractor units so you work around the vehicle in a sensible order, not a random tick-box dump.
Add vehicles once under your account. The same vehicle list is shared with the vehicle safety & compliance tracker — one registry, two jobs (daily check vs MOT/PMI calendar).
A quick walkthrough
1. Pick the vehicle
Select the registration and type you are about to drive (or couple). If the trailer is separate, run a trailer check on the trailer profile — do not bury trailer defects under the tractor only.
2. Work through the checklist
Mark items as you go. The structure follows a practical walkaround: lights, tyres, body, load area, and the rest of the DVSA-style categories for that vehicle type.
Optional 10-minute timed check (toggle in Settings) keeps the exercise honest when you are tempted to rush. Useful for training yourself into a consistent pace; turn it off if your yard process already has its own clock.
3. Log defects with photos
When something fails the check, record the defect and capture a photo — direct camera capture on a phone browser works well in the yard. Photos turn a vague "nearside marker" note into something a fitter or transport manager can act on.
4. Submit and keep the record
On submit you get:
- A check stored in your history
- PDF export for that check
- Optional auto-email of the PDF (control this in preferences)
- A DVSA proof style section for today's completed check when you need a quick "I did today's walkaround" reference
Retention is practical, not forever: emailed/export artefacts follow the product's retention rules (including cleanup of short-lived email artefacts). Your check history in the account is what you return to for past days.
How it fits the rest of HGV Time Pilot
| Feature | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Vehicle safety tracker | Same vehicles. Walkaround = today's roadworthiness check; tracker = PMI / MOT / tacho / tyres due dates. |
| Shift timer | Walkaround first (web), then start shift on Android — driver safety before hours coaching. |
| Reports hub | Hours/compliance PDFs from the card; walkaround PDFs are a separate paper trail for vehicle checks. |
| Drivers' hours / DCR | Complementary — hours compliance vs vehicle check records. |
One login: card data for hours, walkaround for the metal, tracker for the diary.
What it is not
Worth repeating in plain English:
Structured record-keeping for pre-shift checks. It does not replace your operator's walkaround system, statutory defect reporting procedures, or professional transport advice. You remain responsible for vehicle roadworthiness and for following DVSA and operator rules.
Do not treat a green checklist as a certificate that the vehicle is legal to use if you skipped items or ignored a defect. The tool helps you structure and evidence a check — it does not guarantee an outcome at the roadside.
Free vs Pro
Free: tool is visible; full walkaround history, photos, and PDF/email export need Pro (or the 14-day card bonus after your first successful card import).
Pro: checklists by type, defect photos, history, PDF export, email options, shared vehicles with the maintenance tracker.
A practical yard routine
- Open Walkaround check on the phone or yard PC.
- Select tractor / rigid / trailer as needed.
- Complete the list; photo any defects.
- Submit and save/email the PDF if your operator wants a copy.
- Start the Android shift timer when you are ready to work.
- Once a week, glance at Vehicle safety & compliance so PMI/MOT dates are not a surprise.
Frequently asked questions
Is this on the Android app?
Walkaround is on the web dashboard. Use a mobile browser in the yard if you prefer phone over PC. Native Android walkaround is not the current path.
Do I need a card download to use walkaround?
No. Walkaround does not need tachograph data. Pro (or the card bonus) unlocks the feature; card import is separate.
Can my operator see my checks automatically?
HGV Time Pilot is driver-first. Checks sit under your account. You choose who receives PDFs — there is no built-in fleet portal that pushes every check to an operator.
Rigid vs tractor vs trailer — why separate?
Different vehicles, different checklists. Trailers deserve their own profile so defects are not lost against the wrong VRN.
Does walkaround replace PMI paperwork?
No. See the vehicle safety tracker for longer-cycle planning — and keep statutory PMI records in your operator maintenance system.
Try your first check
- Upgrade to Pro, or download your card to unlock 14 days of Pro.
- Sign in at v3.hgvtimepilot.com.
- Open Tools → Walkaround check, add a vehicle if needed, and run today's list.
For longer-cycle dates, continue with vehicle safety & compliance. For hours after you roll, see the shift timer and Daily Compliance Review. Feedback: support@hgvtimepilot.com.
Walkaround checks support structured record-keeping. They are not legal advice. Always follow your operator's policies and current DVSA guidance.