HGV Driver Changeovers: Keep Check Records Clear

Two drivers can use the same lorry in one day and still leave a gap in the office record. The first reports a warning light verbally; the second sees yesterday's check on a phone and assumes it covers the vehicle now. HGV driver changeover checks need a clear handover between people, equipment and evidence.

The purpose is to help the incoming driver establish what they are taking over. It is not to produce two identical forms merely because the fleet works two shifts.

Begin with the actual combination

Record the incoming driver, vehicle registration, trailer identity, location and takeover time. Compare these with the assignment. If the outgoing driver dropped a trailer and collected another, a vehicle-only entry will not explain the equipment now attached.

Keep the outgoing driver's comments with the same asset record. A screenshot sent in a group chat may reach the next driver without reaching the person responsible for the defect.

Find the check and defect evidence

DVSA's roadworthiness guide addresses driver changes and continued responsibility for roadworthiness. Apply the relevant guidance to your handover arrangements rather than inventing a universal rule that every change is covered by someone else's form.

The incoming driver should know how to find the current check, any reported fault and the office response. If a report says “brake noise, manager informed”, establish who assessed it and what decision was made. Do not treat the word “informed” as evidence of resolution.

Separate a check from a briefing

A briefing might explain where the load goes, which site gate to use and where the trailer will finish. A walkaround record concerns the condition of the equipment. Both matter, but one cannot substitute for the other.

Keep the handover concise:

• Actual vehicle and trailer identity.
• Check reference and any uncertainty about its coverage.
• Defects reported since that check.
• Current asset restrictions or maintenance decisions.
• Next job, load and delivery instructions.
• Person to contact if the record does not match the equipment.

Where it is unsafe to perform a check at the proposed handover point, the responsible manager needs a suitable arrangement. Drivers should not be pushed to inspect vehicles in an exposed traffic lane to complete an administrative task.

Work through a realistic changeover

Consider a fictional lorry returning at 14:00 with trailer T12. Its next job requires T18. The afternoon driver needs the information for the lorry and T18; the morning record for T12 does not explain T18's condition.

The office confirms the revised combination, reviews relevant outstanding defects and makes the check requirement clear. The handover also identifies that the customer reference changed. This prevents the driver receiving an accurate safety briefing alongside an obsolete delivery instruction.

Review exceptions without backdating

At the end of the shift, distinguish missing evidence from a late upload and from an asset that was not used. Preserve what actually happened. A form completed at 18:00 must not be presented as a check performed before a 14:00 departure.

If the same driver change repeatedly creates uncertainty, review the checking location, available time and assignment process. Repeatedly reminding people to “do better” will not fix an equipment list that is wrong before every shift.

HauliK links checks and defects to drivers and assets. Ask to see the driver app with a real change of combination and the corresponding office check history. Confirm how your current app version and company setup handle prompts and exceptions before relying on them as an operational control.