When you think about pre-use checks, what do you picture?

It’s clear that pre-use checks are an important part of fleet maintenance for many businesses. But technical terminology and sector-specific jargon around vehicle inspections can make it hard to figure out what, exactly, a pre-use check should entail.

What are pre-use checks

There are multiple possible uses for the term pre-use checks. Pre-use checks may refer to:

  • In relation to PUWER and LOLER regulations around work equipment, first-use checks should be conducted after the equipment has been installed and before the first time it is used for that installation
  • In the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness, pre-use checks may refer to either:
    • Daily walkaround checks, the checks that should be conducted daily for HGVs, PSVs and LGVs
    • First-use checks, the more in-depth inspection that should be carried out when a vehicle if first put into use (or returned to use) in an organisation
  • In the PSV sector (particularly for buses) pre-use checks can refer to the short inspection drivers complete at the start of each shift.

Does it actually matter what you call your pre-use checks?

Trying to figure out the exact words to use only results in getting caught up in the details (Checks? Inspections? Pre-Use? First-use? Daily? Regular?) and forgetting the big picture (a safe, compliant and reliable fleet).

What it boils down to is that vehicles and work equipment should be given a thorough inspection before they’re put to use.

The rest is all noise.

With Stream Check, the exact name of your checks doesn’t really matter. The point with any check is to have a process for:

  • Inspecting vehicles or work equipment
  • Recording, reporting and resolving defects
  • Accessing and auditing historic checks

That’s it.

What is different about Stream’s pre-use check functionality?

Stream Check was designed for versatility.

In the vehicle (again, this can be interchangeable with forklift, plant machinery, crane… you name it) details module, you are able to manage vehicle / asset types and extend or configure the exact checks to include checks and bookings specific to the company, customer and/or industry.

With the Stream Check mobile App, drivers or operators just log in, search and select the vehicle and conduct the specified checks, collecting notes and photos of defects, where required.

The check information is electronically collected in real-time and stored in the cloud.

Defects are reported to fleet managers, maintenance teams and anyone else who needs the information, via email or in-app notifications.

Defects are then managed through to resolution, ensuring that the vehicle is signed off as roadworthy before it is put back into use.

Check history is quickly and easily available for auditing and inspection purposes.

What is inspected in pre-use checks, and when are they conducted?

That’s totally up to you.

Stream Check is customisable, so you can add and amend the specific checks and set inspection frequencies on a per-vehicle level, to suit your business’ health and safety or legislative requirements

Whether you call them first-use checks, pre-use inspections or just a daily once-over, Schedule your demo today to learn more about how Stream Check can help you to maintain a roadworthy / compliant / safe fleet.


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