Hi all how long is sufficient for doing your vehicle checks?how long would vosa etc (if stopped expect to see on a printout )of other work before driving?cheers guys. 
there is no set answer to that question
if you have the same truck and same trailer every day, and nobody else drives it, then they say that you can do the walk round check in 2 minutes, as you get to know the vehicle and can easily spot any defects as they happen
some companies want to see 10 minutes for the truck and trailer combination, others want 15 minutes for the truck and another 15 minutes for the trailer 
This is usually a debatable question depending on wether itās your truck you drive every day or nighting out in it etc. Personally myself I would say show 15 minutes but some of that time might be taken up by me drinking coffee, but then again I drive different units every day and have to check for damage. But if nighting out probably 5 minutes is plenty.
Cheers guys for your replies.suppose if your not in that vehicle everyday you should really check it out good and proper so no damage is put onto you. 
scottythegeordie:
Cheers guys for your replies.suppose if your not in that vehicle everyday you should really check it out good and proper so no damage is put onto you.
yes 
There was a rumour about not having a torch to do a check in the dark as when stopped they would know what time it was dark and ask how did you see to check the truck.
Was advised by one company I went too (They were an Amber of VOSAās list) to do 15mins including a move (indicates as driving on Tacho) as proof that the tyres have been checked all round!
Thatās what I know try and strive too!
I drive the same truck and trailer every day and I am away on Euro work all week so I am used to it. I always have a walk around at the end of my shift just to make sure there are no problems when I start the next day but I always make a point of showing 15 mins on other work at the start of my shift. That time is usually spent putting the kettle on and having a quick walk around. There is a video out that was on my DCPC course showing what checks you should do and that is at a VOSA station, they say the daily checks could be safely done in 10-15 mins.
10 min. is what im told by the place i work for start of every day
scottythegeordie:
suppose if your not in that vehicle everyday you should really check it out good and proper so no damage is put onto you.
Definitely.
It would be nice to believe that every driver reports damage heās done, but in the real world a lot of drivers prefer to let someone else take the blame 
Our company want us to show 15 mins other work that will include paperwork and walk round checks including load security checks
scottythegeordie:
āā¦how long is sufficient for doing your vehicle checksā¦?ā
Dunno, but from starting/clocking-on, the people at my place expect us to wait for the paperwork & to check that over; then find the unit (in a yard with 60+ units) perhaps clean it & carry-out some kind of pre-use check; then find the trailer (from 100 bays) for hooking-up and be out of the gate in 25 minutes.
Obviously, it doesnāt happen so I am (almost) always āXā minutes behind
So āā¦how longā¦?ā
Here, itās a classic āpiece of stringā scenario
ASDA would like it done in 30 mins, but some drivers insist it takes 45m or even 1h!!!
In reality, and in my opinion a new truck/trailer takes 20/25 mins to check/hook upā¦
scottythegeordie:
Cheers guys for your replies.suppose if your not in that vehicle everyday you should really check it out good and proper so no damage is put onto you.
You should check it every day even if you were the last one to park it up and took the keys home.
I had that brought home to me once. Parked the wagon up at night, no problems at all I thought. Doing my walk round check the next morning I noticed a lump of tread missing on the passenger side outer drive axle tyre. Phoned the tyre fitter and when he took the wheel off the tread I did see was the only tread on that tyre - 3/4 of it was completely gone with only the canvas showing.
Had I adopted the āit was OK when I parked it up so no need to check itā attitude Iād have had a blowout on the drive axle possible taking out both tyres on that side which isnāt good with a double deck trailer on.
Cheers guys for your replies. 
my firm insists on a mim of 5 mins, but a mate has to do 15 for his firm, supose it depend on the employer at the end of the day
mickyt:
my firm insists on a mim of 5 mins, but a mate has to do 15 for his firm, supose it depend on the employer at the end of the day
Cheers Micky,as long as the vehicle is roadworthy thatās the most important thing at the end of the day.
Itās a bit daft for a firm to dictate how long the daily checks should take. Each driver is an individual.
Some check everything at the end of the shift, then just crack on in the morning after a quick visual check for things like ripped curtains and make sure that no one has pulled the pin.
I do several checks throughout the day. if itās 30+ degrees then you need to stop and check your tyres more often than you would when itās only 15 degrees. in the winter i stop quite often to clean the salt off my light lenses.
Doing one check in the morning is a recipe for disaster.
Iāve been pulled a lot by vosa and they think my way of doing things is one of the better ways.
it takes me quite a while, i unscrew lids of both fuel tanks and check if its topped up too. iāve found sometimes the fuel gauge doesnāt show the true amount.
then finding the trailer, sometimes thereās a trailer in front of it which i have to shunt. once i had to move three trailers and i hooked up the airlines each time and wound up the legs fully ,a nice old timer saw this, came over and showed me how to use the shunt valve. then check the trailer, check load is secure [if it has no seal on, if it has seal onā¦ then thatās a debate in itself if you insist on checking the load eh!], and then fill paper work etc. about 25 mins to an hour. last week had to wash the vehicle before i took it out, it was dirty, and because it was hot, load of flies and other crap was stuck on the windshield, had to wash them off! keeping in mind iām an agency driver, most of the time iām given the rented vehicles[ even though thereās a hundred beautiful red Mercedes ], most or good, but a few have been really bad.
and if your given a fridge, then check the diesel level for that too!
Just sit in the canteen for 15 mins, put your card in, put 15 mins of other work in your manual entries and drive off without checking the vehicle.
Joke