Why paper walkaround checks stop working
A daily check is only useful if it was done, you can read it, and anything wrong on it gets dealt with.
On paper, you tend to find out late. The sheet is still in the cab, the photo of the cracked mirror is on someone’s phone, and nobody noticed that Tuesday’s check never happened.
Who digital vehicle checks are for
Small fleet operators, hauliers, trades businesses, couriers and site teams that need vans, HGVs and trailers checked before they’re used.
Especially if one person is keeping track of several drivers without a transport office behind them.
Paper sheets, WhatsApp photos and a spreadsheet
Printed walkaround sheets, a WhatsApp group for photos, and a spreadsheet someone updates when they get a minute.
That holds up for a handful of vehicles. It relies on everyone remembering to fill in, send, name and file every record.
Where paper vehicle checks fall down
Sheets go missing, photos end up separate from the check they belong to, and a spreadsheet can’t tell you which checks were never submitted.
So each morning starts with going through messages, folders and clipboards to work out what happened.
How digital vehicle checks work in AutoMauve
Drivers do the check in the AutoMauve app. Failed items get a note and photos, and the driver signs before submitting.
The report lands on the dashboard against the right vehicle. Each vehicle has a check frequency, so a missed check shows up as overdue instead of relying on someone to notice the gap.
A digital walkaround check, day to day
- 1Pick the walkaround template, or build one for the vehicles you run.
- 2Drivers complete the check on their phone before the vehicle goes out.
- 3Anything that fails is submitted with a note and photos.
- 4You review checks, overdue vehicles and open defects on the dashboard.