PDF template
Trailer walkaround checklist.
A walkaround checklist for trailers, covering coupling, braking and load-security items that a tractor-unit check does not reach.
This is the paper version. FleetOptix does the same job on a phone, with the record filed against the vehicle or the driver automatically.
What is on the sheet
- Coupling and connection checks before the unit is moved
- Landing legs, suspension and running gear
- Trailer-specific lighting and marking
- Body, doors and load security
Why this record matters
A trailer is a separate vehicle with its own identity, its own inspection history and its own place on the licence, and a check that covers only the unit leaves the longer-lived half of the combination unexamined. Trailers also tend to spend time detached and unattended, which is exactly when damage appears without anybody present to attribute it.
Where trailers are swapped between units and drivers through the day, the useful discipline is that the check belongs to the trailer rather than the shift — otherwise a trailer can pass through several hands without being looked at once.
Use it with
- HGV walkaround check sheetA printable daily walkaround check sheet for HGVs, covering the items a driver is expected to inspect before the vehicle is used and the record that proves they did.
- Vehicle defect report formA defect report form that records what was found, who was told, what was done about it and when the vehicle was fit to use again.
- Tail lift LOLER checklistA checklist for operators running tail lifts, covering the thorough examination regime that applies to lifting equipment separately from vehicle maintenance.
- PMI safety inspection sheetA preventative maintenance inspection sheet recording the safety-critical items checked, the measurements taken and the declaration that the vehicle is roadworthy.
Read more on this
© 2026 FleetOptix. Free to print, copy and use in your business. Not for resale. Please keep this notice.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. General guidance, not legal advice. Checked October 2026.