Keeping vehicles safe and roadworthy is at the heart of a Transport Manager’s job. The daily walkaround check, the defect report and the decision to take a vehicle off the road are the three points where that duty is either carried out properly or quietly missed. This guide explains why each matters, when to VOR a vehicle and why more operators are moving to electronic defect reporting.
It draws on the DVSA Guide to maintaining roadworthiness, which sets out what the Traffic Commissioners and DVSA expect from an operator’s maintenance system.
What “VOR” means
VOR stands for “vehicle off road”. It is an industry term rather than a legal one, and it simply means the vehicle is not used until the problem has been dealt with. The DVSA guide is clear that if safety defects are found, the vehicle must not be used on the road until it is repaired. It also expects an operator to have a system in place to take unroadworthy vehicles out of service, with a named person responsible and with the authority to do it.
That authority matters. A driver who reports a defect to someone who cannot or will not act has not solved anything, and the record of that report can become evidence against the operator.
Why defects are checked at all
Operators give undertakings when they are granted a licence, including that vehicles will be kept fit and serviceable. A vehicle found unroadworthy at the roadside or at a DVSA visit can be given a prohibition, and a poor maintenance record can lead to action by the Traffic Commissioner against the licence. Beyond the regulatory risk, a worn tyre, a failing brake or a loose load is a danger to the driver and to everybody else on the road.
The Transport Manager remains responsible for the operation continuously and effectively, and the DVSA guide makes clear that delegating tasks does not remove that responsibility. You can hand the job of checking to drivers and the job of repair to a workshop, but you still need to be able to show that both are happening.
Why the driver does the daily check
A walkaround check must be carried out by the driver or by a designated responsible person, at least once in each 24-hour period the vehicle is in service, before it is used on the public road. The driver remains legally responsible for the vehicle while it is in use, and the person at the wheel is the one best placed to spot a problem: a new noise, a low tyre, a warning light, a leak under the cab.
The guide allows a responsible person to do the check in some cases, as long as the driver can see that it has been done. In a shared vehicle, each driver should either do their own check or rely on a documented system that they can see and trust. Most operators find the simplest rule is the best one: the driver who takes the vehicle out checks it first.
Why defects must be in writing
Defects found during the check, while driving or on return must be recorded, either on paper or electronically. A verbal mention in the yard is not enough. A good report records:
- the vehicle registration or fleet number and the date;
- what the defect is, in enough detail to find and fix it;
- who reported it and who it was reported to;
- what assessment was made, including whether the vehicle was taken off the road;
- what repair work was done; and
- the date the repair was completed.
The report must go to someone with the authority to take the vehicle out of service. A written record is also your only evidence. If you cannot show that a check was done and a defect was reported, then as far as an inspector is concerned, it did not happen.
Why repairs should be signed off
Reporting a defect starts the process, but it is the repair and the sign-off that close it. The DVSA guide expects the safety inspection record to carry a signed declaration that defects were repaired. If you cannot see that record yourself, for example when a contractor carries out the work, the maintenance provider should give written confirmation that the vehicle is roadworthy.
The Transport Manager or another responsible person should see the completed record before the vehicle goes back into service. The chain looks like this:
- The driver checks the vehicle and reports a defect.
- A responsible person assesses it and decides whether to VOR the vehicle.
- A mechanic or repair agent fixes it.
- The mechanic signs to say it has been repaired.
- The responsible person confirms the vehicle can return to service.
If any step is missing from the file, an inspector has a reason to doubt the others.
Why records are kept with the vehicle file
Defect reports and safety inspection records should be kept for at least 15 months, including for vehicles that have since been sold or taken off the licence. Nil-defect reports, where the driver finds nothing wrong, should be kept for at least three months. Records belong in the vehicle’s maintenance file, so that the whole history of a vehicle can be seen in one place.
That history is useful for more than inspections. It shows patterns: the same tyre defect on the same axle, the same warning light every Monday, a trailer that always seems to be reported on the same corner. Spotting a pattern early is far cheaper than explaining it after a prohibition.
When to VOR a vehicle
There is no list that covers every case, and the decision belongs to a competent person who knows the vehicle, but as a rule:
- VOR it if the defect affects safety, such as brakes, steering, tyres, lights, load security or the driver’s view of the road. It does not go back on the road until it has been repaired and signed off.
- Assess and record a minor defect that does not affect safety. Write down who decided it could continue in service, why, and by what date it must be repaired.
- If in doubt, VOR it. The cost of a day off the road is small compared with a prohibition or an incident.
- Inspect before returning any vehicle that has been off the road for some time.
- Clear any prohibition that has been issued. The operator is responsible for making sure it is dealt with properly.
Make it clear to drivers that reporting a defect will never count against them. A culture where drivers feel they must keep a vehicle running is how defects turn into accidents.
Why more operators are moving to electronic defect reporting
Paper walkaround sheets still work, but a growing number of operators are choosing electronic systems for defect reporting, control and retention. The main advantages are:
- Less admin. No sheets to hand out, collect, chase, scan or file. Drivers complete the check on a phone or tablet.
- Better accuracy. Checks are date and time stamped, and drivers can’t fill in a week’s sheets on Friday afternoon. Photographs can show the fault.
- Faster action. A defect reaches the workshop or the Transport Manager straight away, and some systems flag a vehicle as VOR automatically.
- Automatic retention. Records are stored for the required period, searchable by vehicle and date, and available in minutes when DVSA or a Traffic Commissioner asks for them.
- Missed checks stand out. You can see which vehicles have not been checked today without walking round the yard.
- Trends are visible. Repeat defects, slow repairs and problem vehicles show up in a report.
DVSA accepts electronic records, but it expects them to be reliable. The guide says they should be tamper proof, so that records cannot be changed at a later date, and have a clear audit trail from start to finish. It expects date and time stamps and some form of authentication, such as a login or PIN, and you must be able to produce a hard copy on request. There should be backup and recovery arrangements, and access for any staff you delegate to. The operator remains responsible for the system meeting those requirements.
An electronic system does not replace the person acting on the reports. A defect that is reported to an inbox nobody reads is no better than one on a sheet in the cab.
What a Transport Manager should check
- Are checks being done every day, by every driver, on every vehicle in service?
- Do defect reports reach someone with the authority to VOR a vehicle?
- Does every repair have a signed record, and does someone review it before the vehicle goes back to work?
- Are VOR decisions recorded, with the reason?
- Are repeat defects being picked up and acted on?
- Are records kept for at least 15 months, with the vehicle file?
If you use an external Transport Manager, they need access to the defect and maintenance records, as well as the authority to act on them. Our guide to what an external Transport Manager contract should include covers access and authority, and our article on what an external Transport Manager does sets out the wider role.
Where to get help
If you would like an independent look at your defect reporting and maintenance system, our transport compliance support covers roadworthiness systems, including how defects are reported, controlled and recorded. For the wider picture of what DVSA expects, read what DVSA expects from a maintenance system, and if brake performance is a concern, EBPMS and roller brake testing. If you need a Transport Manager who will take this seriously, tell us about your operation.
Important to remember
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. The decision whether a particular defect makes a vehicle unfit for the road must be made by a competent person who has seen the vehicle. DVSA guidance changes, so check the current version and your own licence undertakings before you rely on this article.
Source: DVSA, Guide to maintaining roadworthiness: commercial goods and passenger-carrying vehicles (gov.uk).