If you run a delivery van or a small haulage operation out of Bromley, you will know that the difference between a good day and a bad one often comes down to ten minutes before you turn the key. A vehicle that is checked daily is a vehicle that turns up on time. Whether you are dropping a sofa in Beckenham, running pallets to a trade counter in Croydon or doing a house removal in Orpington, the same routine applies.

Why a Daily Walkaround Matters

South East London and the Bromley borough are hard on vehicles. You have stop-start traffic on the A21 and A20, speed humps on residential streets, tight kerbs around Penge and Anerley, and long motorway runs when you head out to the M25 or down to Kent. That mix of short, heavy urban journeys and occasional longer trips puts strain on tyres, brakes and fluids in ways that a steady motorway schedule never would.

A daily walkaround takes around five to ten minutes. It is not a substitute for a proper service, but it catches the small faults that turn into expensive breakdowns. The DVSA expects commercial vehicle operators to have a daily defect check system in place, and even a single-van owner benefits from treating it seriously.

• Check the vehicle when it is cold and on level ground, before the engine has been running.
• Do it in the same order every time so nothing gets skipped.
• Note anything that concerns you and keep a simple written record.

Tyres: The Most Common Cause of Roadside Stoppages

Tyres take the worst of it. Kerbing in narrow residential streets damages sidewalls, and the constant braking and turning of urban delivery work wears shoulders faster than you might expect.

• Tread depth: the legal minimum for vans and light commercial vehicles is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, but most operators replace at 2.5mm to 3mm, especially heading into autumn and winter.
• Pressures: check when cold and set them to the loaded figure if you are carrying weight. Under-inflation costs you fuel and overheats the tyre; over-inflation reduces grip, particularly in the wet.
• Condition: look for cuts, bulges, embedded screws and uneven wear. A bulge in a sidewall means the tyre is finished — do not run it.
• Spare or sealant: confirm you actually have a usable spare, jack and wheel brace, or a full sealant kit if that is what the van carries.

Under the Bonnet: Oil, Coolant and Screen Wash

Delivery work is punishing on oil because of the number of cold starts and short journeys. Check the dipstick on level ground with the engine off. If the level is near the minimum mark, top up with the grade specified for your vehicle rather than whatever is in the back of the shed.

Coolant should sit between the min and max marks when the engine is cold. Never open a coolant cap on a warm engine. Screen wash matters more than people think — a van that cannot clear a dirty windscreen on the A21 in November is a van that will fail its MOT and, more importantly, is unsafe to drive. Fill it with a proper screen wash additive rather than plain water, and use a stronger mix in winter.

Also glance at the brake fluid level and the condition of belts and hoses while the bonnet is up. Soft, cracked or glazed belts are cheap to replace and expensive to ignore.

Lights, Mirrors and All-Round Visibility

You cannot run a delivery round safely with a failed brake light. Walk around the vehicle and check headlights, side lights, indicators, brake lights, reversing lights and any beacons or work lights. If you work alone, reverse up to a wall or shop window and watch the reflection, or use a phone camera on a timer.

• Replace blown bulbs straight away — keep a spare set of common bulbs in the cab.
• Clean lights, number plates and mirrors as part of the check, particularly in winter when road salt and spray build up quickly.
• Check mirror glass is intact and mirrors are adjusted for your seating position.
• Confirm wipers clear the screen without smearing and that the washer jets are aimed correctly.

Brakes, Steering and the Feel of the Vehicle

Brakes are the one area where you should never talk yourself out of a concern. Urban delivery work means constant braking, and pads and discs wear faster than on a vehicle that cruises at motorway speeds. On your walkaround, look at the fluid level and check for leaks around the wheels. On the road, pay attention to:

• Any squealing, grinding or pulsing through the pedal.
• The pedal feeling soft, long or spongy.
• The van pulling to one side under braking.
• Vibration through the steering wheel at speed.

Any of these means booking it in, not waiting for the next service. The same applies to steering — a knock over the speed humps in Hayes or West Wickham is worth investigating before it becomes a track rod end on the hard shoulder.

Load Area, Bodywork and Planning Ahead

For removals and haulage work, the load area deserves its own check. Look at the floor for soft spots, confirm the doors latch securely, and check that straps, trolleys and blankets are on board and in good order. Load security is a legal requirement, not a courtesy.

Finally, plan your maintenance rather than reacting to it. Book services in advance, keep a note of MOT and tax dates, and diarise tyre and brake inspections around your busiest periods. If you know a heavy week is coming — end-of-month moves, a retail contract, a house clearance in Bromley — get the van checked the week before, not the morning it is needed.

Ten minutes a day, a notebook and a trusted local workshop will keep your schedule intact. Breakdowns rarely arrive without warning; they arrive because a warning was missed.