Collection

Commercial vehicle safety and maintenance

Guides about keeping commercial vehicles safe to drive, including heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), vans, buses, coaches and other public service vehicles.

• From: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
• Published: 8 October 2013
• Last updated: 29 July 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 29 July 2025

     Added 'HGV and trailer MOT requirements: retrofitted blind spot information systems (BSIS)' to the collection.

  2. 10 February 2022

     Added 'Understanding your HGV or trailer’s brake test report' to the document collection.

  3. 9 December 2020

     Added 'Tyre defects and damage: HGVs, buses and trailers' to the collection.

  4. 27 March 2015

     Added 'Load securing: vehicle operator guide' to the document collection.

  5. 8 October 2013

     First published.

Safety and maintenance for all vehicles

• Keeping commercial vehicles safe to drive (roadworthy)
  • 28 April 2025
  • Guidance
• Tyre defects and damage: HGVs, buses and trailers
  • 28 April 2026
  • Guidance
• Commercial vehicles: wheel maintenance
  • 20 June 2014
  • Promotional material
• Electronic braking performance monitoring systems: industry standard specification
  • 10 September 2024
  • Guidance
• Commercial vehicles: maintain brake automatic slack adjusters
  • 19 November 2021
  • Guidance
• Prepare your commercial vehicle for the headlamp aim test
  • 15 July 2013
  • Guidance
• Overhanging loads on vehicles
  • 1 April 2009
  • Guidance
• How to prevent vehicles from hitting bridges
  • 9 July 2014
  • Guidance

HGVs and trailers

• Carry out HGV daily walkaround checks
  • 21 September 2023
  • Guidance
• MOT inspection manual: HGVs
  • 19 February 2026
  • Guidance
• Understanding your braking connections when using a trailer
  • 16 July 2013
  • Promotional material
• Prepare your HGV for the brake test
  • 13 April 2016
  • Guidance
• Understanding your HGV or trailer’s brake test report
  • 10 February 2022
  • Guidance
• HGV overloading: the basics
  • 16 July 2013
  • Guidance
• Securing loads on HGVs and goods vehicles
  • 9 December 2024
  • Manual
• HGV conspicuity marking rules
  • 24 July 2025
  • Guidance
• HGV and trailer MOT requirements: retrofitted blind spot information systems (BSIS)
  • 29 July 2025
  • Guidance

Vans

• Running a fleet of vans
  • 15 May 2025
  • Guidance
• MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles
  • 1 June 2026
  • Manual

Buses, coaches and other public service vehicles

• Carry out bus or coach daily walkaround checks
  • 18 April 2023
  • Guidance
• MOT inspection manual: public service vehicles (PSVs)
  • 19 February 2026
  • Guidance
• Bus, coach and minibus seat belt standards
  • 19 July 2013
  • Guidance
• Guidance for operators of stretch limousines
  • 20 March 2013
  • Guidance