Pre-departure check and damage report by app

What the regulations require

Under section 36 DGUV Regulation 70, the vehicle driver must check that the controls and safety devices are working before the start of every work shift, and watch for obvious defects during the shift. They report defects to the supervisor and, when drivers change over, to the relieving driver as well. If defects endanger operational safety, they stop operating the vehicle.

On public roads, the driver is responsible for ensuring that the vehicle, load and occupants comply with the regulations (section 23 StVO, German Road Traffic Regulations). The keeper may not order or allow the vehicle to be put into operation if they know or ought to know that it does not comply with the regulations (section 31, paragraph 2 StVZO).

These regulations do not prescribe a particular form. A documented check with time, driver and result does, however, show that you have organised the check and that defects do not slip through. The complete checklist for each vehicle type can be found in the guide Pre-departure check: obligation, checklist and record.

How the pre-departure check works

1. 1

   Select the vehicle

   Assigned vehicles appear at the top. The driver can find any other vehicle by its registration number, with or without a hyphen.

2. 2

   Tick off the check points

   For each point, “OK” or “Defect”. For a defect, the driver briefly describes what is wrong and, if they wish, takes a photo.

3. 3

   Reading and fitness to drive

   Enter the kilometre or hour reading and state whether the vehicle is fit to drive. The reading is applied to the vehicle.

4. 4

   Save

   The check appears on the vehicle with its time, and defects arrive as a report with the fleet manager, who receives an email immediately.

Reporting damage

Accident, damage to the vehicle or breakdown: the driver describes what happened, states the time and place and takes up to six photos. In the event of an accident, the app first reminds them to secure the scene and to call the emergency number 112 if anyone is injured.

In the administration area you see all reports with photos and status, that is new, in progress or completed, with a note, for example about a garage appointment. Damage reported by phone is recorded by you, also with photos.

In the event of an accident, the app guides the driver through a checklist: secure the scene, help the injured, police, photos, exchange details, no admission of liability. The driver enters the other party and witnesses and draws a sketch with a finger. From there, the case continues in the claim file, described under Vehicles and deadlines.

For drivers in their own language

The driver app is available in German, English, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, Ukrainian and Russian. Drivers switch their own language, and emails, SMS and push notifications arrive in the same language. The administration area remains in German. Descriptions appear as the driver wrote them, with an indication of the language.

Privacy

Photos are reduced in size before upload, re-saved without location data and stored encrypted. FleetCred deletes pre-departure checks and resolved defects after a period that you set, by default after 24 months, and closed claim files by default after 36 months. The data processing agreement covers the add-on, and details for drivers can be found in the privacy policy.

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