Pre-Trip Inspection Fun:
Every company may have their own specific check list for pre-trips however, they will have a lot of the same items. The reasons behind these pre-trip checks are to keep you and those on the road safe. They are also required by the law. One good thing we can thank Uncle Sam for, if we stop to think about it.
When approaching your equipment, you should look for things such as fresh oil, coolant, grease, or fuel leaks. Go through your list thoroughly. It may seem tedious; however, policies and procedures are there for a reason. I mean who can say or not if someone checked their cabin for any loose items and their TV remote slid off the fridge all the way to the pedal of the truck which then got stuck, and yup you guessed it, there was a crash. It could happen. Most likely did and that’s why it is on the list to check. Having a working fire extinguisher may keep the heat off your job. While these are funny, the reasons behind items on the pre-trip lists are not.
Filling them out also helps maintenance. If you have work that needs to be done to your truck or tailer, get in contact with your maintenance staff right away. You may need a shop right away to get your problem fixed. They may need time to plan your truck or trail to be fixed. No matter what the issue is, communicate it with your maintenance clearly and quickly.
Your pre-trip log may be the first line of defense in an accident. If you have any safety violation and your pre-trip is not done, you may be found at fault and fined. The circumstance being that your truck should not have been on the road to start with. Only the driver can check all items daily, especially if you are driving OTR.
These are just a few reasons why your pre-trip is so important every day. Keep up the amazing work that all you drivers do every day to keep yourself and the public safe. Thank you all for keeping our great country running.