How Do You Perform a Thorough Pre-Trip Inspection?

[Freight Relocators]

A proper pre-trip inspection is crucial for safety and compliance, but it can be easy to miss steps when rushing. What do you focus on during your inspections to ensure everything is in top shape? From checking tires and brakes to verifying lights and fluids, experienced drivers, share your tips for making sure your truck and trailer are road-ready every time. Let’s discuss the most critical steps in a thorough pre-trip inspection

How to Perform a Proper Pre-Trip Inspection on a Semi Truck and Trailer

A proper pre-trip inspection is not only crucial for passing your CDL road test but also an essential part of ensuring safety on the road. Performing a thorough inspection can prevent accidents, breakdowns, and costly repairs. Whether you’re preparing for your CDL test or starting a new truck...

www.freightrelocators.com

 

[Electric Chicken]

Slap it and roll.

 

[Hillbilly Canuck]

Slap it and roll.

Then get halfway to Toronto or Hamilton realize you're low on fuel and mutter obscenities

 

[Rigjockey]

Then get halfway to Toronto or Hamilton realize you're low on fuel and mutter obscenities

Even if you were IN Toronto, you are still halfway to Toronto.

 

[Hillbilly Canuck]

Even if you were IN Toronto, you are still halfway to Toronto.

Toronto runs from Ayr to Bowmanville as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Rigjockey]

Toronto runs from Ayr to Bowmanville as far as I'm concerned.

Pretty much.
I used to work in Scarlem in the 90s and it would take me two hours to get home on the 401.

 

[Hammer166]

In the days before drop N hook prevalence, a good driver did a serious Pre-Trip when they swapped trailers, and then problems were often obvious by feel during operation. But in today's environment where swapping trailers happens multiple tumes per week, vs the monthly we used to do? Few drivers do thorough pretrips, and even fewer have the mechanical aptitude to do so efficiently.

So how do you do a thorough pretrip? Personally I think that mechanical aptitude is important. Someone who understands how something works will see problems long before someone who has the inspection routine from the book memorized. I know my equipment intimately, I've pulled the same trailer since it was new 3 years ago. Since I'm constantly walking around my equipment, changes jump out. My pretrip is an all day long, every day affair. And I promise, I'll notice something wrong long before some guy who's on his 5th trailer this week, no matter how careful his inspections might be.

 

[Electric Chicken]

In the days before drop N hook prevalence, a good driver did a serious Pre-Trip when they swapped trailers, and then problems were often obvious by feel during operation. But in today's environment where swapping trailers happens multiple tumes per week, vs the monthly we used to do? Few drivers do thorough pretrips, and even fewer have the mechanical aptitude to do so efficiently.

So how do you do a thorough pretrip? Personally I think that mechanical aptitude is important. Someone who understands how something works will see problems long before someone who has the inspection routine from the book memorized. I know my equipment intimately, I've pulled the same trailer since it was new 3 years ago. Since I'm constantly walking around my equipment, changes jump out. My pretrip is an all day long, every day affair. And I promise, I'll notice something wrong long before some guy who's on his 5th trailer this week, no matter how careful his inspections might be.

I can turn up to 10 trailers a day. I obsess over my truck. Trailers (chassis) are simple.

Is it legal? Yes. Is it safe? Yes.

Let's roll.

If no to either, bad order it and leave it. Move on to the next or go home.

 

[Mike]

In the days before drop N hook prevalence, a good driver did a serious Pre-Trip when they swapped trailers, and then problems were often obvious by feel during operation. But in today's environment where swapping trailers happens multiple tumes per week, vs the monthly we used to do? Few drivers do thorough pretrips, and even fewer have the mechanical aptitude to do so efficiently.

So how do you do a thorough pretrip? Personally I think that mechanical aptitude is important. Someone who understands how something works will see problems long before someone who has the inspection routine from the book memorized. I know my equipment intimately, I've pulled the same trailer since it was new 3 years ago. Since I'm constantly walking around my equipment, changes jump out. My pretrip is an all day long, every day affair. And I promise, I'll notice something wrong long before some guy who's on his 5th trailer this week, no matter how careful his inspections might be.

Very well said, and it's one of the things I love about pulling the same trailer all the time. Same truck, same trailer, I can typically feel something beginning to go bad before I would physically notice it. Small air leaks being a prime example.

 

[Uncle Birchy]

A proper pre-trip inspection is crucial for safety and compliance, but it can be easy to miss steps when rushing. What do you focus on during your inspections to ensure everything is in top shape? From checking tires and brakes to verifying lights and fluids, experienced drivers, share your tips for making sure your truck and trailer are road-ready every time. Let’s discuss the most critical steps in a thorough pre-trip inspection

How to Perform a Proper Pre-Trip Inspection on a Semi Truck and Trailer

A proper pre-trip inspection is not only crucial for passing your CDL road test but also an essential part of ensuring safety on the road. Performing a thorough inspection can prevent accidents, breakdowns, and costly repairs. Whether you’re preparing for your CDL test or starting a new truck...

www.freightrelocators.com

I think in real life ya just check the oil and kick the tires..

On your CDL test that would take like almost an hour..

Afew years ago I made the Fuel Stop pre-trip

Not exactly regulation by the the book yet I bet ya dimes 2 doughnuts this is more than half all pretrip inspections on any given day.

 

[Uncle Birchy]

Then get halfway to Toronto or Hamilton realize you're low on fuel and mutter obscenities

once somebody told ya pee in the tanks thats heavier so the diesel comes up over it.

That was the day I also disconected my cb radio forever too

 

[Hillbilly Canuck]

once somebody told ya pee in the tanks thats heavier so the diesel comes up over it.

That was the day I also disconected my cb radio forever too

We have them. I haven't kept one on in years. It's trash like that in the states and mostly silence here.