Logging Pre/Post Trip Insp.

Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by knlken, Oct 21, 2010.

  1. knlken

    knlken Bobtail Member

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    Just a quick question on Logging Pre Trip Inspections. Now a driver is getting ready to start the day for a 600 mile trip hauling general freight using a dry van trailer. You need to start the day with a pre trip inspection so, how much time do you show at start of trip and how often on that 600 mile trip do you have to pull off to do a post trip if any after pre trip? I know of all the cutting corners (outlaw ways) to log lol! I just want to know the 100% legal way this needs to be done. Down below is all I can find per DOT requirements BUT I thought these rules applied to hauling Hazmat or other certain loads. Thanks


    As required by 49 CFR § 392.9, a truck driver must inspect his truck and cargo:

    • Within the first 50 miles of a trip,
    • Whenever the driver changes duty status, and
    • When he drives more than three hours or 150 miles.
     
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  3. rocknroll nik

    rocknroll nik High Risk Load Member

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    15 minutes pretrip at the start of your day is normally all you gotta do
     
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  4. leanright

    leanright Medium Load Member

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    I'm pretty sure it has to be a minimum of 15min at the start of your trip. You should log 1/2 hr. sometimes to show that you're not just going through the motion and you change it up a little. You don't log a post trip until the end of your trip. Again 15min-1/2hr. You should stop ever 150 miles or 3 hours to do a quick walk-around and make sure the tires are still there but I'm pretty sure you don't have to log it as long as it's under 15min. you can always flag it if you want to but I don't know if that is mandatory or not. I never flag anything like that unless I'm stopped for a d.o.t. inspection or I broke down for more than 15min, etc.
     
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  5. thelastamericanhippy

    thelastamericanhippy Road Train Member

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  6. NICFIT007

    NICFIT007 Bobtail Member

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    if you stop you have to log and yes you have to mark 15 min
     
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  7. Everett

    Everett Crusty Shorts, What???

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    Hi, the way i did it was 1/2 hour, pretrip, and fuel, drove 4 hours, stop make sure the chicago boys didnt take my tires off while waiting in 8 hour traffc jam, ooooo theres anthor quistion i made, how do you log it for 8 hour traffic jam :biggrin_2559: but anyway then get back in drive some more and do my pretrip, and yes you have too log every 2 hours for hazmat, just a flag there,:biggrin_25524: Everett
     
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  8. knlken

    knlken Bobtail Member

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    Thanks! Thats the way I've always done it. I have a driver that is logging like 3 hours of inspections everyday lol. He was only running 2400 miles a week on 1200 mile round trip drop & hook loads so I told him then if thats what makes you comfortable then log it:biggrin_25526: Now he's running 3 round trip loads a week (3600 miles) drop & hook which you can legally do in 70 legal hours but, the way he's running his inspections is causing him to run out of hours lol. He said he's bugged eye going down the road looking for DOT:biggrin_2559: I've got him on the phone now and he's laughing now! I just wanted to be a 100% sure so I was telling him the rite thing. Thanks
     
  9. ironpony

    ironpony Road Train Member

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    You log whatever it takes to do your pretrip, and post trip inspections. The only log entries I've ever done between for this are for flagging tire checks while pulling hazmat. If your pretrip takes 15 minutes, show that... y'all are doing more than just kicking the left front steer and checking that the coffee cup is full, yes?

    :biggrin_2559:

    The other correct answer is whatever your carrier requires you to show in order to collect your settlement check. I've read some threads that folks say their carrier doesn't want them to log a pretrip, but requires them to show half an hour post trip. Go figure.
     
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  10. knlken

    knlken Bobtail Member

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    Over the years I've always only logged a 15min pre trip at start of the day hauling a dry van. When I would get fuel I use to log 15min On Duty/ Not Driving but last several years just flagged it because thats all I was told needed to be done by DOT. When I pulled a flatbed I would pull off every couple hours on my own if required or not to make sure my load was still secure and did log that anyway. Also over the years I've had so many different DOT Officers tell me different ways on how it should be done and how the other officer is wrong. I've always had nice neat logs and never had any problems with them unless of course sorry officer I forgot to draw that line:biggrin_25524:
     
  11. jokerl90

    jokerl90 Light Load Member

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    Could someone point me to the DOT Reg that says you have to put a pre-trip inspection on your log book? I have looked and can't find it. Have found where it says you should do a pre-trip, but not logging it. Maybe because your on duty your supposed to show it?
    We have been using the 100 air mile exemption logbook where I work for years. Recently we were told that since there is no place to show a pre-trip, we have to start using the regular logs.
    I question the fact that, If a pre-trip inspection has to be shown, how can a 100 mile exemp logbook be legal for anyone? Why do they even exist?
     
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