How often do you do your pre trip inspections?

Every day.Its my norm.Has served me well.Also do mid trips and a thorough post trip.Witnessed a CT driver earlie running with no lights on the trailer at all.Its pouring rain he's got headlights but trailer is dead...DOT spotted him too..

 

go ahead, be our crash test dummy, and when the DOT cops go thru your equipment and find something wrong, and you did not do a pre-trip, and the accident cost someone thier life, say hello to your new room mate Bubba...

then say hello to your civil lawsuit lawyer, and kiss good-bye your possessions to pay his fee and the jury award.

 

The OP thinks you have to spend 2 hours every morning on a pretrip checking things like valve lash, worn rings, crankcase wear etc I guess.

 

i too did this as well. in fact at my last job, even though it was done at night, and no available building lighting, i had a flashlight and at least checked all my tires. getting a flat ain't fun, if i didn't see it before hand.

 

You should also do a walk-around after you get out of that rig. ..it happens going down the road.

 

normal pre-trip for me, as well as over hauling the engine, replacing the clutch, and washing the equipment.....you mean you didn't do that each day or night.....???

 

Once a habit, always a habit... Daily and walk around's thru-out the day. I dunno how many times I've come across busted, worn, or leaking crap. With as much punishment these trucks go thru, you never know...

Other drivers can do what they want... I don't care. I do what works for me.

 

Pretrip for me takes no more then 10 minutes.
Check fluids, tires, wheel hubs and lug nuts, hoses, airlines including those hainging under trailer, check that nobody pulld 5th wheel pin, and whatever else I forgot to mention.

 

My truck school instructor rabbited on and on about pre-trips.He gave an example that one time in the snow and frozen conditions of some place he was in, that he almost didn't do one, but did anyway, and found a hobo sleeping under his trailer with his head under the the drives. I am sure he was full of sh.., but I have had enough things happen to me over the years to make me religious about checking my rig out before I roll it.

 

Amazing how many drivers take off in the morning with wheel hubs leaking oil or trl airlines dragging on the pavement. It takes a 1/2 or 9/16 wrench to tighten up and end the leaking hub problem. Zip ties will hold up airlines. I always carried a tool bag on company truck cause it saved me time when I could do minor repairs and not have to wait hours at a shop.

Batteries, headlight bulbs, fuses, marker lights, mudflaps, fan belts on reefers. Yep, Ive done all of this right there on the company truck saving me hours and hours of time over the years.