is a pretrip inspection required ...

Our safety guy is a former NM DOT inspector and he said we should log the 15 min on the post trip at the minimum since we are OTR and drive the same truck daily. That way you can get the problem corrected right away. Less likely to interfere with your delivery schedule in the AM.

However, I can see the need to do an extensive pre and post trip if you slipseat daily though. That way if a defect on the previous post trip wasn't fixed and you find it on your pretrip the bosses can chew out the shop, lol!

 

You only have to flag the post trip unless you are taking 15 minutes or more in which I do not and dont ever see anyone doing. You have to mark 15 in a pre trip. You should be doing periodic walkarounds during your trip and keeping an eye on everything. My logs come out 100 % each month clean and I have never had any log violations in an inspection.

 

i do not slip seat, but i still want to keep an eye on things. i do not like being broke down by the side of a highway. besides, it is something we all should do, to at least cover our butt's. I have been doing post and pre-trips from day one, and yes, when you have an assign truck/trailer like i do, the inspections take less time than if one slip seated each time.

 

I do both pre and post. With the way things are these days with CSA it seems even more necessary. There is a little green book that will give you all this info. I would always refer to this if you need something. I would not trust my butt with CB or any other second info. I have asked for advice on here before to get a starting point to reference "the little green monster"
A driver gave you the starting point. His post was direct, to the point and contained the info you asked for.

 

BTW I have done my post and pre trips the same way for over 6 years and have had each company and school I went to have me do the same thing I do now. I dont give advice unless I am 100 % sure and it comes from my experience. I am very anal about my logs, any other paperwork and the safety of my truck. The reason for this is that I have a super clean record (driving and otherwise) and intend to keep it that way. I drive flatbed but haul a lot of hazmat and other things that I get paid well to do and in order to do that, you must be very safe and always legal. I didnt get this way by accident or good luck.

 

I didnt say anything about not logging the post trip, I said you dont have to mark 15 minutes for it. You do have to flag it. Please read my post again. The flag says you did the post trip and it took 7 minutes or less as you dont have to have such a thorough post trip unless you want to.

 

This is true, anything UNDER 15 minutes does NOT require to be logged. BUT I DO take more than 15 minutes because I ACTUALLY DO a post trip each day when I return. However, you still want to satisfy ANY DOT officer that one was done, and by logging it, you have done so. Because what other "proof" does one have by simply writing on the post trip sheet that one was done? Anyone can write that, and sign it. Can it be proven one was done? I think that by logging it, YES.

But, this is what I do, to cover my arse. Whatever anyone else does?

So be it. I wish to leave a "paper trail".

 

11 hours had passed, when you came back to say that "you flag" the post trip.

In your very first posting here, which I quoted again, you made NO mention of flagging, but you did come back her about 40 minutes ago to do so. You left out valuable information, which will lead to others thinking that you are not doing it correctly, and not giving correct advice, which leads to others to have to chime in and straighten it all out.

so yeah, you DID NOT say anything about flagging the post trip, in your first post.

it's all right here.

I make mistakes too, and when someone corrects me, it is appreciated. I can't be right all the time.

 

Before driving you must be satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition.