is a pretrip inspection required ...

I also make a habit of doing a walkaround when I'm fueling, ya just never know!

 

It's always been pretty cut and dried to me.
Regulations state:
1. You must perform a pretrip inspection at the start of your 'day', ie. at the end of a rest brk, either a 10 or a 34, no matter what the sun or clock / calender cycle, prior to driving again.
2. You must fill out a post trip inspection report for each piece of equipment after every driving day you operated said equipment.
3. All time spend perform work shall be recorded as such on the daily log.

To my knowledge, nowhere do the regs state that any certain span of time be recorded for any inspection.
Nowhere do they state that a post trip inspection be done, only that the post trip inspection report be filled out.
So, in a nutshell, you must perform a pretrip every work day, you must fill out a post trip every work day, you must annotate your log to show time for both, either on line 4 OR flagging on line 3.
Any specific amount of time imposed, is imposed per company procedure.
Mind you, if all you ever show is a flag for a pretrip, ( meaning less than 7 minutes ), Mr. DB is going to seriously question just how in depth your inspection was

 

It's not required by regulation to note in your log time for pre or post trip, but it IS required that you have a separate document to support a written post trip inspection.

Having said that, I would suspect that if you are subjected to a roadside inspection that yields violations, you could also be cited for not doing a proper pre-trip - unless you have some sort of proof that you actually did one.

 

Log both. It's part of your duty of the truck. Paper is 15 pre trip 15 post trip. Elogs is 1 minute pre trip 15 minute post trip. As it says in the fmcsa hand book in your truck.

 

What page is that on ???

 

A 1 minute pre trip?

 

It gives no specific time givin on a pre trip inspection. It only says a pre trip should take as long as nessecary for the driver to feel it safe to operate the vehicle. Not the exact terms used but that's what it's says in our terms. If you do a proper post trip after running a tour of duty and you sit for ten hours your check your lights an kick the tires and your ready to roll. This is what I was told during a orientation. Not buy a good paying company but a strict by the regulation book company. I've never run an elog. Only loose leaf so I've always showed 15 pre an 15 post. That's what they explained in showing on elogs.

 

No good for me. Not with all the critters crawling around in the night doing who knows what. I've had things be just fine when I park and the truck is practically falling apart when I check it again in the morning.

 

I understand what your saying kajidono. Many of times I've got up an done my "walk around" an have mudflaps missing tail lights gone and numerous other things. I'm not advising anyone do this. Just stating what dot regulations state. There is alot in the handbook that I don't agree with.

 

I am quoting this from Guide to making the Driver's Daily Log "Section 396.13 of the FMCSR requires a pre-trip vehicle inspection. Section 396.11 of the FMCSR requires a post-trip vehicle inspection report, in writing. This time should be logged on Line 4, on-duty (not driving). Although many drivers claim they can complete a thorough vehicle inspection in less than 15 minutes (thus eliminating the need for any Line 4 time), this can be a questionable practice. Most investigators watch this item very closely. If the driver does not show any inspection time on Line 4, they may consider it a violation."

Kansas Transit Safety Administrator
Annie