Pre-tripping in the dark?

You can't do a professional job with handy man tools.
I opt for something that you can rebuild the tranny with on the side of the interstate when needed.

 

2 1/2 years mech infantry, year strykers, deployments with MRAPs, and 8 years as a mechanic in national guard taught me that most things break during operation, and a good post trip finds issues better than pre trip. Definitely good to check tires and fluids before taking off, but like you said, finding issues at the start of your 10 down means you can attempt to fix it then instead of making a load late by finding it before taking off.

 

NO they are sold under the tactical brand and a few others, the same light, different packaging. They are also in infomercials.

What goes bad on the lights is the switch, which is why I look for single mode lights, I don't need a strobe light nor a SOS light or for that matter three light levels - one will work just fine.

 

Tires, fluids, belts, hoses, lights, blinky lights, air leaks, tug test, crank it to 1800 for a few then roll.

 

I got the idea of the importance of a post trip and walk around when stopping early on. I stopped at a truck stop for my 30, did a really quick walk around, like literally I think that was all I did was walk around the truck, as I was walking across the lot I saw a truck with a blown tire on their trailer, curtains closed. Ugh, to wake or not to wake, just kept walking because I don't know the story. My first thought was, now there is a perfect example of why to post trip, would be way easier to deal with and less disappointing to fix that tire at the start of a ten verse during a pretrip.

Ironically, on my way back to my truck I'm looking at the rear tandem on my trailer thinking wtf is that??? Turns out the inside tire blew and like six foot of tread was wrapped around the axle and hanging to the ground... So I got two lessons in one shot in my second week of driving added with the fact that I don't have a company to come save me and I have to foot the bill. Now I do a thorough post trip and when I do a walk around I actually make sure I check things rather than just go through the motions.

 

Everything looks very different in the dark than it does in the daylight. I give my truck and trailer a good going over in the daytime when I can see it. when I fire up at 3am, I only need to check the essential items before I roll. That said, I own my equipment so I'm not changing trailers in the middle of the night and hoping I don't miss anything important.

 

i know but some of these companies like to call it a pre trip when you do a thorough insp and a post trip when u just check lites an tires, always seemed backwards to me but who am i to argue with their nonsense lol

 

I once saw a blanket between tires back there.

HEY! GET OUT OF THERE YOU &*^%$!!!!!!

Oh hell naw Ive gots to [inserts lame excuse...]

Fine. Stay there and see St Peter for your next assignment. Last I see of him is a pair of feet clearing out of the market dock.

It's really hurtful to see such poor sleep in outrageous places that will get them killed. I always check under there. Every. ####. time.

 

I use a simple, small, snap-on LED flashlight. Gets the job done splendidly.

 

Zebra light 1000lumen flashlight does the trick for me. It's a 90 degree head so you can clip it onto your shirt to use as a head lamp kind of setup.