Logging Pretrip

A lot of veteran drivers weren't instructed to do pretrips . They knew how to read the regs and interpret them . Not referring to pretrips but saying taking a minimum of 15 to do anything because the log book is broken down to 15 minute increments is ridiculous . You instructor needs instruction in flagging .

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu.../fmcsrruletext.aspx?chunkKey=09016334800232af
Students pay way too much money for the quality (?) of instruction they get .

 

I do several pre-post inspections throughout the day.... but I log mim 15 min. No way will I log 45 min and lose that time on my 70 hour week. I met a man that argued with DOT said his pretrip is done under 15 min so he didn't log it.... DOT went through his last 7 days and gave him a ticket for each day.

 

One really good reason to do your brake air test every day or so is so that the adjusters will adjust.
That is if they function properly. If they do, your pressing the brake pedal to at least 35 lbs of pressure will cause the adjusters to do there thing. So if you are checked by the DOT at some point you have a much better chance of those brakes being adjusted correctly.
Also, many times you will get a small leak in a line before it goes totally.
I found a leak in my service line earlier this winter this way. It was a minor leak and only when brakes applied. But I would not have found it till the line broke completely if I did not do the check.
Do I do these checks fully every day? No, I have to admit that I do not. But I do them when I hook a new trailer. I have found issues many times using the air leak tests.

 

Usually the company designates whether they want you to show the time as a pre trip or a post trip. I flag a pre trip and log a post trip. A minium of 15 minutes, and you can do it in 15 minutes if your use to doing it every day

 

I usually log 15 min on line 4 and flag a post trip and if I can I combine fueling with eitheir. I also do a walkaround everytime I stop. I also do at least one brake check a day and do one before I go down a long grade. Also I do a tug test every time I stop. If you work for a company that doesn't do slipseating you'll get to know the truck and get to know its quirks and get a idea when something is wrong.

 

Wow, a driver that actually understands the correct way and the reason he should do it this way .. Great Job, I wonder did I train you l.o.l.

However you should do as your company says and honestly logging a pre-trip & post-trip on line 4 will keep all officers off your back, however most officers just say you should do one inspection on line 4, but your pre-trip must be done RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET BEHIND THE WHEEL & the post-trip MUST be done at the completion of your day, do not stop # midnight do a post-trip and then start driving again, defeats the purpose unless it's an extra inspection.

Great response!

 

I thought maybe it might help if I posted the link to the regulation for pre-trip & post-trip, study it and note the post trip regulation. Keep in mind you should log how long it takes you to do your inspections, if company says you can flag it and you spent 30 minutes doing a pre-trip and you only flag it, then you are falsifying your logs.
I mainly say that for all general purpose of logging but used pre-trip as an example.




Post-trip inspection
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu.../fmcsrruletext.aspx?chunkKey=090163348002397d

Pre-trip inspection
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu.../fmcsrruletext.aspx?chunkKey=090163348002397e

 

15 min Pre-Trip,going off duty for 10hr break is logged "City/State"
with "Safety Check" under remarks.
Same applies to logging fuel stop and drop and hooks,ALWAYS show "safety check" as part of every duty status change.

Some of you are fooling yourselves,not DOT.
You dont think they can/cant tell "who" would possibly take "30 MINUTES"
to pre/post trip

 

No, I would be surprised to find anyone that does. I do pump it down until the low air warning comes on and I do check the build up time.

I am hooked to a different trailer almost daily and I do a proper mark and measure. I got lazy about that for a while but after hooking to a trailer where both the adjusters on one side were so far out as to provide virtually no braking I decided it's worth the whole minute or so it takes.