Odd that a truck driver is responsible for finding sabotage but a pilot isn't

Honestly, if I just pull in, fuel, and leave, I don’t think I’ve ever checked my 5th wheel. I do walk around the truck while fueling and look for obvious issues.
Maybe a should start checking the 5th wheel every time I’m away from the truck for a brief moment, but I didn’t know sabotage was such an issue. I’m pretty sure if somebody is caught doing that they would be charged, and there are usually cameras at the fuel islands.

 

It might be more interesting to ask who the FAA blames if a sabotaged plane crashes on takeoff, and in the ensuing investigation, it is determined that a pre-flight inspection was not conducted (or was only a pretense) and that the sabotage was something obvious that would have easily been revealed [and crash averted] by a competently performed inspection.

 

All pretrips are Living documents and should be adjusted as needed throughout the day ..

 

THAT was my worst nightmare! 16yrs OTR and EVERY time I was ready to take off I would pull a little against the trailer brakes to make #### sure it wasn't pulled....EVEN when I just slept and didn't get out of the truck. There's some real different individuals out there! I seen the aftermath of what happened one time when somebody did that to somebody....AT A FUEL ISLAND....and that in itself could've caused an explosion! Yes sir, some real intelligently - challenged people out there!

 

It takes all of about 2 seconds to visually verify your fifth wheel is secured whenever you've walked back up to your truck after being away from it. It's a routine I've always had every time I leave and then get back to the truck was actually taught to do that. So I don't get why a driver should not be held responsible for something that they can easily/quickly check and verify? You either have good habits or you don't. Not checking your fifth wheel is a bad habit.

 

Well of course you didn't loosen it, however it's just part of the daily routine just as I'm sure you would not fly your aircraft before doing certain safety checks. What I would get into a habit of doing with my truck and you don't even have to look at the fifth wheel is before you move, just hit the trailer brakes, back up with the trailer wheels locked if the lever has been interfered with it will lock back in. But physically checking is still the best system of all. Put it down to a learning experience and move on.

 

It doesn't matter how you define trip, because the regulations do not state that you must do a pre-trip before beginning a trip, they imply that a pre-trip inspection must be conducted "Before driving a motor vehicle".

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