Post trip inspection mandatory?

It's kinda surprising, but no an inspection isn't, by strict reading of the regs, required. The exact wording is "satisfied" that the list of stuff on the truck is in order.

Of course, while not impossible, it is hard to be satisfied without doing an inspection. One way is another driver, or mechanic does the inspection, or even rolling off an assembly line and a couple other outlandish ways.

 

But those are individual company regulations and should not be stated as being DOT regulations on this forum when someone asks about the law. The DOT man can't enforce company laws, only the laws that the green book state.

 

Well for more hair splitting the FMCSA never has stated one has to do a post trip inspection and explained in the docket for the post trip inspection form exemption (This is a direct quote) “FMCSA believes it is important to note that nothing in this rulemaking relieves drivers of the responsibility to prepare DVIRs for any vehicle for which a defect or deficiency has been observed by or reported to the driver.”That is all that has ever been required, no inspection just what the driver observed or was reported to him/her.

Let the hair splitting continue.

 

Whether or not you show any minutes for it on your logs it’s still a good thing to do. I do it at the end of every day, takes 5 mins tops. I’ve caught a couple nails and lights that went out. Ended up saving me time the following day.

 

Its really simple for me. If you do a pre & post trip you would be doing it while on duty. So would need to log the time spent.