Pre-Flight Checklist

I do my complete pre-trip the night before when I'm done for the day. In the morning I do an abbreviated version.

 

Yeah, I do a real good working over on the trucks I drive now; most of them are well over 6-10 years old and as such, break down on a regular basis- can't just assume that them axles are still attached to something! lol!

I do a lot more inter-trips now than I would have ever expected to, after having lost an entire hub assembly on a state highway. Not a fun experience, but a good learning one for sure!

Just driving along, notice some funky vibration coming from the left side drives, check the mirror- it's wobbling bad, I know it's me losing lugs and that hub is fixing to come off soon. Start slowing down gently, forgot I had my jakes on high and didn't adjust them to low *slow down to fast* there goes both the dullies off one of my axle! Just rolling down the road next to me!

They ended up in a ditch about 50 yards down the road, thank God no one was in the opposing lane. And I mean, truly, thank god; those ###### things are, `ya know, only a couple hundred pounds of aluminum and rubber

 

Checklist
1.keys
2.fuel
3.clutch in
4. Shifter in neutral
5. Push starter
6. Put truck in gear
7. Push in brakes
8. Step on brake pedal
9. Release clutch
10. Step on go fast pedal
11. Get into gear labeled "COUNTY"
12. ask for hear report
13. Put truck in gear labeled "PRISON"
14. Put pedal to the floor

Its purdy simple

 

There's no end of piloting practices/principles that transfer to driving anything. IMO, an IFR rating is required if you're going to do much flying. I have ~550 hours, accumulated over 40 years(!). I've spent time under the hood, but no IFR for me. Half of my hours are probably check rides.

 

HA..! Pilot #3 here. Best advice I got early on....& I still do it today...is; Everything in the same order every time. When you get in a hurry ( ie; pissed, flustered,etc ) STOP. That's when you'll forget to check sumpin' really important, or back into a post...you understand. " No old bold truckers"...! LOL!!!