pretrip and postrip for each trailer during a single day.

I'm seeing double vision here,lol.Can you delete one of your threads,they're the same.

 

They don't have to PRETRIP each trailer they hook to, but the do have to do a SAFETY CHECK of each trailer they hook to. That should be logged as on duty and takes 5 minutes. Check lights, tires, holes, airlines, pins, tandem position, that's about it. You are correct that Pre and Post should only be done once a day.

By the way. I always do a quick safety check of a trailer I've just dropped. If I'm done for the day I include it in my Post Trip. If I'm going to hook to another trailer, I just do my thing, checking for flats is about it. This only takes a minute so I don't log another "safety check". I figure the time is already allocated under "drop and hook" on duty time.

 

My company just started making us do a dvir for each trailer we drop. That is to cut down on people dropping trailer that have problems. They will be able to see who dropped it last.

Not sure what that would have to do with any lawsuits.

 

Can you quote the FMCS'R that backs that up? You're quoting laws that may or may not get a driver into a mess. Just because you do it that way does not make it right. So far what it says you'll do a pre-trip and Driver Inspection (post-trip) on every vehicle you operate. See FMCSR §392.7 and §396.11.

 

Regs state you need to inspect the MOTOR vehicle before and after each trip. As far as I'm aware, that does not necessarily include trailers unless attached at the time of the pre/post trip inspection.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=396.13

Now the regs that require the completion and submission of DVIRs just say for every vehicle operated. I'd assume there that they mean to include trailers.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=396.11

So what this tells me is that I must do a pre-trip on the truck and whatever trailer I am attached to when I begin my day, but I do NOT need to do a full pre-trip every time I hook to a new trailer. However, some type of inspection must be done as a DVIR must be submitted for each trailer and the truck that you operated that day.


You're gettin crusty in your old age GH!

 

You hook that trailer to the truck and it becomes a motor vehicle. You need to do a pre-trip. It's only common sense and you'll be asked in court.

 

§ 390.5 Definitions.

Motor vehicle means any vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used upon the highways in the transportation of passengers or property, or any combination thereof determined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but does not include any vehicle, locomotive, or car operated exclusively on a rail or rails, or a trolley bus operated by electric power derived from a fixed overhead wire, furnishing local passenger transportation similar to street-railway service.

 

Thanks for the reference but I would hope everyone that drives a truck would already know this. Sometimes you have drivers that just want to skirt the law to save a couple of minutes so it's good they see it in black and white. Then again you might have some that would argue this too. They'll spend countless hours trying to prove themselves right when we're only talking about a pre-trip. Thanks again.

 

You do realize that a pre-trip includes the truck right? That means the air leak test, AC/heater, checking the engine compartment, fluids, etc. Every time you hook to a trailer? Really? You are right in that the trailer is considered part of the pre-trip and is also considered a vehicle. But there is no way they expect you to do a full pre-trip if you drop and hook somewhere after your day has already begun. Do an inspection on the trailer, absolutely, but a full pre-trip is silly.