What do you actually check on a pre-trip inspection?

Lock nuts look pretty intact on these bad boys. Bearing failure from lack of lubrication, caused by a leaking wheel seal...

 

Beautiful job on that one. Achieved the perfect color and shade of heat treated steel and brushed on melted aluminum. Work of art. I give it an A+

 

I've found seals are more prone in the summer heat then winter.

Specially braking downhill loaded.

Things get really toasty.

 

I have seen guys with longer years and after the truck been towed and driver asked if tow truck put drive shaft back - questioned where should i look ...

 

When picking up a new trailer, I check brakes, tread depth on all tires, wheel seals, hubcap gaskets or whatever the term is, hub oil level, a quick peak walking down the trailer for bent/broken crossmembers, lights, air leaks, secured leveling valve, mudflaps. If it's a reefer, I check oil and refrigerant and run it through the pre trip cycle if it's not loaded. As far as tire tread, if it's just one or two barely low spots, no biggie. If it's noticeable, I'll get it replaced when convenient. Someone will have to at some point, so I'm not going to pawn it off on someone.

On the truck, I check all tires for inflation, nails, damages, etc. Once every few days, I'll pull out the pressure gauge and make sure they're all good to go, especially with temp changes this time of year. Oil and coolant levels daily. Quick glance at brake shoes, wheel seals, etc. I do a more thorough look over when drop and hooking since no trailer makes life easier. Of course, checking steering shaft, glancing at leaf springs for cracks, fuel filter, all other fluids, etc. quickly while hood is up.

I do a walk around every time I stop and thump tires, check lights, listen for air leaks, etc.

I repeat the same steps for my post trip, since I'd argue a post trip is more important a pre trip. After a day with a trailer, I'll do a quicker version of the pre trip and I don't crawl under with a flashlight checking wheel seals every single inspection, etc. I just glance at inside of tires for a completely blown wheel seal and look for wet brakes and crawl under once every 2-3 days. Obviously tread won't change much in a day, but I look it over for damages, nails, etc.

Also, I check APU oil and belts a couple times a week. If it's an APU that likes to burn oil, I check it every time.

 

Dude - I'm going to give you an A+ for thick skin. I'd like to meet you one day and shake your hand for that alone.

Hub oil leaks. Get a flash light, and fairly easily on one knee, check the opposite inside of each wheel looking for leaks.

Thumping tires with a hammer will only alert to a dead flat tire. Believe me, I'm a drummer. I know timbre and pitch well, and I couldn't detect 45PSI to 90PSI with a hammer. It's tedious, but if you stick them, and find a 60 - you'll air it, remember it and check it often, because 50PSI doesn't magically disappear.

A lot of the responses here are from people that own their trucks. As a 10 year company driver, I knew little about wrenching on trucks. After 10 years owning one, you get used to crawling all over it and learning.

I'll admit I'm a bit lazy on pre trips, because once a week I'm under it, where you spot problems. Last time was a cracked fuel tank strap, and a busted brake shoe - the first could have been a catastrophic with a hazmat cleanup, the second would have been a bad inspection.

And yes - you're right. Most drivers don't do much apart from turn key and roll.

 

Yes but this is the Deluxe model. That does both standard & metric rims & comes with the Adapter to do the inner rims plus it can be calibrated

 

Wheel seal? You must mean the brake lining lubrication device...

 

Don’t forget to make sure your crayon supply is adequate. That way you can draw a fancy picture when you’re bumper to bumper with a yellow car and blocking the road during a right hand turn..

 

A 3 lb. hammer smacked hard in the middle of the tire works well to feel a low tire. 4 lbs if you got single wides.

Pretty much everyone I've seen uses a 1 lb. rubber hammer. That's not going to work.