What is a "real life" pretrip?

Ah, you want to hear about the phantom pre-trip.

 

It's not a spiel. It is not something to fool with.

Pretrip is around the truck. Checking everything. You will catch something before it bites you hard 10 miles later at highway speed.

If your mind is still deflecting the pretrip lectures as a spiel and waste of time, get yourself back home and find another trade besides trucking. Pretrip is a life saver, Your own or someone else. Even if you found nothing around and round and round, trust me something will develop and you will catch it. You are entrusted with a very expensive peice of equiptment and should take care of it like a wife or mistress.

 

True story: I was at Walmart when a Swift dry van pulled in and shut down for a 34 hour reset. When the driver and his mentor got out of the truck, I did what I normally do and asked them all sorts of questions about how training went and how their miles were etc...

Turns out, 34 hours later I just happened to be there. They got out of the truck and went inside of Walmart, restocked on a few items and went back to the truck. They fired up the engine and left. Didn't so much as kick a tire after a 34 hour reset. So apparently a pretrip includes purchasing lunch meat and deodorant and nothing else.

 

I do way more than most, I press my thumb against the sidewalls of the tires, I check the lights, if it's dark I check the brake lights, rarely I wedge my broom in to push down the brake pedal and check to see they all are on.
Maybe once a week I pop the hood and check the fluids.

 

Deodorant is of utmost importance when on a team truck.

 

My pre-trip consists of standing between the sleeper and the drive tires and taking a leak then logging 15 minute pre-trip on the Qualcom. Most drivers won't admit that's what they do.

@pattyj does exactly like she was taught in cdl school; she physically touches each item and yells out what the item is and what she's looking for. Sometimes a crowd gathers around and stares.

 

Chinatown is a wealth of tips and tricks. If the DOT shows up while you're logging the 15 minute PeeTrip, do you tell him that you're looking for any potential streaking on deez here lugnuts?

 

Many drivers just hop into the rig. Then something comes up and you wonder what now? If it's really awesome you can be the next you tube star being discussed here.

 

the trick now is to go do it. that spiel should include all the actions and what to look for in the walk around

were you not paying attention?