What is a "real life" pretrip?

Not too many drivers do the complete checks(they have to get going). However,anybody with any sense is checking lights,tires,airlines,fifth wheel ,tandems locked in,air guage on dash,serpentine belt,and generally making sure all of the vehicle hardware is on the truck.Doesnt have to take all day.What really sucks is "breaking down" 100 miles " from the delivery.Now loads late,because too lazy to check stuff.JMO

 

The best advice I ever heard on pretripping was to pick a quadrant of the vehicle to extensively pretrip that today, a different quadrant tomorrow and a different quadrant the next day and so on.

It's like the dentist says to floss every day. Now they say at least floss 1/4 of your mouth a day-- upper right quadrant today, upper left quadrant tomrrow, lower right next day and lower left next day.

 

That #### got me dying. I also sprayed my WalMart canned peas all over the dash, because #### it!, I'm health conscious...... *thinks about smoking a cig*

 

Only because it carries like.... 7/10's of a modicum of truth...... Not sure if I want to laugh or frown really hard myself.....

 

I do a walk around in the morning (or whenever I start driving) that's daily. Basicly make sure the truck is right no lights went out on me tires ain't flat and that my 5th wasent pulled. I pop the hood about once a week. If something feels off I look into it. I check out a fresh trailer pretty good tho, check the brakes the lines, all 8 tires, frame, kingpin the works. (Mostly because these trailers suck and I'd rather wait for on road at the shipper or final then on the side of the highway)

 

Pissing on the tires is the new form of checking to see if your tires leak air ...

 

I put my lunch in the truck then grab some paper towels and Merry Maids and clean my windows and mirrors EVERY shift. I pop the hood, turn on my lights and hazards and do a walk around with my tire thumper. Check the airlines, brakes, tires, entire engine etc. I then get into the cab and set the trailer brakes and test the kingpin. Then I do my airbrake test and engage to Johnny bar and go forward and reverse to test the trailer brakes. Then I fill out my DVIR and logbook and I'm on my way. I do this routine EVERYDAY no matter what. Takes 20-30 minutes total. Is it really worth it to skimp out on such little time to do it???????

 

Now that's a true professional pre trip.

 

If you don't see any bubbles, your golden.

 

Pre-trip depends on the post-trip.

If I did a thorough post, all I need to do is make sure the tires are still inflated. I just DID an inspection 10 hours ago.

If I did NOT do a solid post, then it's most of what you learned in school.

Tires, lights, brakes (Incl slacks) air lines and air bags and body/frame.

I don't bother with anything under the hood until I fuel, which is basically once a day. Make sure nothing is leaking on the pre-trip. As for in-cab, you get to the point where checking your voltage/air-pressure/oil pressure etc is just so automatic you don't even think about it. I check those even coming out of a fuel stop without thinking about it.

What you're going to get nailed on in an inspection (equipment-wise) are lights, brakes, tires and fluid levels. Those are coincidentally, the things you should ALWAYS check once a day, with fluid levels being less important the better you know the vehicle.

As long as you log it, you're good, unless you didn't actually do ANYTHING, which will, eventually bite you in the butt.