Pre-Trip Study Question For Upcoming Schneider (CDL Holder) Training

Schneider also gives you papers explaining what parts to check during a pre-trip and how they want you to do it, brake test and what not, since this is the real world and not a CDL tests. You can even use these during the tests and they recommend it since they want you to pass.

Thanks Jamie. So will I be tested on this?

(I have my CDL and endorsements).

Yes, it's part of the tests to move onto the next part of training. But you can use the cheat sheets during training, so its basically impossible to fail the tests.

Really good advice here, especially from Errol.

Although the PTI does vary a bit from state to state; otherwise universal and is not unique to Schneider, or any other company.

I strongly suggest you prepare to go through the entire PTI, including the in-cab brake check. Be prepared.

• Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide
• Daniel's Pre-Trip Inspection
• Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist
• Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Questions

Hey Marc, If you are not in the habit of checking the kingpin pull lever when you are about to get on the road, do so. There are people out there who will tamper with your truck when you park for the night or go inside to get lunch. Check it everytime you return to the truck after leaving it unattended. Takes 3 seconds .

Hopper

Here's a quote from our member Banks diary. He passed his license test and the next day did a "lazy pretrip" and this is what his instructor told him

"We don't do pretrips because the state requires it or for some test that you can pass by watching a YouTube video. We do it for our own safety and the safety of everybody around us. If you're doing 65 weighing 70 or 80 thousand pounds and your tire falls off somebody can die. Not only do you have that weighing on you, but now you're looking at vehicular manslaughter because they're going to tear this vehicle apart looking for the cause. If they find that it could have been prevented, but you signed off saying it was good what's going to happen? What if you're going down a hill and your brakes fail? Do you think that little guard rail is going to stop you from going over? What's your family going to do? It's not too be a hard ass it's so that you understand what's on the line here and that it's serious. You're not the first student to get a CDL and do a bs pretrip. Don't start slipping now. Do it the way you know how to do it because a short cut won't get you far".

Marc when you get started you may get a trainer who doesnt pre-trip. Many drivers out here dont even get out of the truck while logging it. The trainer I had at my first driving job never pre-tripped because another driver was just back from his run so "everything's good". He didnt post-trip because "we only drove 100 miles". I was the one driving, so I did a pre/post-trip regardless of what he said because it's my license and livelihood on the line.

you should create a diary in the diary area once ya get started so we can follow along. Unfortunately not many active ones currently.

Yes, it's part of the tests to move onto the next part of training. But you can use the cheat sheets during training, so its basically impossible to fail the tests.

Thanks Rob.

The one which REALLY DID BOTHER ME was tires and tire pressures. Trainer checked steers once. Read low... concluded it was cold guage. Next day used his better, warm guage (offered my new, warm one too)... concluded tires read low due to cold. Several days and hundreds of miles later he checked again and may have actually aired up!

The woman who was about to become my next trainer (before I fell) had been asking for new drives for over a month. They were nearly bald, though J B. Hunt claims to require more tread than the legal minimum. As Target does not really plow or salt their store docks she had gotten stuck like 5 times or so over about a month. Reportedly she was getting a new truck soon so they didn't want to pay for new tires!

Just makes you want to say

Hey Marc, If you are not in the habit of checking the kingpin pull lever when you are about to get on the road, do so. There are people out there who will tamper with your truck when you park for the night or go inside to get lunch. Check it everytime you return to the truck after leaving it unattended. Takes 3 seconds .

Hopper

Thanks Hopper!

Am not... but I will be soon!

I love to fly with a friend who owns a Cessna 182. He only flies for pleasure so any trip can be canceled when appropriate... no "Get There Itis" (key to the start of the end of John Kennedy Jr's. fatal last flight which killed 3 other family members and friends)... That, coupled with his ALWAYS "doing it by the book" makes him the safest pilot I know... along with his partner in the plane.

After just 15 min. away from the plane to use the bathroom at an airport where we stopped to buy fuel AND WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE THERE... he will STILL re-check fuel cap, tires, brakes, etc.. and runs the FULL CHECKLIST before every takeoff. He goes to the VERY END of the runway, holds his brakes, revs the engine and then releases his brakes - we are taught "you can't use the runway you left behind!" I have seen people not do this in rented planes where they don't pay for brakes and other maintenance. Once saw a plane sitting parked for a while... "pilot" jumped in and was rolling in seconds... door still open.. hadn't checked ANYTHING! OK, door sometimes is left open for cooling when taxiing on hot days but I don't think that was the reason! Guess he REALLY had to be somewhere (if lucky) in a hurry!

I aspire to be as good and safe a driver as "you all" and as my pilot friends who fly!

Let me pull up a true story I posted a free years ago:

Knott's Berry Farm is a theme amusement park a bit north of Disneyland. As a tourist attraction it predates the Magic Kingdom by a few decades.

In 1998, Knott's built the Ghost Rider roller coaster, the longest wooden coaster on the west coast.

On the death of Walter Knott, the family sold the property to Cedar Fair, the operators of Cedar Point in Ohio. As the new corporate owner, Cedar Fair examined park operations to find ways to make the park more efficiently (read profitable). At one point, a Cedar Fair executive interviewed the mechanics who took care of the Ghost Rider.

"So you walk the entire coaster track every morning? Is it really necessary to check the track so thoroughly? How about we set you up with a twice a week schedule."

"Well, sir, we walk the track every single day so we can check all the fasteners and make adjustments and repairs before things get out of hand."

"But there have been no major incidents since the ride opened. So, is there a need to check the track on a daily basis?" the executive countered.

The mechanic replied, "Sir, I believe you have answered your own question there."

You do the pretrip not because you have to, but because you don't want to run into any time-wasting, or even dangerous problems today (every day).

Good one Errol! I think I read that one earlier. Funny thing is the guy probably didn't understand that he had in fact answered his own question!

Now that I think about it... I was close enough to my "pilot" to know he also did not yell "Clear prop!" - the customary warning to help insure the safety of others!

HOOD COMING UP!