Pre-Trip Inspection - My Way! A Must See!
Topic 3798 | Page 10
I am not a trucker but I work a lot with trucking companies.... Went to see a client that has 20+ trucks and his biggest problem has always been his drivers getting DOT violations on inspections. He was sooooo excited and happy when I sent him the link to this tread . He will hold a meeting this week end with all of his drivers to go over your thread. GREATTTTTT JOBBBBBBB DANIELS
I want to bump this thread for people to see and read it. Remember, you can't get your license without knowing the Pre-Trip Inspection!
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
3/6/2017 Salt Lake City, Utah Prime Inc. a day that will hopefully forever change my life as I start my school. This is an amazing and helpful tool for me to glance at every time I'm not doing anything else. Great photos and great tips. Now if I can only allow my burnt out almost 50 year old brain to retain all that information. Knowledge is certainly power and I hope to get through this like any one else. Thanks again for posting this. Trucking Truth and its members RULE!!!
Transporter wrote:
3/6/2017 Salt Lake City, Utah Prime Inc. a day that will hopefully forever change my life as I start my school. This is an amazing and helpful tool for me to glance at every time I'm not doing anything else. Great photos and great tips. Now if I can only allow my burnt out almost 50 year old brain to retain all that information. Knowledge is certainly power and I hope to get through this like any one else. Thanks again for posting this. Trucking Truth and its members RULE!!!
Repetition, repetition, repetition.
Don't worry...if you apply yourself you will know this cold. My 52 year old brain retained it...
I want to add something to this thread ...details, details, details.
Although (to the best of my memory) it's not required in the pre-trip a student needs to recite "chapter and verse" to the instructor/DOT tester, it's something to consider when the pre-trip takes on new meaning. Trailers have an inspection sticker with expiration dates. Part of it is a Preventive Maintenance (PM) sticker, the other part is the Federal Inspection. They coincide; PM is every 6 months, the Fed. is every 12 (reference below picture). I got into the regular habit of checking them both for several basic reasons:
A- Standard Operating Procedure at the DC. Although I know not everyone does it. It will take someone getting popped or turned around at the guard shack and then they will crack down on it again.
B- If the Federal is expired, I do not hook to the trailer. No discussion there and I inform both my DM and Walmart’s On-Site Shop at the DC of the trailer number and lot location. It's happened to me twice in 4+ years. If the PM is expired I inform Walmart’s Shop and they note in the trailers maintenance record and request a "returned empty" drop in the to-be-repaired lot (“K-Lot” for inquiring minds). Many times they will issue a glad-hand connection lock-out to be installed after dropping empty, thus preventing accidental loading of the trailer.
C- If either inspection is about to expire within a month, I take a little extra time on all the wear parts like brakes, supply hoses, and tires. And inform the shop if the pending expiration on either or both is within 5 days.
If you don't check this and run with the Federal Inspection expired, if pulled into a scale it's a possible citation from DOT and even worse an out-of-service status with you under a loaded trailer. Never been in this situation, so better to be safe than sorry.
As described on a newer 308 series Walmart Reefer:
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.Out-of-Service:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
I put this awesome thread into a PDF to make it easier to study. The link to the Dropbox file is below. Warning: It's a pretty big file, 91 pages long with large photos. I set it up with one subject per page, and room on the right side of the page for notes.
Brett is going to put it on the Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide page, but this link should stay active.
All credit goes to Daniel B., I just formatted it for us.
Pre-Trip Inspection - My way PDF
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
I put this awesome thread into a PDF to make it easier to study. The link to the Dropbox file is below. Warning: It's a pretty big file, 91 pages long with large photos. I set it up with one subject per page, and room on the right side of the page for notes.
Brett is going to put it on the Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide page, but this link should stay active.
All credit goes to Daniel B., I just formatted it for us.
Always nice to have a Computer Geek in the crowd. Sometimes I have a hard enough time OPENING a PDF file, Let alone CREATING one! 
Thanks for the effort
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
Always nice to have a Computer Geek in the crowd. Sometimes I have a hard enough time OPENING a PDF file, Let alone CREATING one!
You're welcome Tractor Man. Look at it this way: I'm on a trucking forum, and don't have a clue how to drive a truck! 
Glad its still helping you guys out 3 years later. Stay safe.
I put this awesome thread into a PDF to make it easier to study. The link to the Dropbox file is below. Warning: It's a pretty big file, 91 pages long with large photos. I set it up with one subject per page, and room on the right side of the page for notes.
Brett is going to put it on the Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide page, but this link should stay active.
All credit goes to Daniel B., I just formatted it for us.
Good job on that. Another fellow geek. Doubt I would have had the patience to put that together.
As for the missing photos on the steering components section:
The PITMAN ARM is the part that attaches to the STEERING BOX and extends down. What it connects to is the DRAG LINK. This transmits the motion of the STEERING ARM (drags) to the DRAG LINK. The DRAG LINK is attached to the wheel/hub assembly at the STEERING ARM, and is what actually turns the wheel. The TIE ROD is what connects (ties) the DRIVERS SIDE wheel/hub assembly to the PASSENGER SIDE wheel/hub assembly.
The photo with the arrow under the heading TIE ROD: is actually the PITMAN ARM.
Another thing to note - and it might have been different at the school I went to - If you're inspecting something that appears on the other side of the vehicle (springs, wheels, etc.), we added "and I would inspect the same thing on the other side". Not sure if certain states make you actually go around to the other side and point things out.
The Pre-Trip is somewhat easier for those of us that have "twisted wrenches" in a past life. Most of the stuff on a truck is very similar to the same components on a car - just MUCH BIGGER. Folks that have never even checked their oil, will have a somewhat more difficult time getting the "physics" of how these components work - but must be able to identify and inspect them regardless.
Rick
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Driver Responsibilities Photos Pre-trip inspection (PTI) Truck Equipment Questions
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Daniel, a thousand thanks for putting this together! I'll feel much more confident w/my pre-trip now after studying your comments & photos. This piece is timeless.