The Importance of the Pre-Trip Inspection

The pre-trip inspection is one of those inspections required by regulation with administrative recourse for failure to complete. It’s really a two-part process where you do the physical inspection of the vehicle, touch and test every light, nut, bolt, hose, part, oil level, tire, suspension, brake, connection, fifth wheel, and every detail of the truck. Next, you then record on a specific form that (a) you checked what you’re saying you checked and (b) any fault found is recorded and if fixed, record that it was fixed.

This required recorded piece of paper allows you to comply with the important rules and regulations that can bring a significant fine for noncompliance, but it is that magical piece of paper that can save your bacon in the event of an incident.

If you are involved in an incident, believe me, authorities are going to tear both your vehicle and your recorded paperwork apart and examine every check mark, word, and comment with the ferocity of a forensic auditor and, fault or no fault for the incident, you could be the one paying for what authorities found.

This simple little piece of paper you must complete daily is then filed with your company. Someone in the office now must examine this report and ensure maintenance has the information on the vehicle’s condition and do repairs that require instant solutions an issue purchase orders for third party repairs. With today’s technology, paperwork can, and must be, forwarded to the office immediately.

You may not realize the importance of having this pre-trip paperwork being forwarded to the office immediately but to demonstrate the importance, very recently there was an incident of catastrophic proportions on the 401 near Pickering. While at this point the incident is under investigation and little is truly known, the basics is a tractor trailer with two trailers — I don’t know if it was an A or a B train or even an LCV, loaded with what appears to be gasoline did something where the second trailer struck a barrier at the median and bounced over the barrier and exploded. There was a car and another truck involved where both truck drivers died, but police say it appears no vehicles came in contact with each other. All three vehicles were burned where only metal parts were left but scarred by intense temperatures in the ensuing fire.

What is obvious that any paperwork proving the soundness of either truck was incinerated and if it wasn’t forwarded to the office before the trip started, may be lost to investigators. This is one wreck that will take months to resolve and not one piece of paper will be left untouched. The truck drivers involved are requred to provide anything, it’s all left to paperwork to speak for them, and investigators don’t deal in suppositions.

With the advent of ELDs, companies need to create and produce a pre-trip form to be available for each driver to complete. This form should list the major faults possible, and the minor faults preferably separated, so drivers don’t have to question themselves as to the importance of the fault. Major faults cause immediate out of service and repair the fault until the fault is corrected. Minor faults do not trigger an out of service, but repair must be completed at the earliest possible opportunity.

That’s the importance of the pre-trip inspection. Trust me, it’s worth it.

G. RAY GOMPF, CD