PRE- AND POST-TRIP INSPECTION DOS AND DON’TS
Minimizing over-the-road breakdowns and preventing out-of-service violations are two of the many benefits of pre-
and post-trip inspections. Use this list of dos and don’ts to complete your inspections the right way.
Don’t: Think they’re optional.
They’re the law. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulation 392.7 requires pre-trip inspections,
while regulation 396.11 mandates post-trip inspections.
Do: Know what to check.
For a pre-trip inspection, check:
- parking brakes
- service brakes
- tires and rims
- suspension
- steering system
- fluid levels
- belts and hoses
- electrical and air lines
- coupling devices
- wipers
- mirrors
- horn
- seatbelts
- gauges
- air brake warning system
- emergency kit
- lights, reflectors, and signals
Check the same items for post-trip inspections minus the fluid checks—don’t touch anything that might be hot!
Do: Double-check the brakes.
More than 1 out of every 4 vehicle out-of-service violations in the U.S. during the 2021 Commercial Vehicle Safety
Alliance’s (CVSA’s) International Roadcheck were due to brake system violations.
Don’t: Do an inspection differently each time.
Instead, develop a routine, and go in the same order with each pre- and post-trip check. Consider starting at the cab,
then inside the cab, the front of the vehicle, then around the truck starting at the driver’s side.
Don’t: Forget the interior.
A clean cab tells an inspector that the rest of the vehicle is in good shape. A dirty cab says the opposite.
Do you have all the required items in your truck in case you get inspected? Double-check that you have the ELD
instructions, extra logbooks, and make sure you know where your permit book is.
Don’t: Ignore potential problems.
If you spot something out of the ordinary during your post-trip inspection, report it to us immediately. The last thing
you want is to be waiting for FleetNet to arrive!
