The first reason is simple. It is the law. As professional truck drivers, we are required to perform them.
They aren’t fun, and standing in the blowing snow, scorching heat, or crawling under a trailer in a gravel/dirt lot in makes it downright unpleasant at times. However, they are necessary and VERY important.
The 2nd reason to do a thorough pre-trip is the same reason one would inspect a parachute before using it to jump from a perfectly good aircraft. It is always better to know for sure if you have a functioning parachute before you jump. If something is wrong with the parachute and it doesn’t open, the results could be deadly. The same goes for our vehicles. A bulge on a steer tire or a steering component that is working itself loose could have costly, if not deadly, consequences if they fail.
There are a few things you can do to make sure you are doing a thorough pre-trip, and once in the habit, it will become 2nd nature to you.
- Always start at the same place: This helps with establishing a routine.
- Do it the same way, every day: This helps to make sure you are not overlooking or forgetting anything.
- Do it every day: This will help you to recognize if something is out of place or simply doesn’t look right.
- Don’t just look, though: Feeling the smoothness of a tire, the tension of a belt or the play on the steering column can help you detect little problems before they become big ones.
- Take your time: We all feel rushed sometimes, but when it comes to safety, cutting corners is not the way to save time or money.
