Pre-Trip and Post-Trip

[klippencott]

I just finished re-reading the HOS thread from a month or so back.

I like to do my pre-trip inspection after I finish a load. In other words a post-trip and pre-trip at the same time so I'm ready to go when the next load comes in. I like to have the fuel tank full, oil checked or topped off, ect.

I'm I violating HOS or saftey rules by doing it that way? It just makes more since to me to be ready to go when I get a load offer.

Where can I find a good guide on logging, one that I don't need a law degree to understand? My techie brain does not fully understand some terms used on FMCSA's site or maybe it's cause I'm new to expediting and truckdriving.

Kathy

 

[Crazynuff]

Just do what you're doing , call it a post trip and before you head out do a quick walk-around and mark a pretrip . Things can happen btween the time you unload and you leave . After having my truck hit while parked I always do an inspection before moving after parking .

 

[Pappy]

Pre-trip and post-trip are exactly what they imply. Pre or before. Post or after.
Lets just say for instance you're traveling down the highway and a part on your vehicle breaks and caused you to have an accident. You may feel that the part was ok when you started the trip--- but was it inspected before the trip? Was the inspection documented on your logs. Believe me, the other party involved in the accident and their attorney would have a pic-nic with this one. Therefore I strongly reccommend doing both a pre-trip and a post-trip inspection and make sure that both of them are documented as such on your daily logs.
Go to jjkeller.com They supply lots of stuff for the trucking industry including videos on properly filling out daily logs and on doing inspections properly.

Hope this helps

Pappy
35 years OTR T/T

 

[LDB]

Technically the pretrip inspection is performed at the beginning of the line 4 activity on each calendar day. That could fall at any time on the clock but would be the first activity when starting the new line 4 portion after the 10 hour line 1 or 2 break. You might have made a run that started the evening before and finished with going to line 4 for a post trip at 0545 and line 2 at 0600. You become available again at 1600 and get a job at 1700. Your pretrip would be 1700-1715 for that day.

Not all companies require 15 minutes on line 4 for the post trip but almost all do expect to see 15 minutes for the pretrip. I suggest the pretrip being done as a pretrip to not only insure things are ok but to confirm nobody messed with your equipment between the time you completed the prior job many hours earlier and did your post trip and the time you leave on the new job.

Leo Bricker, owner trucks 3034, 4958
OOIDA 677319
73's K5LDB
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator 1+ Years of Service
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