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I was recently asked to give a talk on the very important topic of pre-trip inspections. The group I was talking to were all very experienced drivers, not the type you might expect at such a talk. It is far too easy to get negligent or lazy or just to get rushed and try and gain time by skipping some or all aspects of this task.

Unfortunately, the price for doing this can be the ultimate one: our lives! None of us think we are risking that much when we do a less-than-adequate job, but the possibility is there. Not only are we more vulnerable on the side of the road but the part that goes could be crucial to our safety and crucial to the safety of those around us!

For those drivers that are driving the same rig every day, there are advantages and disadvantages. They have the opportunity to get familiar with their rig and are more likely to notice something different or out of kilter while they are driving. But there is the very real danger that they may not do as thorough a job as they would with a truck they have never seen before. But the piece of equipment that looked fine at the beginning of the trip may succumb to metal fatigue, friction, or just age at any time during the drive.

If you are a driver that has to slip seat-drive a different truck every trip-the danger is more obvious. Check the inspection book and see what the drivers before you have been writing up. Then do the best inspection you can. I have even gotten a truck that was missing lugs on the steer tire! The initial pre-trip can't be too complete but time can still be an issue, so the more familiar you are with all the components the better. And you don't have to be a mechanic to do this well.

• All parts should have PMS, be permanently mounted, and secure. Look, touch, shake, and pull it. Check for missing bolts or carter pins, cracks, or missing pieces. Look for burned or frayed wires or hoses being damaged by friction. Check all fluids for amount and leakage.
• Check all air lines for leaking or signs of wear.
• Check your tires. Remember on drive tire blowouts it is most often the right tire. This doesn't happen from wear but from internal damage often caused from being curbed or hitting pot holes. This would happen more often than the drivers side which is easier to guide around objects and therefore easier to protect.
• If you need a refresher on what to check until you have a pattern to follow in your head, use the pre-trip list in the front of your map book. Try and work in a way that is logical to you. From top to bottom, for example, starting from the inside of the engine to the outside. Try to start at the same place each time on the tractor and the trailer. Make it a habit.
• When you are in the truck and ready to go, do a check list in your head for crucial items like landing gear, air lines, and a visual check of the fifth wheel. If you can't actually remember doing any of those, it is well worth your while to do it again.

Surprisingly, this can be even more important as you gain years and years of experience and you are at the point of doing things with your brain on automatic pilot. It is even easier to overlook something at this point and not realize you forgot it than when it was new and you made a point of doing it each time.

What do you think is the easiest thing to overlook on an inspection?

Stay safe out there and off the side of the road.