Know the rules that apply to you
Commercial vehicles have inspection and reporting rules. In the United States, FMCSA 49 CFR 396 covers vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance. Check the current rule for your type of vehicle and operation. Your company's procedure and the maker's manual add to it.
This guide covers the habit. The rule tells you what you must record and keep.
Walk it in the same order every time
Pick a route around the vehicle and never change it. A fixed order is what keeps you from skipping the thing you don't feel like looking at.
- 1
Start with the paperwork and the last report
Read what the last driver wrote. If a defect was reported, check that it was fixed.
- 2
Look at the ground under the vehicle
Drips and puddles mean a leak. Note the color and where it is.
- 3
Walk the outside, front to back
Go the same direction every time. Start at the front, work down one side, across the rear, up the other side.
- 4
Check the cab
Seat, belt, mirrors, gauges, controls, horn, wipers and safety gear.
- 5
Start it and check again
Listen. Watch the gauges and warning lights. Check the brakes and steering per the maker's manual and your company's procedure.
- 6
Sign off only what you looked at
A signature means you did the check. It doesn't mean the vehicle is perfect.
What to look at outside
- Tires: wear, damage, bulges, cuts, pressure, lug nuts and valve stems.
- Wheels and rims: cracks, missing fasteners, rust trails.
- Lights and reflectors: working, clean and not cracked.
- Body and glass: damage, loose panels, cracked windshield, clear mirrors.
- Leaks: fuel, oil, coolant, air, hydraulic fluid.
- Suspension, steering and brake parts you can see: loose, bent, worn or missing.
- Coupling gear and the trailer if one is attached.
- Load and tie-downs, if you're hauling.
- Fluid levels you're responsible for, per your procedure.
What to look at in the cab
- Seat belt: latches, no fraying, retracts.
- Mirrors and windshield: clear, adjusted, no cracks in your line of sight.
- Gauges and warning lights: they come on, then go off as they should.
- Horn, wipers, washers, defroster and heater.
- Brakes: parking brake holds, pedal feel is normal, air pressure builds as the maker says.
- Steering: no unusual play or noise.
- Safety gear: fire extinguisher, warning triangles, first aid kit, spare fuses if your rules require them.
- Documents your operation requires.
Record defects and handle a failed item
Write down what you found, not how you feel about it. "Left rear inner tire, cut sidewall, cord showing." Add a photo.
A defect that affects safe operation takes the vehicle out of service until it's fixed. The rule and your company's procedure say which defects those are. If you're not sure, don't drive it. Ask your lead.
- Note the vehicle, date, time, mileage and your name.
- Describe the part, the side and the problem.
- Tell the lead or dispatcher directly for anything serious. Don't leave it for the paperwork.
- Tag the vehicle or lock it out of the dispatch list if your procedure says so.
- Don't let someone talk you into taking it anyway.
How leads review inspections
A report nobody reads is a habit nobody keeps. Leads should read the reports every day.
- Check each reported defect has an owner and a status.
- Confirm repairs are done before the vehicle goes back on the road.
- Look for the same defect showing up again.
- Look at timestamps. Ten vehicles inspected in two minutes each is a flag.
- Look for sheets that are identical day after day.
- Talk to drivers who report things. Thank them.
- Keep records as long as the current rule says.
Why a rushed check looks real on paper
A paper form with every box ticked looks the same whether the driver spent ten minutes or ten seconds. The ink doesn't show it.
That's the weak spot. A lead can only catch a rushed check by looking for signs: a short time between start and finish, the same entries every day, no photos, no defects ever found on an old truck. A photo on a defect, a time stamp and a required step order give you something to look at.