Process Essay - Pre-Trip Inspection

The objective of this assignment was to use process writing skills to describe something we do often, and of course, I do this EVERY day. Really, I'm a trucker, would I lie to YOU?!?

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Doing a pre-trip inspection

When you’re driving a forty ton tractor trailer, safety is always your number one concern. Failure to detect a potential problem before you start driving down the highway is dangerous, and it can be deadly. Serious accidents can occur when you fail to ensure your vehicle is in safe condition by conducting a thorough pre-trip inspection before you begin driving each day.

The first thing you want to do is start from the inside of the cab. You turn your key to the on position and begin pumping your brakes and watching the air gauge on your dashboard. When the air pressure reaches 60 psi you want to hear an alarm go off; letting you know that you’re low on air. Next you will turn on your wipers to make sure both blades are functioning correctly. Now you want to tap your city horn, that’s the one on the steering wheel that is legal for use in cities. You should hear a horn that sounds similar to a car horn, next you want to pull your air horn and make sure it is working also. Air horns are not required by the department of transportation (DOT) to be working, but your city horn must be working. Finally check all your windows and mirrors for clarity, clean them if they need attention. Now turn on your headlights and four way flashers and pull down on the trailer brake handle, then exit the truck.

Once outside the truck walk around to the front of the truck and look underneath to make sure you do not see any fluids leaking on the ground, then open the hood. You want to start out by pulling the dipstick for the oil and wiping it off with a towel and then reinsert it and pull it back up again to check your oil level. Next you will check your coolant level, if you have a clear plastic tank this can be done by simple observation. For older metal tanks you must remove the cap and look inside the reservoir, using a flashlight if necessary. Finally you want to check the power steering fluid level; this is always in a clear plastic tank on the left side of the truck, so a simple observation is all that is required. Left and right sides are always determined by standing at the rear of the truck facing forward. Now you will look at your shock and check for any wear or oil leaking from the tube, and also check the leaf spring or airbag for any suspension damage, you will repeat this step on both sides of the tractor. On the left side of the tractor you will grab hold of the steering linkage bar coming through the firewall from the steering wheel and shake it, you are checking for any excessive looseness in it.

Now you’re ready to check your tires. With a tire pressure gauge that is capable of reading up to 100 psi you will check the air pressure in the left and right front steer tires, then you will take a tire depth measuring instrument and stick it between the tread on both tires making sure you are not below DOT minimum tread level. Finally you will look in behind the steer tires and check the brake pads and drums for any damage or worn down brake pads. Now go back to the front of the truck and close the hood and secure it back in place with the provided latches.

Now stand in front of your truck and check to make sure that the headlights are both working as well as any other marker lights on the truck and four way flashers. You are now ready to inspect the rest of your tractor and trailer. Walk between the tractor and trailer and check the red and blue air lines for damage or leaks and check the electric cord for damage. The process for checking tires, suspension and lights will be the same all the way around the vehicle as you did for the front of the tractor.

You will want to check the air lines hanging under the trailer for leaks or damage and also check the hub oil levels on the trailer wheels through the see through hubs in the center of the wheel. The reason you pulled the trailer brake handle before you exited the truck was to make sure that the brake lights on the tractor and trailer are working.

If everything is satisfactory you may sign off on your log sheet that the vehicle is safe for operation on the highway and you’re free to begin your day driving.