Inspection During a Trip
Check Vehicle Operation Regularly
During a Trip.
For safety you should:
Watch gauges for signs of trouble.
Use your senses to check for problems (look, listen, smell,
feel).
Check critical items when you stop: - Tires,
wheels and rims. - Brakes. - Lights. - Brake and electrical connections
to trailer. - Trailer coupling devices. - Cargo securement devices.
Post-Trip Inspection and Report. An after-trip inspection
is necessary at the end of the trip, day, or tour of duty on each
vehicle you operated. It may include filling out a vehicle condition
report listing any problems you find. The inspection report helps
the vehicle owner know when to fix something.
What to Look For Look for
Tire Problems.
It is dangerous to drive with bad tires. Look for problems such
as:
Too much or too little air pressure. Use a tire gauge to properly
check inflation. A tire mallet may be used to check that the tire
is not flat. Simply kicking or slapping the tire is not a valid
way to check tire inflation.
Bad wear. You need at least 4/32 inch tread depth on front tires.
You need 2/32 inch on other tires. No fabric should show through
the tread or sidewall. Public school buses must have 4/ 32 tread
depth in all major grooves on front wheels.
Cuts or other damage.
Tread separation.
Dual tires that come in contact with each other or parts of the
vehicle.
Mismatched sizes.
Radial and bias-ply tires used together.
Cut or cracked valve stems.
Regrooved, recapped, or retreaded tires on the front wheels
of a bus are not legal. Wheel and Rim Problems
Damaged rims could cause an accident.
Rust around wheel nuts may mean the nuts are loosecheck tightness.
After a tire has been changed, stop a short while later and recheck
tightness of nut
Missing clamps, spacers, studs, lugs means danger.
Mismatched, bent, cracked, lock rings are dangerous.
Wheels or rims that have had welding repairs are not safe. Bad
Brake Drums or Shoes
Cracked drums.
Shoes or pads with oil, grease, brake fluid on them.
Shoes worn dangerously thin, or missing or broken. Steering
System Defects (See Figure 2-1)
Missing nuts, bolts, cotter keys or other parts.
Bent, loose, or broken parts such as steering column, steering
gear box, or tie rods.
If power steering equipped hoses, pumps, and fluid level; check
for leaks.
Steering wheel play of more than 10 degrees (approximately 2
inches movement at the rim of a 20-inch steering wheel) can make
it hard to steer
You should check:
Instruments.
Air pressure gauge (if you have air brakes).
Temperature gauges.
Pressure gauges.
Ammeter/voltmeter.
Mirrors.
Tires.
Cargo, cargo covers. If you see, hear, smell, or feel anything
that might mean trouble, check it out.
Safety Inspection
Drivers of trucks and truck tractors must inspect within the
first 25 miles of a trip and every 150 miles or every 3 hours (whichever
comes first) afterward.
Check these things - Cargo doors and/or cargo securement. -
Tires Enough air pressure; not overheated. - Brakes not overheated
(put back of hand near brake drums to test). - Coupling devices.
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