They gave my truck the once over and couldn't find anything wrong. The only problem was the pre-trip sheet. My company uses their own and the only thing that's not included is the area for stating what is wrong and needs to be fixed and signed off by the mechanic. Trouble is, the company has been using that same piece of paper for 5 years and have never had a problem with it. I guess the inspector needed to find something wrong with the truck and the only thing was the non-official pe-trip.

I sure hope Steve Booth reads this - his log book sheet that he made up doesn't itemize either. :wink:

Those MTO idiots need to get there priorities straight! The important thing should be, that the truck is safe, not some stupid peice of paper!

$390 for a simple mistake on a peice of paper that says the truck is safe, when the truck actually was safe???

And people wonder why truckers hate the MTO and try to avoid the scales??


I never go through any MTO scales.

pre trip sheets dont need to be itemized.

You don't need a written pre-trip. The regs only require a written post-trip. But - its seems like many do this all back-asswards :shock: .

Just face it, if they pull you for an inspection they are going to write a ticket for something, like an in grown toe nail, to show that they were working and did it. I keep my trucks up but over the years have had some Micky Mouse tickets, got one one time in NJ for to much grease on the side of the 5th wheel ("That might drop off") Just figure if you get pulled you are gona pay something.

While this is correct, as there IS no such thing as a pre trip sheet, the POST TRIP report needs to be itemized, and cover all the things that FMCSA requires. In the case of the O.P., I am guessing they meant the POST TRIP sheet, and they cited him for the previous days post trip report.

Road you are very correct and I thought I would back up the words in the book. I wish all company's would get on the same page

§396.11 Driver vehicle inspection report(s). Post-Trip


(a) Report required. Every motor carrier shall require its drivers to report, and every driver shall prepare a report in writing at the completion of each day's work on each vehicle operated and the report shall cover at least the following parts and accessories:

Service brakes including trailer brake connections

Parking (hand) brake

Steering mechanism

Lighting devices and reflectors

Tires

Horn

Windshield wipers

Rear vision mirrors

Coupling devices

Wheels and rims

Emergency equipment

(b) Report content. The report shall identify the vehicle and list any defect or deficiency discovered by or reported to the driver which would affect the safety of operation of the vehicle or result in its mechanical breakdown. If no defect or deficiency is discovered by or reported to the driver, the report shall so indicate. In all instances, the driver shall sign the report. On two-driver operations, only one driver needs to sign the driver vehicle inspection report, provided both drivers agree as to the defects or deficiencies identified. If a driver operates more than one vehicle during the day, a report shall be prepared for each vehicle operated.

(c) Corrective action. Prior to requiring or permitting a driver to operate a vehicle, every motor carrier or its agent shall repair any defect or deficiency listed on the driver vehicle inspection report which would be likely to affect the safety of operation of the vehicle.

(1) Every motor carrier or its agent shall certify on the original driver vehicle inspection report which lists any defect or deficiency that the defect or deficiency has been repaired or that repair is unnecessary before the vehicle is operated again.

(2) Every motor carrier shall maintain the original driver vehicle inspection report, the certification of repairs, and the certification of the driver's review for three months from the date the written report was prepared.

DOT checks all DVIR'S to make sure the company is repairing your equipment for safety reasons. We will get audited for that at any given time and usually happens more than a Full blown DOT audit. This is for your protection to make sure company's are not making you use bad equipment!


PRE-TRIP
§392.7 Equipment, inspection and use.


No commercial motor vehicle shall be driven unless the driver is satisfied that the following parts and accessories are in good working order, nor shall any driver fail to use or make use of such parts and accessories when and as needed:

Service brakes, including trailer brake connections.

Parking (hand) brake.

Steering mechanism.

Lighting devices and reflectors.

Tires.

Horn.

Windshield wiper or wipers.

Rear-vision mirror or mirrors.

Coupling devices.

§396.13 Driver inspection. (PRE-TRIP)


Before driving a motor vehicle, the driver shall:

(a) Be satisfied that the motor vehicle is in safe operating condition;

(b) Review the last driver vehicle inspection report; and

(c) Sign the report, only if defects or deficiencies were noted by the driver who prepared the report, to acknowledge that the driver has reviewed it and that there is a certification that the required repairs have been performed. The signature requirement does not apply to listed defects on a towed unit which is no longer part of the vehicle combination.

If you notice the pre-trip should not take very long
If you notice the post-trip will take you some time!

If you do a thorough inspection at the end of your driving time for the day and you find something wrong you can put the truck in the shop and get a hotel and wake up (after 10 hours +) and pick up the truck and be on your way. If you do a thorough inspection on your pre-trip, well you might have to get a hotel (after you just took a 10) and come back 10 hours or longer and then be ready to go, which makes more sense to a driver to make money? I would do my post-trip thoroughly!
I thought I would post the facts and you can judge from there!