PRE - TRIP INSPECTION (Part 1)

Here is a full and thorough pre-trip inspection as I teach it to my students. After we are in the classroom talking about safety and the things that we will be doing during the week of training, we go outside to my truck (the other trainers take them out to their trucks) and we show them a full and complete pre-trip inspection.

One thing that we do tell them is, we don't have to be this thorough when we are driving the same vehicle every day. When we are assigned a truck, we will be able to See, Hear, Smell and Feel any changes that might be going on, in and around the truck.

The time that we want to do a pre-trip like this is when we first get our truck assigned to us. That way, we can acclimate ourselves to our vehicle. We also want to do this when we go onto time off. That way, if there is anything that needs to be fixed, we can have it done while we are relaxing at home as opposed to doing it when we come back and have to put the truck in the shop. Then guess who gets to make the money....the mechanics!

The other time we want to do a pre-trip like this is if we switch truck assignments. Then we need to get to know our new truck that we will be driving. Other than that, a pre-trip can be done in about 10 minutes, because you know what you are looking at, looking for and will notice any changes such as shiny metal, fluid or air leaks, loose components, etc.

During a pre-trip, you will want a good pair of gloves, flashlight, tire thumper and tire gauge. You may also want a good pair of knee pads since you will be getting under the truck also to see things under there.

The very first thing you want to do when you get your truck assignment is take your permit book out. A good driver will always be sure that they have all the permits required and that they are up-to-date. It can be quite costly if the DOT inspectors find that one of your permits is out of date.

I had that happen in Colorado one time. My Colorado HazMat permit was out of date by one week. It cost me only $25 at the time, back in 1994, but it could have cost me a lot more had I been hauling Hazardous Materials. Lesson learned.

Once we have determined that our permit book is good and current, then we can proceed on our inspection on our truck.

The first thing we do is walk to the front of the truck. Here we can see an overall view of what we are about to drive down the road.



What we are looking for here is if the truck is leaning one direction or another. This can be due to the truck sitting in a pothole, having a flat or low tire. The shocks could be bad, or maybe the airbags are low. You could also have bad leaf springs or your cab mounts can be either out of adjustment or cracked. Any number of things.

Then while we are still standing in front of the truck, we want to start from the top. Look to see if there is a tree damage to the top of the truck. Then slowly come down and look at the visor where the marker lights are. Be sure that is in tact and this is a good time to have your lights on.

Next, look at your windshield. Look for any cracks or dings from rocks. You can also see your wipers from here. We'll take a closer look in a little while.

Check that your mirrors are in place and look in tact.

Then scan down the hood to be sure that it is sitting properly in the closed position. Move down the grill to be sure that it is in tact and not broken.

Next, look at the headlights, markers and turn signals. Be sure that they are in tact, working, not broken or missing.

Then look at the bumper. Be sure that it is in tact and that the license plate is present and the tags are current and present.

Now, we will need our knee pads to look under the truck.


What we are looking for here is what is called "cool down leaks." These are leaks that develop over time when you shut your truck off. Much like blowing up a balloon, the hoses and gaskets lose their shape. When you blow up a balloon, let the air out and repeat that several times, the balloon loses its shape, right? So does the hoses and gaskets, so we must look to see if anything has developed that we didn't notice before.

Now we can open the hood and take a look at the inside of the engine compartment.



Once we get the hood open, this is where you want to develop a pattern. If you go full circle around your truck, then you will be less likely to miss something as opposed to checking things as you think of them. Force yourself to look and feel everything so as to be sure of their stability and condition.

We can look inside and see different things. I will have several photos available with arrows pointing to different areas to be able to easily identify what I am talking about.



After opening the hood, the first thing we want to look at is the strap or wire that holds the hood to the radiator. Here at the red arrow, we can see a tightly woven strap that anchors the hood to the truck. We are looking for any cuts or fraying on it that could cause the hood to fall to the ground.

Sure it is also held up by hinges, but without those straps, the hood will open completely and possibly put so much stress on the hinges that the hood will go to the ground. These hoods are very heavy and are not very easy to pick back up. They could also cause great injury, so this is why it is important to check this out.



Once you have inspected the strap, take a quick look at the front of the radiator. Be sure that you haven't picked up any debris that was flying around on the ground. Debris like plastic bags, cardboard, etc. If this gets caught on the front of your radiator, air flow will be restricted and your engine will not cool off properly therefore causing engine damage and possibly having the computer shut the engine down completely while in travel. This could be dangerous as all steering ability is greatly restricted also.



Move to the belts just behind the radiator. At the red arrow is our idler pulley or the tensioner. Be sure that this is secure and not loose. If it is loose, the bushings inside may be worn and this will cause the belt to fall off and you may lose power since the alternator will not be in use any longer.

Check that the belts have no more than 3/4 of play in them. Also check to see if they are frayed on the edges or have a mosaic effect on the inside. This is from weathering and cracking. The belt is getting old and my not last for much longer. Go ahead and have the shop change it at this time to prolong the life of your engine.


Check that your fan blade is in tact. Look to see that all the blades are present, not broken or chipped. A chipped blade may indicate a loose clutch fan and it is hitting something.



At the yellow arrow, we have the air conditioning unit. Be sure this is secure by tugging on it with your gloved hand. Also, look for any leaking around the unit. Be sure the belts are secure also.

At the red arrow, we have the alternator. Again, be sure this unit is secure to the engine and the belts are secure. Look at all the bolts and fittings to see if you can notice any new shiny metal. This could indicate that the unit is not secure and is moving with the vibrations of the truck.

Let's move to the windshield area now.



We can get a little bit better view up close like this as opposed to standing up in front of the truck. That's okay. It's never a bad thing to double check yourself. In fact, the more you check the better off you are.

You can see if there are any cracks or rock chips. Also if the windshield needs to be cleaned.
Then we can see our wipers, pointed out by the red arrow. Look to see that the rubber part is intact and present.

Now at the yellow arrow, we can see the coolant reservoir. Be sure that it is at the proper level. Here we can see it is in between the Minimum and Maximum levels. This is good.

We also want to pay attention to the color. This particular product is green in color. Some come in red. What we are looking for is clear, which means we may have too much water in it and not enough coolant. This will not allow the engine to cool down properly. Or too green or red, which means you have too much coolant in the system and not enough water. This will not allow the engine to warm up properly. Another thing we want to look for is any black which could lead to gaskets that are breaking down and mixing in the system.



Here, we can see the coolant reservoir a little better along with a few other items.
At the red arrow is a sensor. If our coolant level gets to that point, our truck may shut down to protect the engine from overheating. This is critical to keep our coolant above this level so that we don't have engine failure. This could happen either while you are driving down the road or idling in a parking lot somewhere.

Next, at the yellow arrow, we see our windshield washer reservoir. It is a good idea to keep this full all year long, because rain happens all year long.

One thing I have found out that really helps is by putting about 2 ounces of simple green in that reservoir. This helps to cut down on the oil that gets sprayed up from the water on the roads. Therefore, I can see a lot better at night when the headlights are glaring against me. One blast of washer fluid with Simple Green will last about 20 minutes.

At the blue arrow, we see many wires. There is actually wires, hoses and air lines mixed in with that. We want to be sure that none of them are rubbing against each other freely that will cause them to create holes. These are held together tightly by a couple of wire-ties. It's a good idea to be sure that they are still intact.

Then at the two green arrows, we have braces that help to keep the engine compartment together. We want to physically tug on them to be sure they are still tight and not coming loose. Visually look at the ends to see that the bolts are not showing any new metal.



Next we have the area where we put in the oil.

The red arrow is where we put our oil in at. The yellow arrow is where we check the level. It is best to check this twice.

The first time you take the dipstick out, you will not get a true reading, especially after driving for several miles. The oil splashes up the dipstick and will give you an inaccurate reading. So, you can use this first pull to your advantage.

Look at the condition of your oil. Look at the color. Is it black? This is okay. If there is any marbling, this is not good. Are there any water bubbles in the oil? This is not good. You could have water, coolant, or diesel in your oil.

One way to tell if you have diesel in your oil is after you pull out the dipstick, lay the end of it gently on a napkin or paper towel. If there is any diesel in the oil, that will separate instantly from the oil on the paper towel. Report this immediately to your shop so that they can check the engine further.

After you have done the initial check of the oil, wipe of the end of the dipstick. Look at where the Add and Full marks are. Then replace the dipstick, lock it down so that you get an accurate reading, pull it out and now look at the level. From the Add to the Full should be exactly 1 gallon, no matter how long your stick is. The markings are made so that you know if you are full or need any oil and how much.

At the green arrow, is the steering rod. Grab a hold of this, turn it and try to jiggle it. If it turns freely without much movement, this is okay. If it doesn't jiggle at all, this is also good. We don't want loose or sloppy steering. This could result in poor tire wear and possible control issues.



Just behind where you check and put the oil in at is the air compressor and governor. The compressor is run by oil and push rods. You want to check for leaks in this area. The air compressor is pointed out by the red arrow and the governor is at the yellow arrow.

Sometimes, you will hear a tickey sound that sounds similar to a low oil sound in your engine. More than likely this is the air compressor building up pressure. From inside your truck, watch your air gauges as they build pressure. When the air dryer (which we look at later) spits, you will hear that tickey sound disappear. This is a normal sound.



Now we are looking at the power steering reservoir. The level is important here so that we have good steering capabilities.

Right now, at the red arrow, we see that our level is just about at the full mark on the cold side. This is good, since our engine hasn't been running, this is where we want our level to be at.



Just below the power steering reservoir is the power steering box at the red arrow. Look for any leaks there.

Then at the yellow arrow is the pitman arm. Look for any looseness or shiny metal.
At the orange arrow is a castle nut (shaped like the top of a castle) and a cotter pin. Be sure that they are both present and tight.



Let's move to the fuel filter. This is indicated by the red arrow. Not all trucks are equipped with a see-through glass like this, but it sure is nice. Some trucks have a solid metal cover where you can't see the filter readily. At the yellow arrow is the top of the filter. We can actually let our fuel level get up to that point, but the truck will begin to run rough at this time. This means that the filter is getting dirty and no longer able to clean out the dirt that is in the diesel fuel. It is time to have the filter changed.



Here, we have a photo of the leaf spring assembly. We can see the shock absorber, as seen by the yellow arrow. Feel that the bushings on both ends are tight, shown by the lavender arrow. You can also visually see their condition. Look to see that that shock doesn't have any leaks or shiny metal on it.

Next, you can see the leaf springs themselves, pointed out by the purple arrow. Be sure that they are in line, not broken or missing.

Then look at the U-bolts, next to the blue arrow. These can be easily identified because they are shaped like a U. Be sure that you don't see any new shiny metal that may show that they have moved recently.

Then, this last part, pointed out by the red arrow, most people don't know about. In fact, until an inspector in California was kind enough to tell me about it, I didn't know either.

This is a rubber stop. This is a DOT requirement because when you are driving down the road, the tires, springs and shocks are all taking the brunt of the bumpy road. When that spindle under the rubber stop moves up and down with the tires, it may hit the frame of the truck. The rubber stop prevents it from breaking down therefore loosening up the U-bolts that will allow the springs to get out of alignment which could lead to serious steering problems.



Here we have our slack adjuster for our brakes. This is indicated by the red arrow. At the yellow arrow, this is the pin that we pull out to make our adjustments. We will go over how to adjust brakes at a later time.

With your brakes released, pull on the slack adjuster to be sure that they move freely and no more than 1 or 1 1/2 inches. If they move more than that, they may need to be adjusted. It only takes about 1 minute to properly adjust one of these brakes.

While you are in that area, take a look at the inside of the tire. Be sure that there are no abrasions, bulges or cuts. Some people call those the ABC's of a tire. Also, look to see that the rim is not bent, compromising the seal to the tire.

See that your brake pads are more than the DOT minimum of 1/4 inch and that they are in good shape and not missing. Also, look to see that there is no grease splashed up on the inside of the rim. This could indicate a blown or leaky wheel seal. Get this taken care of as soon as possible to prevent serious damage to your truck.



Next, look at the frame of the truck, indicated by the red arrow. Be sure that all the bolts are present and tight. None of them are loose, as felt by grabbing on to them.

At the yellow arrow, we want to look at the tire tread and the depth. As stated by the Department of Transportation, the minimum tread depth is 4/32 on the steer tires. Recap tires are not allowed on the steer positions either. Look to see that there is no cupping on the edges of the tires that could indicate mismatched steer tires or alignment problems. Notify the mechanics if you notice any of these problems occurring so that they may resolve the issues before the problem gets too serious.



Also in the engine compartment area, you will find the air filter. In this open area, the hood fits here with a rubber fitting. This open area is a perfect place for mechanics to set their tools while they are working on your engine. It is also a great area to forget about them. So the best thing to do is reach inside and be sure that no tools have been left behind, or no debris is in there.



Another item you will find is the air dryer. This is what you hear "spitting" when you are going down the road, or are parked and idling your engine. What the "spitting" is doing is getting rid of any moisture in the air lines. One thing that we want to do is grab a hold of this unit and try to jiggle it. If it doesn't move, this is a good thing. As you notice, there are wires at the base of the unit. Check that their condition is good and that they are not rubbing against anything.

Also, if you happen to hear the "spitting" going on continuously, you may have excess moisture in your air lines. Use the air pulls provided on your truck to help the unit out. This will happen if you are in high-humidity states, or if the unit is wearing out.

We will conclude this portion of the pre-trip inspection for now. That basically takes care of the initial start of your inspection and the interior of the engine compartment. Take your time when you are looking through this area as there is so much to see, smell and feel. Touch everything to be sure that they are secure. Just looking at the items tell you nothing except that they are present. Feeling them will tell you so much more.

Look forward to the continuation of this pre-trip as we still have quite a bit to go over. Afterwards, we will go over how to properly hook up a truck to a trailer and how to save wear and tear on the equipment. That will be followed by a full inspection on the trailer.

So much to cover, so much to learn. How fun!

HOW TRUCKING BEGAN FOR ME

Today, being a new year, I will keep a running journal of my life as a truck driving instructor. This should prove to be very interesting. I just hope that others will enjoy my writings as much as I enjoy my job. This is the first job that I have ever had that when my alarm goes off, I am not looking to hit the snooze button. Rather, I get up and am happy to go to work to meet my daily challenges of teaching people how to drive truck properly and safely.

Let me start out today with a little bit of history of myself. I started out in the trucking world back in 1990. I never really thought that I'd even consider doing this kind of a career. Trucks were only big vehicles on the road that got in my way when I wanted to go somewhere. They were slow and it seemed that they took up a lot of space.

It wasn't until one day that I realized that if it weren't for those truckers out on the road, I wouldn't have anything. I wouldn't have my house, my clothes, my food, my toiletries, my car, the gas to heat my house, the gas for my car, etc. In fact, truckers move everything that I use in my life. Even if it moved by rail, truckers still had to move it from the rail yard to the stores so that I could buy whatever it was I needed to survive.

That is when I decided to join the ever-growing industry of trucking.

I went to school to learn just how to move one of those big-rigs down the road. They are usually pulling a 53 foot trailer, the truck and trailer combination is approximately 65 to 70 feet long. There are 18 wheels on one of those rigs including the trailer.

The one that I started on was a small Freightliner CabOver truck. That is a kind of truck where the cab of it is over the engine. Therefore, the term "CabOver." I was pulling 2 trailers each at 28 1/2 feet long with a dolly in between the two. This connects those trailers together with a 5th wheel, air lines and electrical cord for the lights.

After driving that for 3 years, I then went to a Freightliner FLD conventional truck. This truck has the engine in front under a hood, so I was no longer sitting on top of the engine. I was then pulling a 48 foot reefer trailer. That is a refrigerated trailer that hauls ice cream, produce, meat, poultry, eggs, and anything else that needs to stay cooled or frozen.

I did that for about a year and then went on to a Freightliner FLD 120 conventional. This still had the engine in the front under a hood, but this one now has a double bunk in the sleeper. This is just like a bunk bed in the back. I also had a microwave in there, television, VCR and my computer. I was also pulling a 53 foot dry trailer. This could haul paper to be used at the newspaper printing places, clothing for department stores, foods like cereals, flour, sugar, and other dry goods. Paper products such as bathroom necessities, female products, kitchen products and such. Many other items could be hauled like food for animals, and gardening supplies.

Other drivers that pull flatbed trailers, these are the kind that don't have walls on the sides, could haul wood for new homes, pipes for natural gas lines, or sewage lines and such. They could also haul large equipment to be used to make new roads, dig holes for basements to homes or businesses and such.

Then there are the tanker drivers that haul our gasoline and diesel to the stations. They keep our vehicles going by keeping the stations full.

I know that there are many other types of trucks out there, but can't think of them right now. There are so many that do so many types of jobs. I didn't experience any of those, but have seen them on the road, so I knew that they kept everyone going.

One of the trucks that I have driven is the truck and trailer. These look like doubles, but the front 28 1/2 foot box is mounted to the frame of the truck and the other 28 1/2 trailer is hooked by a long pole that can slide back and forth by using a button in the truck. That was a Peterbilt cabover truck. It had a 13 speed transmission in it. That was pretty intersting. It also had a Silver 92 Detroit engine in it. I didn't like that too much because you had to be really fast in order to shift the transmission. I wasn't real good at it at first. I was good at making a lot of hamburger out of the tranny, though. Got that down to a science!

Other transmissions that I have experienced, and did a little better than that previous one, was the Super-10, regular 10-speed and even a 15 speed transmission. You don't really use all 15 gears, though.

I had different engines, too. There was the Detroit 60-series. That is a pretty good engine. The Catepillar engine. The first one I had was a 3176 back in 1991. It was pretty experimental then and it had a few problems. But it was a pretty strong engine. Then there is the Cummins. I really like the ISX engine.

I found out that ISX means "Integrated System" and the X is just the model of that particuar engine. The integrated system is a computerized engine that talks to the rest of the truck to keep things going like they are supposed to. It is pretty cool.

After driving on the road for a few years, I decided to share my knowledge and experience with new drivers coming into the industry just as I had several years previous. I became an over-the-road trainer. There, I would have a student driver with me for up to 6 weeks at a time and I would teach them to do the job that I had done over the years.

I would show them how to get dispatched on some freight that needed to be hauled. Then how to navigate across America using their atlas. We'd communicate with the customers as to our arrival, and then deliver the frieght. Along the way, we'd keep impecible records of our duties in a book called a Log Book. We had to keep track of our morning inspections, stay within a strict driving timeline, fuel the truck along the way, take the required rest periods to avoid fatique, and when we'd shut down at night, perform an extensive post trip inspection to be sure that our vehicle was still in tip-top shape.

I was able to share my experience with several drivers over a 3 year period. I had driven for a few years as a trainer and a few just as a solo driver. Sometimes that could be lonely, but other times it was really nice to be alone. After doing that for a few years, I had met a guy who later became my husband. He is also a truck driver. After 2 years of being on the road as solo drivers, we decided to go driving as a team. That way, we could share the responsibilities of driving and make a lot more money. The truck could virtually be on the road 24/7 as long as we were legal according to the Federal Motor Carriers Association.

We drove like that for 3 years until he got a job in the office of the company we drove for. That is when I got off the truck also for about a year. I replaced my career of driving with an old job that I had done when I was younger. I went back to waitressing thinking that I might enjoy being home everyday. Big mistake. Although I did enjoy being home everyday, I found that I was hitting the snooze button over and over again because I didn't want to go to work. I missed being out on the road.

So, I opted to go back in the truck to be a local driver. That way, I had my career back, but was also able to be home every night. I did that for 1 1/2 years when the phone call that I had dreamt of over the past several years finally came through.

I was asked if I wanted to be a trainer again since it was in my resume from a few years back that I had been an over-the-road trainer before. I told the guy that I'd love to, but I was not interested in going back long haul again. That is where I'd be driving all 48 states and possibly Canada again. I was told that I wouldn't be doing that, but instead working out of the main terminal and showing up every day to train people that come through our weekly orientation class. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was being offered a job to be a driver instructor and to work out of the main building of the company. Two dreams were being offered to me.

I then began a simple negotiation regarding my pay. I said that I would take the job as long as I could get paid fairly close to what I was currently making on the road as a local driver. I had figured it out and found out what I had averaged. I was offered an amount, but it was much lower than I could afford to cut. I had to sadly decline the offer. Then I was given an offer that was much better and I couldn't refuse. Besides, I was being offered to realize a lifelong dream, how could I back down. I knew then that I could easily adjust to my new career and happily accepted the offer.

Since then, I have had 73 students, and have also been able to move forward with teaching classes of drivers in our orientation. I was trained to teach about Hazardous Materials, which in fact was my worst subject. HazMat scared me because it can be so complicated. But once I learned how to teach it, the subject actually began to make sense.

I also teach drivers about Winter safety and how to manuever their trucks safely down the road in adverse weather conditions that include rain, fog, snow and wind. I also show them how to properly put chains on their trucks and trailers, hooking a truck to a trailer and doing a full complete inspection on their vehicles.

Then, when I get my individual students, I focus on their weak points and make them better and safer drivers. We spend 5 days with them and go through a thourough pre-trip inspection inside and outside the truck. We hook to a trailer and continue our inspection. Then we go out on the road and conquer fears such as driving over high bridges, construction zones, freeways and city driving. We also focus on backing, right and left turns and manuevering in shopping centers.

So far, every one of my students have told me that they have learned more over the 5 day training that they go through with me than they did in the 6 week course that they paid thousands of dollars for or in the several months of driving they have done in the recent past. They go away with more confidence to do their job safely and how to keep those of us in our personal vehicles safe. So many times, we forget that the trucks out on the road are there for a reason and they need more room and space to get around. I teach our drivers to remember those people that think we are just in their way and be kind to them and give the right-of-way to them.

We have been told that we are "number one" many times, but I teach my students to deal with "road rage" by accepting the kind jestures given to us. It's okay to just let them go about their previous duties because those people will soon forget that we were in the way and causing a minor inconvenience. Our jobs and our life isn't worth getting all worked up over a small minor detail.

Look forward to more entries about my wonderful and rewarding job as a Truck Driving Instructor. I may also include a lesson or two about how we do a thourough pretrip and some photos to go along with what I am talking about. That way, we can all be all the more educated, right?

Have fun with my new site, as I know I will.

Happy trails to all, and safe traveling....Jenni

DAY ON THE ROAD

Today was the first day for our new drivers to be with us. We started out the morning by going over our company. We welcomed them in like family. This week, we have 3 drivers that all have previous experience. One has 6 months, another 8 months and the other has 9 months experience. Why are they with us? Because they have less than a years experience as a truck driver. We do this to be sure they aren't getting into any bad habits at an early time in their careers. It really is a good program.

So, we sat in the conference room this morning and spoke about safety issues. The first one we went over was "Rain." I told them that rain happens all over the country and all year long. When we drive across the country, we must adjust our abilities according to the weather conditions.

Also, when in rainy conditions, we have more traction on the cement surfaces whereas we don't have as much on the asphalt. Ever wonder about that? Probably not, because most of us just drive no matter what the surface is. So, why is it that the traction is so different on the surfaces?

Well, on the asphalt, the oil that drips from our vehicles seeps into the road surface and builds. Then when it rains, the vehicles drive on it and creates a soapy substance. You ever see that? Know what that is from? Cars. They put high-detergent oil in their cars, so when they drip on the road surface and it rains and we drive in it, the oil and water gets all churned up and creates that soapy substance. One thing to remember is that oil and water don't mix.

So, the main thing is, is that we ALL need to slow down when it rains.

Another thing is, most car drivers don't turn on their headlights in the rain, therefore making it very difficult to see them in our road spray. Anyone in dark colored or silver cars are virtually invisible in anyones road spray. We need to take a second, even third look in our mirrors before we make that lane change.

The next subject we spoke about was "Wind." Wind also happens everywhere all year long. We have 53 foot trailers that are suseptable to rolling over in the wind.

Ever go through Nevada and see those cool dust devils? Pretty neat looking right? Well, those things can roll a tractor/trailer if it catches the driver off guard or if it is strong enough. Then they aren't so cute anymore, right?

There are different kinds of winds. There are Derachos...these are straight line winds that form in front of a squall line. They exceed 58 mph in strength and have been recorded as high as 118 mph. One was recorded from Iowa to the Atlantic coast and had knocked over 75 rigs and a 100 car freight train.

Another one is a Downburst. This is where the wind comes straight down from the sky, hits the ground and has nowhere to go but out across the surface.

One time, when I was driving my truck from Lewiston, Idaho to Missoula, Montana on US 12, I had noticed that all the trees on the beautiful mountains had been completely logged down. Then something told me that they weren't logged. Most loggers that cut the trees just let them fall whatever way they want to with some precision. But for the most part, they fall down much like a can full of pick-up-sticks.

These trees were fallen all in the same direction. That is when I knew that something was up. When I got to Missoula, I asked about it. They told me that a downburst had happened and knocked over about 7000 acres of trees. Imagine that hitting the side of your truck? Not fun, that's for sure.

Another wind is tornados. They can range from an F-0 to an F-5, but to the truckers out there, those numbers don't mean anything. Any kind of wind can roll over a rig, so listening to other drivers or the weather stations mean more to us.

Then when we were done talking about those safety issues, we went over our log books and the regulations there. I took them through the anatomy of a log and what was required by the D.O.T. (Department of Transportation).

There are 11 required items. Those are:
1. Date
2. Mileage
3. Company Name
4. Company Address
5. Truck and Trailer Number
6. Co-Drivers Name
7. Driver Signature
8. Hourly Grid
9. Total Hours at the end of the grid
10. Remarks
11. Shipper/Commodity

I then ask them, "what was the one thing on this log that I didn't mention?" Some of them get it right away. Did you?

The one thing is, the re-cap. The re-cap is not DOT required. However, it is just like a checkbook register. If you deposit $70 in the bank and just start spending it without keeping track, you are going to overspend yourself and have to pay costly fees.

Just like the checkbook register, if you start out with 70 hours, use them up without keeping track of what you use, you could go into violation and pay some hefty fines. So, the best thing to do is either keep the daily hours on your log pages or in a notebook, but I don't suggest keeping them in your head because there is too much going on in there with everything else that we have to keep track of while out on the road.

Afterwards, we went over an extensive pre-trip inspection, hooked to a trailer and drove around town. My driver did very well. He even aced backing into a very difficult space while other drivers were waiting for him to complete his task. He didn't even let them get to him. This is good, since some drivers get all frustrated when they are backing, and then get even more frustrated when other drivers are waiting for them to get parked. That is when accidents happen.

Stay calm and let them wait. When you are done parking, they are no longer thinking of you being in their way. Now they are thinking of them having to back in while those other drivers behind them have to wait. The pressure is on them now, no longer on you.

We ended our day by attending a Safety Meeting. We learned about the ISS scores of our company and others and what ISS means. It means Inspection Selection System. These numbers are what the DOT scales use to determine whether or not a truck needs to be brought in for inspection. I will talk more about these numbers in a later entry.

Until now, have a safe trip and enjoy the scenery. Be ready for anything and expect the unexpected. Just because everyone out on the road is a licensed driver (or at least should be), doesn't make them a safe or professional driver.

Expect them to do something dumb or use poor judgement. If you expect that, then you will be ready for just about anything.

ROAD TEST DAY

Today we road tested our students that we had over the past week. This was also the day that we had to road test all the new drivers that came through this weeks orientation. There were 12 in all and there were 3 testers, so we shared the responsibility.

First, our day began in the classroom going over much needed information that would get our students ready for life out on the road, since they would be getting their trucks the next day. We spoke about what to expect when they are out there. Things like how their dispatches would work and how to communicate with their fleet managers. We told them to sign on to their QualComm computers in the trucks. Then their fleet manager would see that they had arrived.

Then they would receive a message from their fleet managers regarding any new loads that are available in the area they are in. If they can do the load legally, then they are on their way into the life of trucking.

Once our morning was over with our students, us trainers had to put ourselves in high gear to get ready to road test those that just came through orientation. These drivers went through a 3-day classroom that covered all aspects of the company. From payroll to 401k; from starting your truck to how to drive it and logging your trips legally. Things like that.

We have a set route that we take our drivers through a rigourus driving route. We show how to start the truck, put it in gear and get it moving. Since all our trucks are automatics, some of the drivers are intimidated by them. They really are very easy to drive. Just like driving your automatic car. The only difference is, is that you have either a 53 foot trailer behind you or two 28 1/2 foot trailers you are pulling.

Once they get going, we go out on the city streets, test them on right and left turns, freeway merges, crossing railroad tracks and lane changes. The whole test takes about 5 minutes, but we really put them through the paces. By the end, the new driver feels much better about driving a truck that they are unfamiliar with.

One of the things that I say to put my drivers at ease is, "you have to learn the personality of each truck you are driving. Much like when you go to buy a car. Do you buy the first one you test drive? No. You test drive several, and in doing so, you have to learn just how each vehicle starts, operates and handles."

These trucks are the same way. We have Freightliner Century Class, Freightliner Columbias, and Volvos. I really like the Freightliners. The Volvos are nice and have all the creature comforts of a mini motor home inside with a dining table that folds down to a double bed. A top bunk with a ladder to it. Tons of storage space and all the controls right within the drivers reach. The ride, must I not forget, is like riding on a pillow. Nice and smooth. The auto shift transmission shifts each gear like a Cadillac.

So, why don't I like the Volvos? Well, although it has the comforts, it isn't a work truck for me. They are bulky, wide, large and don't have near the turning radius that a Freightliner has. When I tried to back up a trailer with a Volvo in a tight space, I couldn't do it without much work. Back and forth, manuevering the steering wheel and burning my clutch leg with pain. It was really an easy back, but the Volvo just wasn't doing it for me.

I did the same back in a Freightliner and put the trailer in the spot with one shot. Now, that's a work truck. One that I can depend on doing the whole job for me from the time I turn the key on to the time I'm ready to go to sleep at night.

Well, we got the drivers all tested and headed out to get their trucks. Some are flying out the next day to get theirs, so we put them up in a motel in Seattle for the night and a shuttle will take them to the airport.

The trucking industry is growing and has been for the past 40 years. Things have changed including how we keep track of our driving and off duty times. Some weekend, I will include a log along with all the other things I have promised to show everyone.

Take care and have a safe day.

Remember, road rage can happen as simple as not letting someone on the freeway from the on-ramp. Relax, give the other person some room because you will still get there on time and safely. Share the road, and share it safely and with courtesy.

NEW DRIVER ON THE ROAD

Well, today I was able to get a new driver on the road to trucking. This guy has actually been driving for 18 months, but he had a few problems with his backing abilities. So we spent the whole day tackling just that.

First what we did was I had him hook our truck to a 53 foot trailer. After we did an extensive pre-trip inspection, I took him to a part of our terminal yard where there were some other trailers.

We drove by a parking spot that was to the left of us. We stopped to check that spot out. What we were looking for was that there was no debris in that spot, no people standing around, no small cars or short trailers parked there. Once we determined that it was an available place to park, we moved forward a little.

Then, when the trailer was about 1/2 way past the parking spot we chose, we pulled away from that spot at about 45 degrees. We straightened our wheel out, moved forward a little more, then headed left again to create a 45 degree angle with our truck to our trailer. Once we looked in our mirror, we realized that the trailer was now aimed for that parking spot. All that was needed to be done was turn the wheel to the right a little (opposite of the way we want the trailer to go) and put the truck in reverse. Then we turn our 4-way flashers on to alert all the other drivers in the area. Just so that we could be sure that everyone knew that we were backing up, we also blew the air horn lightly.

We proceeded to back up. When the trailer was headed towards the parking spot, we now turned the wheel to the left a little to catch the truck up with the trailer, basically following it now. We followed the trailer until we were a little more lined up with the spot and turned the wheel as needed to keep the trailer going in the direction we wanted into the parking space.

There was one time when we lost sight of exactly what we were doing, so we put the truck in neutral, set our brakes and got out of the truck. We walked around to check out the surroundings to be sure that we weren't going to hit anything. Once it was determined that everything was okay, we got back into the truck and finished putting the trailer in the parking place.

That is what is called a 90 degree back.

A 45 degree back is basically set up the same way, except you don't turn left real hard. Instead, you line up the truck and trailer at a 45 degree angle to the parking place you want to get into. We did that and found that it was fairly easy to do that.

Later, we decided to drive around town and work on right and left turns. Traffic was fairly heavy, so some of our right turns had to be set up in what's called a button hook. That is where we are in the right lane and just before the intersection, we hook to the left to cover that lane to be able to ensure that no one gets in our way.

Our trailer is still in the right lane to guard against anyone getting under our trailer causing a pinch effect where we pinch a vehicle between us and the curb. A set up like this is needed when we are turning on a tight right turn or where a car in the lane to the right of us moves too far forward of their stop line. This causes a lot of problems because we have to take up so much space to make these turns, therefore several car drivers get mad because we are in their way.

What they don't realize is, that when they move forward of their lines, they take up the precious little space we already have to work with. Not always can they back up out of our way because someone usually pulls up right behind them. Then they are stuck and at times, we have to sit through a green light in order to let those cars get out of our way. Here again, we are holding up traffic behind us and they look for ways to get around us, therefore causing the possibility of an accident to happen.

After we manuevered around town safely like this, I took my driver to an Industrial area where we could practice backing without any lines on the road, like regular parking spaces. There were virtually no reference points to go by, so we made our own. There were a few sticks on the ground, so we lined them up along the ground to create our own lines to go by. That made things a bit easier.

We set ourselves up like we did in the yard. We did a 90 degree back, a 45 and also a straight back. My driver did wonderful and after a couple of days with me and his training, he graduated and is now on the road to making some great money as a truck driver.

The day went very well. A lot was accomplished and he felt more confident to do his job successfully and safely.

Safety is the number one key in this industry.

CAN A TRUCK HYDROPLANE???

Sure it can. Some people think that an 80,000 rig can't hydroplane at all. It is a misconception that a heavy rig like that will displace the water and all is safe. Well, at normal speed limits, water on the road can be very deadly to you as a driver.

Why do I say that? Did you know that the faster you go, the more the truck lifts? That is why I say you can hydroplane. You are literally floating on the water and therefore you can hydroplane and lose control. Use the weight of your rig by slowing down. This way, your rig lowers and the tires have more traction on the ground.

The safest way to keep a truck from hydroplaning is to watch the weather conditions. If you see rain, there will be water on the road and you need to slow down. Every truck is different in respect to the weight of their load and their setup. The lighter you are (empty or light loads), the easier it is for you to hydroplane. You don't have to be going that fast either. I'm not saying that heavy loads (up to 80,000 pounds) can't hydroplane. On the contrary. You can hydroplane at speeds as slow as 45mph in just a little bit of water on the road.

You also need to be sure you have enough tread depth in your tires. DOT standards are a minimum of 4/32 on the steer tires and 2/32 on the drive tires. But if you get yourself a tire depth gauge and look at what that depth looks like, you will want to get your tires changed sooner in adverse weather and seasonal conditions.

Also, there is a wedge of water that forms in front of the tire on the wet pavement. The tire needs to displace that water, but if you are going too fast for conditions, the tire can't do its job and therefore the tire just rides up on the wedge causing the truck to 'float'.

Think of it like this...A water skier is in the water holding the tow rope. He is not moving, but rather waiting for when the driver of the boat is getting ready to pull him. The skier gives the thumbs up and the boat is put into a forward gear. The skier then is getting pulled out of the water. At this point, water is being displaced by the ski and the skier is not quite on top of the water. He is going too slow to float just yet. There is a huge wedge of water just in front of his ski. The boat picks up more speed and the skier comes out of the water and begins to level out. Now the skier has picked up speed (due to the boat) and the wedge of water in front of his ski has just about disappeared. He is now 'floating' on top of the water.

You need to be sure that you know your rig and the roads you will be traveling on while driving your truck. Be ready to change your driving habits at a moments notice as rain happens year 'round and can happen at any given time. One way to be sure that you will be able to maintain good traction on the road is to be sure that your tires are properly inflated and have enough tread depth on them.

One thing that I have found is that you have better traction on wet surfaces on the cement roads as opposed to the asphalt roads. Why is that? Oil sets on the asphalt and is more ready pulled up during the rainy seasons as opposed to the cement. This theory only works with wet, rainy roads, not icy roads. Be sure you are aware of the outside temperatures also. Falling temperatures will likely turn the water to ice, therefore, your driving habits must be reduced dramatically. Did you know that water will sit on top of black ice? Yep, but that's another subject.

To be safe out on the road, be sure to slow down when there is water on the road. Let the weight of your rig hold you on the road. The more tread you have in contact with the pavement, the better off you are. The faster you go, the more the truck lifts and you will tend to lose control.

Research done on Crash Foresnics

Keep safe out there and look out for your fellow drivers, also.

FOLLOWING DISTANCE - LEAVE SOME ROOM

Today, we covered how we follow other vehicles down the road.

Did you know that according to the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course for Professional Truck Drivers, a fully loaded truck at 80,000 that is traveling at speeds of 65 miles per hour on good and ideal roads and conditions needs about 525 feet to stop?

Something else to think about, a car in the same weather and road conditions needs only 316 feet to stop at 65 miles per hour. Big difference, right?

So, when you are driving your truck down the road, you must leave enough room in front of you while you are following those cars out there. They can stop in a much shorter distance than we can, and if they suddenly apply their brakes and need to come to a stop, they will be nothing more than a messy speed bump to us if we are tailgating them.

Did you also know that once a car at 65 miles per hour has had its brakes applied, that the brake lights come on after they have already traveled about 35 feet? So, if that driver suddenly has to apply the brakes, it may be too late.

One time, when my family was visiting Pennsylvania, my parents and my sisters were in a car traveling on the turnpike. They said that a big rig began tailgating them. They were already traveling at the posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour. This was back in 1986.

Then, as my father was driving the car, my sisters were getting scared because the truck was so close. My father sped up and so did the truck. Before they knew it, they were traveling at speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour while that truck stayed right on their tail. My family was clearly frightened by this whole episode.

Finally, the truck driver decided to pass them on a downhill and as quickly as he showed up behind their car, he had dissappeared. They couldn't believe what they had just gone through. My sisters were crying and my Mom was deep in prayer for their safety. My father was visibly shaken by the whole ordeal because their fate was in the hands of his ability to control the car at high rates of speed in unfamiliar territory.

After they traveled several miles, they came upon a sight that they couldn't believe. The truck that had been tailgating them was pulled over on the side of the turnpike in a parking area. The driver was nowhere to be seen. Probably in his sleeper catching up on some sleep and letting his logbook catch up with him.

Now, this scenario was real. It should not have been. There is no reason why anyone should be traveling so close to someone else that they cause that driver to be forced down the road at speeds other than that which is posted or safe.

If my father had blown a tire on the car, or if there were debris in the road, or worse yet, an accident ahead of them, they would have all seen a fate that we just don't want to even imagine.

Kind of a gorry story, but it needs to be told. It is very important that we keep our distance from the vehicles in front of us.

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) says that we should keep about a 7 second distance from the vehicle in front of us when we are traveling at speeds greater than 45 miles per hour.

When you count that off at 65 miles per hour, it doesn't seem that far away. When conditions change in front of the vehicle you are following and they have to change their driving habits, that 7 second following distance will close up in such a quick time that it will feel like you are traveling at 100 miles per hour or more. It's that quick. A snap of a finger.

You can keep a good distance no matter what the conditions are. Poor visibility, keep your distance even farther, or just pull over in a safe place until the conditions improve. In heavy traffic, slow down to a mere crawl and keep about 3 car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you. If someone invades your space, it's okay. They were going faster than you when they cut in. Just let off the throttle and you will regain it. You don't need to brake unless traffic comes to a stop. But as you see, you can keep your distance just by staying back. It is less stessful on you and your equipment.

Tailgating is also very fatiguing. Where is your focus? It's on the vehicle in front of you, not on the road or your job at hand. You stare at that vehicle because you don't want to hit them, yet you feel that you must be so close that you can read the tags on their license plates.

Next thing you know, they take an exit and you remain on the highway. Now what? You have nothing to stare at anymore and you begin to relax because you were so focused on that vehicle in front of you. You begin to feel your eyes get heavy and yawning becomes almost constant.

Before you know it, you want to pull over and go to sleep. By keeping your distance, you don't have to fatigue yourself and you can get to where you need to go just as quickly and safely. Pace yourself. Give yourself time to get where you need to go so you don't have to push others out of your way. Don't be the bully of the road, whether you are in a car, truck or RV.

Safety is number one with all of us out on the road. It takes everyone together to keep each other safe out there.