Trucking Pre-Trip Inspection Guide

As a professional driver, your pre-trip inspection is a crucial step in ensuring your truck is roadworthy before each long-haul trip. The inspections should be pretty comprehensive, and for some, can be quite challenging to remember, especially if you're pursuing your commercial driver's license (CDL). To that end, we've compiled the essential steps a thorough pre-trip inspection should have.

The point of a thorough pre-trip inspection is to ensure that your vehicle's major components operate as intended. This inspection should be conducted at the start of each day, as well as every 24 hours, after every 10-hour break, and after picking up a new trailer.

Before you begin, ensure you have the necessary tools: gloves, a flashlight, and a hammer. Then check that the parking brakes are set and the transmission is in first gear. Driving an automatic? Be sure to place wheel chocks under the drive tires. Having the right must-have trucking essentials makes the process safer.

Next, you'll want to turn on your headlights, activate your brake lights, and switch on your four-way flashers. Now you're ready to proceed through your pre-trip inspection:

Look under the hood
Look under the hood and inspect the carriage for anything that shouldn't be there - road debris can easily get caught up here. Evaluate both sides of the engine, including all hoses, wiring, reservoirs, filters, dryers, and fluid levels. Thoroughly check your air dryer, alternator, brake air lines, brake chambers, slack adjusters, brake linings, brake drums, springs, spring mounts, shock absorbers, tires, tire pressure, tread depth, wheels, lug nuts, valve caps, hub oil, steering gear box, and steering linkage.
Check the left side of the cab
Check the steps, on top of and underneath your cab, for any unwanted items. Additionally, inspect your mirror, turn signal, lights, door, side skirting, steps, fuel tank/cap, reflectors, reflective tape, sleeper side, sleeper berth window glass, and your DOT annual inspection sticker.
Check the rear of the cab
Here, you'll want to check the chain and battery boxes, fuel tanks, exhaust system, and chassis. Evaluate the airlines, electrical cords, the cab suspension system, cross members, frame, and drive shaft.
Check the front of your trailer
Check your body panels, lights, reflectors and reflective tape, as well as your airlines, electrical cord, and stickers (height and preventative maintenance).
Check your coupling
Evaluate your release arm, fifth wheel mount, stop blocks, slide locking pins, fifth wheel pivot pins and pin locks, platform, apron, kingpin, gap and locking bar/jaw. Remember to use a flashlight when checking for correct coupling.
Check your left side drive axles and suspension.
Inspect your vehicle for unusual items on the wheels, brakes, tires, and suspension. Take special care to check your tires for any abrasions, bulges, or cuts. Be sure also to check the air pressure, tread depth, wheels, lug nuts, hub oil seals, valve caps, air lines, brake chambers, brake linings, slack adjusters, drums, linings, air bags, shock absorbers, springs, spring mounts, U-bolts, torque rods, splash guards, and lights.
Check the left side of the trailer
Check underneath and the sides of the trailer for any unwanted modifications. Check your lights, reflectors and reflective tape, landing gear, underside, frame, top and bottom rails, body panels, tandem release handle, locking pins and air lines.
Check your trailer suspension system
Evaluate the wheels, brakes, tires, and suspension for any changes. Check tires, air pressure, tread depth, wheels, lug nuts, hub oil seals, valve caps, air lines, brake chambers, brake linings, slack adjusters, drums, linings, springs, spring mounts, shock absorbers, U-bolts, torque rods and air tanks.
Check the rear of the trailer
Inspect your seals, doors, hinges, and bumper for any unusual signs. Also check your lights, reflectors and reflective tape, doors, door seals, door chains, door hooks, hinges, latches, license plate, splash guards, and seal or padlock.
Check your trailer suspension system
Again, evaluate the wheels, brakes, tires, and suspension for any changes. Check tires, air pressure, tread depth, wheels, lug nuts, hub oil seals, valve caps, air lines, brake chambers, brake linings, slack adjusters, drums, linings, springs, spring mounts, shock absorbers, U-bolts, torque rods, and air tanks.
Check the right side of the trailer
Check underneath and the sides of the trailer for any unwanted modifications. Check your lights, reflectors and reflective tape, landing gear, underside, frame, top and bottom rails, body panels, tandem release handle, locking pins, and air lines.
Check your right side drive axles and suspension
Inspect your vehicle for unusual items on the wheels, brakes, tires, and suspension. Take special care to check your tires for any abrasions, bulges or cuts. Be sure also to check the air pressure, tread depth, wheels, lug nuts, hub oil seals, valve caps, air lines, brake chambers, brake linings, slack adjusters, drums, linings, air bags, shock absorbers, springs, spring mounts, U-bolts, torque rods, splash guards, and lights.
Check the front of your trailer
Again, check your body panels, lights, reflectors, and reflective tape, as well as your air lines, electrical cord, and stickers (height and preventative maintenance).
Check the rear of the cab
Additionally, you'll want to inspect the chain and battery boxes, fuel tanks, exhaust system, and chassis. Evaluate the airlines, electrical cords, the cab suspension system, cross members, frame, and drive shaft. Regular maintenance practices can prevent serious failures during trips.
Check the right side of the cab
Check the steps, on top of and underneath your cab, for any unwanted items. Additionally, inspect your mirror, turn signal, lights, door, side skirting, steps, fuel tank/cap, reflectors and reflective tape, sleeper side, sleeper berth window glass and your DOT annual inspection sticker.
Close the hood
Evaluating the latch, hood mirrors, and mirror brackets, as well as the hood for any unwanted items. Avoiding costly truck repairs starts with routine checks like this.
Check the front of the tractor
Check your bumper, license plate, windshield, and lights. Also, check your headlights and markers. Remember to ensure the ID lights are operational and the lens is clean, and not cracked or broken. For truckers, ensuring truck roadworthiness requires these consistent inspections.
Check inside the driver side door
Evaluate your clutch free play, accelerator, brake pedal, permit book, and fire extinguisher/emergency kit.
Check inside the cab
You can now cancel your brake lights and four-ways. Then check your turn signal and high-beam indicators, check the gauges, steering free play, horn, heater and defroster, shift lever, windshield wipers and washer, and your in-cab air brake tests.