The truck driving down I-94 in Milwaukee had a mud flap hanging off. Many trucks repeatedly tried to warn the driver on CB, but the driver never responded and kept driving.
When the mud flap finally broke free, it fell flat on the road, but the metal bracket bent 90 degrees pointing straight up. A van with two parents and six children drove over the mudflap, the bracket sliced their gas tank and the ensuing sparks caused the gas tank to erupt into flames. The driver was able to pull over, but not in time to save the six children. The parents suffered severe burns from trying to save their children from the fireball.
In Oklahoma, six teenage girls leave school during lunch in a car designed for four people. Only two of the six wore seatbelts. The driver of the car was newly licensed and was only allowed to have one nonfamily passenger in the car with her. Witnesses say the girl’s car performed a rolling stop at a stop sign and went through an intersection right into the path of a dump semi loaded with gravel. All six girls died in the accident. The truck driver had a clean record.
Recently a van pulled out in front of a milk tanker semi, resulting in the deaths of nine people.
In the first scenario with the mud flap hanging off, a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle could have made all the difference and might have saved the lives of six children.
Before operating a vehicle, a person with a commercial driver’s license is required to “… inspect the vehicle and be satisfied that it is in safe operating condition.” [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Pre-trip Inspection (396.13)]
In the second and third scenarios, although the driver’s record was clean, one of the many things that was investigated (and rightly so) is the pre-trip inspection report from that morning. Does it match the condition of the truck? If the truck has a burned-out directional signal bulb on the back, was it written up on his pre-trip inspection? If not, the driver’s integrity will now come into focus as a result of not following required CDL safety protocols. I hope you read the last two sentences because they are the entire crux of this article. Please note that the driver could do everything right, but if he fails to properly document the pre-trip observations, the driver’s integrity and concern for safety is now in question. If he did that wrong, what else did he do wrong?
In any of the above scenarios, or even less catastrophic reasons for being pulled over, the driver’s record of pre-trip inspections is one of the things that will be investigated. Please note that in the above examples, or any examples of an accident, even if the accident is not the CDL driver's fault, investigation of whether a pre-trip was done will be made. If no pre-trip report is found that matches what they find on the truck, the driver’s integrity and concern for safety will be in question.
If one of your drivers is in an accident through no cause of his, remember that the other side will absolutely be hiring attorneys. Both law enforcement and lawyers will be looking into whether the truck matched that day's pre-trip inspection. I have always been told (because I always ask), that a written pre-trip is not required unless something is found that requires repair.
If the investigators find something wrong with the truck that was not written up on a pre-trip inspection, the driver will incur some or additional liability due to not following required CDL procedures. Secondly, if those items were such that the truck should have been out of service, the culpability could be even worse.
If nothing is found during a pre-trip inspection, a written pre-trip isn’t required. Document that the pre-trip was done. This is as easy as writing on a time card that they pre-tripped truck No. 7 that morning from 7:00 a.m. to 7: 25 a.m., for example. If drivers pre-trip a truck, it should be reflected on their timecard/timesheet. And if they observe something that concerns them, is not in compliance, or would hamper their ability to drive the vehicle safely, it must be written up on the pre-trip report. A driver who does not do pre-trips, or does not take them seriously, is putting others at risk and himself or herself in a dangerous position.
If you perform a lot of service work, or pump septic tanks, please note that after every service call, before that truck moves from that location, another pre-trip inspection should be made. It’s called the Circle of Safety and if this isn’t on heavy rotation at your safety meetings it should be.
Every time your trucks stop for any length of time, the environment changes and the safety aspect must be addressed. In a yard or driveway a truck attracts children, pets and animals. Before you leave any site, walk around the truck to visually check what is behind and under the truck.
In Wisconsin, one of our large energy companies requires every one of their trucks, no matter how small, to place a cone on the ground behind their truck when they stop and park anywhere for any length of time. This is not so someone does not hit them; it forces them to have to walk to the back of the truck (to put the cone away) and see what is behind and under their truck before they leave the site. I saw one of their small two-person trucks parked at a gas station for a bathroom break with a cone behind the truck — great job, guys!
If you pump septic tanks, you remove hoses, tools, etc., then put them back on the truck at every stop. Walk around the truck before you leave every single job to make sure there’s not a loose hose hanging off the side or a tool ready to fall off the truck. Are all the valves closed? The Circle of Safety — make it a habit.
Want to save six lives today? Take your pre-trip inspection very seriously, and make certain your employees and co-workers do, too.
About the author
Todd Stair is vice president of Herr Construction, Inc., with 34 years’ experience designing, installing, repairing, replacing and evaluating septic and mound systems in southeast Wisconsin. He is the author of The Book on Septics and Mounds and a former president of the Wisconsin Onsite Water Recycling Association.
