Help With Pre-Trip Inspection

I'm in swift school. They test very hard on pre trip. I need an way that I can learn very fast on this.

Same way you get to Carnage Hall....

Practice, practice, practice!

But seriously, Daniel B. Put together a really great post for Pre-trip. Just search pre-trip or Daniel B. In the search box above.

There's also a section in the High Road Training Program

Hope that helps!

Tarren

I'm in swift school. They test very hard on pre trip. I need an way that I can learn very fast on this.

Dont know if it will help you but i will describe what helped me. Break it down in sections. For instance i would start with front of truck which is easy. Then open hood and i knew there were 3 fluids to check. So i counted them down in my mind as i did them. Then there wer 4 engine componets, i then counted them down as i named them off, then there was the 3 odd balls. Belts, hoses and (someone help me here. Lol) then there were 4 steering componets.......well you get the idea. Kinda had me going from side to side but they cant fail you for that. It may not work for everyone but it helped me alot. That said. While under engine compartment i still missed the spring mount, spring, and ubolts on my test but still passed, lol

With swift there are 116 things outside the truck, about 15 inside. You can miss up to 18.

Once you start the air brake test you cannot miss anything or it is an instant fail. Every morning they give you 2 plus hours to pre trip. Use them. Get in that driver seat and do the full air break test so you can do it without thinking. Also some of the things they look for on air brake tests are things like when you do the compressor and governer check you are watching the slowest moving gauge.

Like Tarren said...look at Daniels post...very informative. Roehl put out something similar. We did a pre-trip twice a day for 2-1/2 weeks prior to our test. Remember, it is not a race. Take your time. Make sure you hit everything. Properly mounted, not damaged, not leaking(air or fluid). Swift is not the only company that is very strict. Pre-trips are extremely important to the safety of not only us, but other drivers on the road. You will find that after a couple of days, it will seem natural. Believe me, when I saw the list of all the parts that I needed to check, I was frightened....but it will come with repetition. Good luck!!

Like Tarren said...look at Daniels post...very informative. Roehl put out something similar. We did a pre-trip twice a day for 2-1/2 weeks prior to our test. Remember, it is not a race. Take your time. Make sure you hit everything. Properly mounted, not damaged, not leaking(air or fluid). Swift is not the only company that is very strict. Pre-trips are extremely important to the safety of not only us, but other drivers on the road. You will find that after a couple of days, it will seem natural. Believe me, when I saw the list of all the parts that I needed to check, I was frightened....but it will come with repetition. Good luck!!

Hey Tim! Are you out with your trainer yet? I will be in Appleton Sunday for the week and it is going to be cold!!!!! Let me know how you are doing!

I'm in swift school. They test very hard on pre trip. I need an way that I can learn very fast on this.

Listen. I graduated from Hagerstown Community College in Marlyand amd I gotta say. They got some mkmd boggling pretrip demands and tests. "Securely mounted, no leaks, wear or missing parts" was posted everywhere and even in the restroom!

Take it in and dont turn it into a song. Actually touch the things you inspect and ask the teacher how to know if the item is damaged. Grab them belts and give them a tug, check that oil and get on the ground with a light to check the brake lining!

If you sit there and aing a pre trip inspection song, thats all it is. But if you actually touch with your hands everything you inspect, youll do better and know better.

My story at least.

And dont you ever skimp on these pti's! I do them every single day. Even if im just moving trucks around the yard! I feel responsible for all of these machines and want to help my company treat them good.

We have an excellent Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide which includes a link to Daniel's Pre-Trip Inspection and a whole host of other tools.

Like Tarren said...look at Daniels post...very informative. Roehl put out something similar. We did a pre-trip twice a day for 2-1/2 weeks prior to our test. Remember, it is not a race. Take your time. Make sure you hit everything. Properly mounted, not damaged, not leaking(air or fluid). Swift is not the only company that is very strict. Pre-trips are extremely important to the safety of not only us, but other drivers on the road. You will find that after a couple of days, it will seem natural. Believe me, when I saw the list of all the parts that I needed to check, I was frightened....but it will come with repetition. Good luck!!

Hey Tim! Are you out with your trainer yet? I will be in Appleton Sunday for the week and it is going to be cold!!!!! Let me know how you are doing!

Hi jolie...no I'm not with a trainer yet. She thought she had a trainer in Newburgh (70 miles south)...but the pre-plan fell through. Hope I remember all that Dale taught me...lol. Good luck in Appleton...let me know how it's going.

There's a lot of good input on this thread already but I'll just add what worked for me. Read the truck like a book. Start at the top left (doesn't matter what part of the truck) and work left to right top to bottom. This way insures you don't miss anything. And also touch everything! The more you do this the faster the learning will come.

Believe me pre trip made me nervous to but in time you will know where everything on that truck is and know what it's called.