Write A Better Drivers Report

A sticking point for so many dispatchers, fleet managers and drivers is the driver’s pre-trip inspection report. Just reading that line may give you a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach and for good reason! Far from being obvious, you don’t want to put down anything unnecessary and give yourself a self-imposed 48 hours to make a repair and you don’t want to be accused of not making a report, or not properly (just as bad). What’s more? There are many drivers with literally decades of experience on the road and they still don’t know what needs to be called, or not. They’re not entirely to blame, the rules vary by jurisdiction and with time. This is not to say they are bad at their jobs or anything of the sort. It’s just the reality that there is a lot of misinformation and a serious lack of real, pertinent information. Since it’s so hard to nail down what is or is not a defect in different jurisdictions, I believe that understanding the thought process, or the reasoning, behind the rules there is what really counts.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is that a lot of drivers will see a defect they know ought to be noted, but they are afraid to get in trouble. Writing that they found a nail in a steering axle tire is a major in most jurisdictions and having seen it and continued anyways is, for an inspection agent, an easy fine. You’ve made their case for them when you put in writing and signed the proof that a vehicle shutdown and a fine is appropriate. Here is a short list of important points to do with filling Driver Daily Inspection Reports. On each question, we’ll go more in-depth:

• Minor? Major? How to know
• What doesn’t go in the report but does need to be reported
• More efficient reports that save time in the shop

What constitutes a minor fault, a major fault and an issue that still needs to be mentioned? It would be about impossible to know what is and is not accepted in different jurisdictions. When I did my CVM inspectors course in Quebec it was a four-day course and just one province over in Ontario there would be about another half day to know all the differences. This does not mean all is lost. There are general guidelines to follow that will usually line up with what the thought process is when deciding how to categorize minors and majors and non-issues.

Major Defects

Anything that could lead to a significant lack of ability to stop the vehicle. One brake out of adjustment on the second diff. Probably a minor. The brake still works pretty well, and three others (assuming 2 drive axles) do the job well enough, just in the back of the truck alone. One brake on the steer axle out of adjustment and you’re looking at a major because this could lead to the inability to brake in a straight line effectively.

Similarly, a nail in the outside tire of a dual-wheeled axle. Minor. There are four tires on an axle (two on either side). A nail found in one tire leaves three tires on that axle in reliable condition and one tire now considered defective. However, a nail on the steer axle and you have a major because the complete side of that axle could be left with no tires and the inability to steer. Another important note on tires is to do with load. Just as a given load may require two straps, if one strap is damaged, the load is considered to have only one strap. A trailer with 8 tires can be said to have a maximum load of 8x the tire capacity. Where a single tire is damaged, be it with the likes of a nail or simply low air pressure, the trailer load is now 7x the tire capacity.

Any significant damage to the steering system. There is no need to explain how the heavy loads being carried need to be able to be steered in the right direction. Even an unloaded tractor is a dangerous thing without control over steering

When an air leak becomes noticeable. By this, I mean one of two things. 1-there is a visible loss of air pressure on the gauges. 5 PSI per minute is often about the maximum acceptable leak. This doesn’t sound like a lot, and it isn’t. We’ll talk about air leaks more in other articles. 2- An air leak is audible. It’s pretty black and white here, if an air leak is audible at all, it is more than likely a major.

Anything that could fall off the truck. A loose step or a mirror, minor. A loose step or a mirror that seems likely to fall off the truck while on the road – major.

Any situation with lighting that can make it unclear what or where a truck or trailer is and what it is doing. The what- Brake lights indicating the vehicle is coming to a stop. To a seemingly lesser extent, identification lights that serve to indicate the height and width of a unit (three lights in the center/rear of the vehicle). This can mean not just the identification lights but also position lights and headlights. An inoperable headlight in pitch-black looks like a motorcycle (That is the general justification).

Minor Defects

We’ve looked already at some cases where defects are simply minor so here we’ll talk about the justification of a minor. Isn’t a defect either working or not? Not quite! Generally, the way minors are looked at is, a problem is developing and if not corrected it will not take very much to become a major fault which is truly considered dangerous.

A small air leak is likely on its way to becoming a major one, therefore, it needs to be addressed. A single identification light still allows for the identity to be clear, two out of three do not. The principles continue like this and when trying to decide whether or not it is an acceptable defect to continue on the road with.

A final tip would be as follows: If you were to buy a truck or trailer for a high price, in what condition would you accept it? Would it have air leaks that leave the unit at zero PSI after a few hours? Would you accept lights not working or missing? One brake pad is completely worn down? How about missing tire valves? it doesn’t always take a lot to lead, in the long-term, to a significant problem.

What doesn’t need to be called in a Daily Inspection Report but should be reported?

There are always going to be things a driver may start to notice and should report but, it doesn’t belong in a Daily Inspection Report. This means, for example, small vibrations before they become a bigger problem, which they eventually will. Wipers that need to “warm-up” before they work well or even just loose wiring around the engine or along the chassis. Again, some jurisdictions maintain different standards, but for the items that don’t belong on an inspection report, every fleet will do well to have a system in place to report things that aren’t going well, or as well as they could be.

A lot of people want “clean” driver reports, and having a system in place to report concerns to a fleet manager gets any and all information that can help the mechanic down the line do the repairs that need to be done. On a basic level, a mention to a dispatcher and a post-it in a unit's file is better than nothing. In a real way, having a way, be it paper or electronic that a driver can, from the cab where the information is fresh, let a concern be known and have the information find its way to either a mechanic asap or at the next PM depending on availability/practicality/seriousness of complaint.

Doing this allows your driver to even vent a bit (low power uphill on a smoggy day fully loaded does not belong on a daily report), but more importantly to give that valuable feedback from a perspective that maybe the mechanic who drives a truck or trailer 100 feet to his garage bay won’t be able to tune into.

How to make a report that gets read AND is useful!

To get started here is a point-form list that we’ll discuss a bit more:

Don’t use personal or foul language “Stupid F*** flasher” Give real information “the engine turns too slowly/won’t start” vs “wheels won’t turn” Draw a map “Second diff. outside tire, a nail stuck in the sidewall” vs “damaged wheel” If there is only one piece of advice to give a driver in filling out a report in the comments section it is this: Imagine you are speaking with someone who at another time and place will have to find what you found. Why? because that is exactly what the driver IS doing! Another way to look at it is you are walking someone towards the area of the defect. A good mechanic who is allowed the time will, when a light is not working, check the rest of the lights. But when time or money is a factor (when isn’t it?) being precise saves time and money. Bonus tip: why should drivers care? because a truck not in the shop for hours represents hours he can be working for a living. Most jurisdictions use a number or letter code to locate and define defects, this is never a bad idea to use.

If I can give a second piece of advice, it’s to be professional. This should be encouraged at all times. When an agent asks to see your inspection sheet at the scales, seeing that you’re not bright enough to write five words without swearing probably means you’re not bright enough to inspect and report your truck and the related defects properly. And on to secondary we go. I’ll have another article about dealing with security agents in another post.

I hope this provided some good advice on dealing with what is an everyday problem for a lot of people. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments so don’t be shy!

Drive safe,

Kevin Gauthier