Staying alert, being careful, and practising safety are a few important things to remember while driving, especially for commercial vehicle drivers. This is why inspecting every vehicle before each trip is essential to determine if it is safe to hit the road. However, this daily safety check, which usually does not take too much time, can often be overlooked in a rush to meet deadlines. Thus, the onus lies on both the drivers and the fleet managers to check if everything is in working order before starting the next trip. For the drivers, it is safety whereas, for the fleet managers, it is delivering on time.

Safety checklist drivers must follow before the trip

Drivers carry all kinds of loads across different terrains where any simple malfunction like reduced braking efficiency can lead to hazardous situations for the driver and truck. Therefore, for the sake of safety, pre-trip inspections are absolutely essential, and it only takes a few minutes.

While safety is one of the most crucial concerns, pre-trip inspection is also important to maintain uptime and meet delivery timelines. Uptime is a critical factor for the commercial vehicle industry, where the number of trips is directly proportional to revenue — more trips mean revenue growth. And a healthy vehicle means a smooth drive and timely arrival at the destination. Apart from timely delivery, overlooking these minor issues can also shorten the life of various parts and components if ignored for long. All of these ultimately affect the uptime and profitability of the business, and no one would want to be in such a situation.

So make the pre-trip inspection a regular practice for your drivers and yourself before your truck goes on a trip and it would take only anything between 15 to 30 minutes. The key is to follow the instruction manual and here are a few of the top things that you must check:

• Engine oil — look for leakage and top up levels
• Water separator — drain water
• Air cleaner element — check out the clog in the indication cluster
• Coolant — look for level and leakage
• Lubricating pipes and rubber hoses — check and repair cracks and damages
• Steering — inspect steering gearbox
• Transmission oil — look for leakage
• Check tire pressure and change tires if required
• Air pressure — watch out for low-pressure indicators on the cluster

Apart from the above, we prescribe several other preventive checks in our manual.

While sparing some time before every trip might look cumbersome on the onset, the benefits of such pre-trip inspections can make this small effort worth it. Eicher has a vast network of authorized dealerships across the country where you can reach out to us any time for all kinds of assistance.