we were never trained to check the oil level at integrad or in the hub. the closest we come to lifting the hood is checking the straps to make sure theyre secured.
glad i read this thread, lately i have also been a little rushy with my pretrips to beat the stampede from the hub.
Sounds like some of these smaller centers leave the pre-trips up to a car washer. I'm surprised this hasn't been grieved before, because as far as the DOT is concerned, the driver is responsible for verifying his equipment is road-ready. This is a bigger issue in feeders, where you're likely to run through scales everyday, but the rules apply to package cars just as they do feeders. So if you have a light out and get pulled over or run through the scales, you are at the mercy of the cops. And UPS doesn't get the ticket, you do. The hubs I'm at, you'll see the package car drivers doing their pre-trips out in the yard.
Having someone other than the driver doing the pre-trip just doesn't make sense. For one, a pre-trip needs to be done just before the driver uses the equipment, not the night before or hours before. Second, if a driver DOES get a ticket for something, telling the cop, "Hey, I can't get a ticket, I'm not responsible for checking the vehicle I drive commercially," is going to get a good laugh from the cop--as he continues to write the ticket. And as someone else posted earlier, doing a proper pre-trip IS part of the so called methods, as prescribed by UPS. It's in their driving manual. And the reason it is in there is because it is the law.
A good pre-trip routine can find problems before you head out on the road. There are many examples of this. Checking windshield wiper fluid is part of it. Who wants to be driving in sleet, snow or icy conditions with no windshield wiper fluid? It's annoying and dangerous. Same thing with the actual wipers. Sometimes they come loose. But most of the time, it will be noticed during a pre-trip. Checking that your tires are properly inflated is part of it. If you have a flat, it's gonna be a while before someone gets out there to change it. Who wants to wait in a a hot or cold vehicle if it could've been changed before you left that day? Maybe the last guy, or the car washer added oil but forgot to put the cap back on? It happens, and it can get real messy, and it could run you out of oil.
. I found out from another driver she's been going around talking to the other drivers about me. Got a call from my steward to be in early today, for a write up. As a driver, I come in, rearrange truck and hurry up to leave. I don't think it's my responsibility to have my truck filled first thing in the morning, or I would have been late anyway for my airs. How should I go about fighting this write up?
