Question:
Ok everyone knows they need to do pre and post trip inspections on a daily basis. But how many of you think to do a quick inspection every time you get loaded or unloaded, even on multi-stop loads. Probably not too many.
Doing a quick walk around, checking the overall condidtion of your unit is just as important when getting ready to leave the dock as doing a good pre trip inspection everyday. One of the most obvious reasons for this is that fork lift drivers are notorious for damaging trailers and saying nothing about it. Another reason is that many dock areas are littered with all sorts of debris and it is all too easy to run over some glass, or a nail that will cause tire damage. Be sure to report all damamge you find immediately to your company.
By checking your unit before leaving the warehouse you may be able to avoid cargo damage, excessive repair costs, increase your safety, avoid excessive delays, and so forth. All it takes is an extra two minutes, but in the long run it could save you hours, days, your job, or even your life of the life of someone else.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
no effort needed,you have to close your doors,turn on lights and flasher and kick tire's on the way to close doors,look at rims and hubs,flaps,landing gear,ect.close doors return to truck walking down other side and do the same.
Everytime you leave your truck,walk down one side and return walking down the other side,take a walk around while fueling.
While fueling I noticed oil on a trailer wheel,blown seal,nope.One of the nuts holding the duel wheel hub to the axle had worked it's way off and broke the oil level sight window,just a matter of miles and the inner nut would have worked it's way off and a set of duels would have come off.
Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2003 - Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) today expressed disappointment that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's critical and growing driver shortage.
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Answer:
Good post above. I always look at my truck and trailer when I get out. Just a habbit I guess. But you never know what may have happened in the last few hundred miles.
"Caution: Door May Open"

Answer:
I've become very careful about it, after the company had a rash of "incidents", supposedly being caused by former employees bearing a grudge: lights broken out, license plates removed, oil plugs pulled from hubs, stolen fuel caps, and the list goes on. There were a few fifth wheels unlocked, but mostly petty stuff - some guys even had the inserts yanked out of their windshield wipers.
I was lucky during that period - they only got me once, and it was minor, I had some totally unintelligible graffiti painted on my door. But the lessons learned during that period will live with me forever - Check the truck over whenever it's been stopped, and especially so when it's been unattended for any period of time.