Daily circle check (pre-trip inspection)

Buyers of trucking companies meet daily inspections in the paperwork, as the inspection reports drivers submit to the operator. In Ontario, section 107 of the Highway Traffic Act bars anyone from driving a commercial motor vehicle on a highway unless the daily inspection required by the regulations has been conducted and an inspection report completed, subject to the exemptions in s. 4 of O. Reg. 199/07. This entry covers Ontario only; check the rules where each truck is based.

What the Ontario rules require

• The operator supplies the driver with the daily inspection schedule for the vehicle (Highway Traffic Act, s. 107)
• The inspection covers every system and component listed in the schedule, and it is valid for 24 hours, with a further condition for motor coaches (O. Reg. 199/07, s. 6)
• The report records the date and time, the printed name of the person who inspected, and, for a commercial motor vehicle, the odometer reading (s. 7)
• The operator keeps the submitted reports for at least six months (s. 15)

What to check or ask

Ask to see recent reports for several units, and check whether they match the schedule, name the inspector and record defects. Ask where the reports are stored and who is responsible for collecting them from drivers. The annual side of vehicle inspection has its own entry, the commercial vehicle inspection program, and the trucking business buyer checklist lists the other records to request.