Periodic Inspections and Maintenance

Regulations in Canada and the U.S. clearly indicate that it is the driver's responsibility to perform an inspection, and ensure the complete road-worthiness of a vehicle, before placing it into service. Commercial vehicles may be subject to inspection by authorized inspectors, and an unsafe vehicle can be taken "out of service" until the driver or owner repairs it.

Use the following checklists to ensure that vehicle components are in good working condition before each trip. Careful inspections eliminate stops later to fix overlooked or forgotten items.

The checklists in this chapter can be copied and kept as a record that the procedures have been completed. For details on how to inspect each item on the checklists, see the corresponding procedure (step number) in Safety Precautions.