Making sure that your lawn care truck is properly secured before heading out to do a full day of work is a safety item that is easy to perform and important to keep a safe truck on the road.
- Visually inspecting all toolboxes on the truck is always a good idea before heading out. Look for any doors that aren’t secured properly or are in a condition that repair in the near future is likely and note specifically the damage to be repaired.
- Check that all wheels have lug nuts on all the wheel studs and that they appear to be tight with none of them backed off with the threads exposed. Lug nuts should be periodically checked that they are tightened to the manufacturer’s recommended specification. This is a simple visual check that can prevent an accident while on the road. Remember, you are sharing the road with others that are not loaded down with expensive, and heavy equipment that if not properly secured can cause all kinds of damage to people and property.
- If you are using a truck equipped with a flatbed to haul your equipment around, it’s a good idea to make sure that there are no loose, unsecured items resting on the flatbed area of the truck. Check for any bolts or fasteners that could have been left lying around, possibly any aerosol cans of lubricants, spare tools, or other items that could possibly be thrown off the flatbed and make their way onto the road.
- Perform a “walk-around” the truck to visually check that all the mud flaps on the truck are in acceptable condition and are secured properly. This check will help insure that you will minimize the chance of throwing debris onto other vehicles on the road with you. Nobody likes to be driving down the road and have items such as gravel, dirt clods, or other debris hitting their vehicle and possibly causing damage. You can minimize people calling your business to ask to have a windshield repaired or other damage if you are mindful of the debris on and under your truck.
- While performing a “walk-around” inspection of the truck, take a moment to verify that the loading equipment at the rear of the truck is secured. This may include any hitch pins, locking levers, or other method used to secure a fold-up dovetail ramp or electrically powered lift gate. Verify that these items are in their fully “locked/closed” position before leaving to get on the road. These loading ramps and lift gates can be quite heavy depending on their construction and have the potential to cause damage if not properly secured.
- Just take a moment to check these simple items before taking to the road and you will gain a good knowledge of the condition of your truck equipment on a daily basis and minimize the opportunity of damage to your truck or other vehicles sharing the road with you.
