The driver is always responsible
In principle, the driver of a truck or, for example, of a tipper always remains his own boss, at least as far as vehicle and load are concerned. And even if the right boss is pushing: the driver has the duty to control the safety of the vehicle.
The reason for this is, on the one hand, to ensure road safety and, last but not least, the economic efficiency of the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle breaks down for days due to a lack of testing and has to be repaired at great expense. So, there are many reasons to pay particular attention to pre-trip inspections.
Report defects immediately
The rules for departure control in Germany can be found in the regulations of the DGUV (German Social Accident Insurance). There it is described in detail what is to be examined within the scope of a pre-trip inspection. For example, it is the driver's duty to check the effectiveness of the actuation and safety devices before the start of each work shift and to observe the condition of the vehicle for obvious defects during the work shift. Defects that are detected must be reported immediately to the responsible "employee". If defects occur which endanger the operational safety, operation must be stopped by the vehicle driver. In plain language this means that nothing "moves" and the clock ticks for time and costs.
Criteria for a driver
According to regulation 70 (Vorschrift 70), § 36 of the DGUV, the driver must carry out the inspection. But what exactly is a driver? § 35 of the DGUV helps. According to it, a vehicle driver must fulfil the following criteria:
He or she must be over 18 years of age, physically and mentally fit, have been instructed in driving the vehicle and have demonstrated to the employer that he or she is capable of doing so. He must also be able to reliably perform the tasks assigned to him.
Checklist of the BG helps
But what should the driver pay particular attention to in his vehicle? Is there perhaps even something like a checklist that can be downloaded? Yes, there is! This is from the Berufsgenossenschaft Verkehr (BG Verkehr), which has published a precise list of criteria that should be checked during the departure check on the truck.
Among other things, the following must be checked: Lighting equipment, such as headlights or brake lights, rims, tyres and suspension, the braking system, functional efficiency of engine and drive, the steering, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as emergency brake assistant, lane assistant and ESC, the equipment of the driver's cab, body and frame, load securing (such as function and safety of the respective Edscha TS roof), trailer/semi-trailer operation and coupling as well as all important accessories. The complete checklist can be found on the homepage of BG Verkehr in German.
Safety first
Safety in road traffic is also a top priority for the Edscha TS team. Load safety must prove itself in the tough real world and withstand the many and varied requirements. But here too the principle applies: trust is good - control is better. Have a safe journey!
