Hotshot Pre-Trip Inspection: Gooseneck Checklist

Key point: federal rules don't hand you a form, but they name the parts you have to be satisfied are working before you drive, and on a gooseneck rig the connection between truck and trailer is the part a generic truck checklist leaves out.

This hotshot pre-trip inspection checklist is built for a one-ton or medium-duty truck pulling a gooseneck flatbed. It runs in the order you'd walk the rig: truck, hitch, trailer, load. Each item that a federal rule requires is marked with its section. Print it for the cab, or download the CSV.

Hotshot pre-trip inspection checklist

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Truck

• Service brakes and parking brake (49 CFR 392.7)Pedal feel, no warning lights, parking brake holds.
• Steering (49 CFR 392.7)No excess play, no fluid leaks.
• Tires, wheels and rims (49 CFR 392.7)Pressure (cold), tread, sidewall cuts, no rocks between duals, lug nuts tight, no rust streaks from lugs.
• Lights and reflectors (49 CFR 392.7)Headlights, turn signals, brake lights, markers.
• Horn, wipers, mirrors (49 CFR 392.7)Mirrors set for the trailer you are pulling.
• FluidsOil, coolant, DEF, fuel. Look under the truck for drips.
• Emergency equipment (49 CFR 393.95)Extinguisher charged and mounted, triangles on board.
• Last inspection report reviewed (49 CFR 396.13)Any defect listed was repaired and signed off.

Hitch and connection

• Gooseneck ball or coupler lockedHandle or pin in the locked position, latch fully seated.
• Coupler height and trailer levelDeck sits level; no bed or tailgate contact in a tight turn.
• Safety chains attachedTo the rated points the hitch maker specifies, with slack for turns.
• Breakaway cable to the truck (49 CFR 393.43(d))Attached to the truck, not to the chains; battery charged.
• 7-way plug and cordSeated, cord clear of the ground and the hitch.
• Trailer brakes tested (49 CFR 392.7)Controller gain set for the load; roll forward and apply the manual lever.
• Jack raised and securedDrop legs up and pinned.

Trailer

• Tires, wheels and hubs (49 CFR 392.7)Pressure, tread, lug nuts, hub caps, no grease on the wheel.
• Lights, reflectors and conspicuity tape (49 CFR 392.7)
• Deck and crossmembersNo cracks, broken boards or bent crossmembers.
• Ramps stowed and pinnedDovetail up, mega ramps locked.
• Anchor points and rub railNo cracks around stake pockets, D-rings or winches.

Load

• Enough tiedowns for the length (49 CFR 393.110)Two for the first 10 ft, one more for each 10 ft after, unless blocked.
• Aggregate WLL at least half the cargo weight (49 CFR 393.106(d))
• Straps and chains undamaged (49 CFR 393.104(b))No cuts, burns, stretched links or cracked hooks.
• Loose items secured (49 CFR 392.9(a))Tarps, dunnage, spare straps, nothing that can blow off.
• Weight within ratingsScale ticket if the load is close to any rating.
• Recheck within the first 50 miles (49 CFR 392.9(b))Then at every duty status change, every 3 hours or every 150 miles, whichever comes first.

After the shift

• Driver vehicle inspection report if you found a defect (49 CFR 396.11)Written, signed, kept for three months. Not required when nothing was found.

What the rules actually require

Two sections set the pre-trip duty. 49 CFR 392.7 says you can't drive unless you're satisfied these are in good working order: service brakes and trailer brake connections, the parking brake, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment. 49 CFR 396.13 adds that you review the last inspection report and sign it if it listed a defect.

Neither rule makes a written pre-trip form mandatory. The written report comes after the day's work, and only when you found or were told about a defect (49 CFR 396.11). Many drivers keep a checklist anyway, because it's proof of what was checked if something fails later.

The gooseneck connection

This is where hotshot pre-trips differ from semi pre-trips, and where the worst failures start.

1. Coupler locked. The gooseneck coupler's latch fully closed over the ball, and the locking handle or pin in place. Pull up on the trailer jack slightly after coupling to confirm it holds.
2. Safety chains. Attached to the rated points your hitch maker specifies, with enough slack to turn but not so much they drag.
3. Breakaway cable to the truck. A trailer required to have brakes must have a breakaway system that applies them automatically and keeps them applied for at least 15 minutes (49 CFR 393.43). Clip the cable to the truck, not to the safety chains, and keep the breakaway battery charged.
4. 7-way plug. Seated, with the cord routed clear of the ball and the bed.
5. Trailer brakes. Set the brake controller's gain for the load, roll forward, and apply the trailer brakes with the manual lever. You should feel the trailer pull.
6. Clearance. Deck level, nothing touching the bed rails or headache rack in a full turn.

Truck and trailer walk-around

Tires take the most time on a dually rig: ten or more tires counting the trailer. Check pressure cold, look for cuts and bulges, clear rocks from between duals, and look for rust streaks from lug nuts, which can mean they've worked loose. Hubs should be cool to the touch after the first stop, with no grease thrown on the wheel. Lights need a second pair of eyes or a plug tester; brake lights are the ones drivers miss. On the trailer deck, look for cracked crossmembers and broken boards, and make sure ramps and dovetails are up and pinned.

The load

Before you roll, count the tiedowns against the length rule and the working load limit rule (49 CFR 393.110), and look over every strap and chain for cuts and stretched links. Then recheck within the first 50 miles and after every 3 hours or 150 miles, whichever comes first (49 CFR 392.9). The counts and WLL tables are in our hotshot tie-down rules guide.

After the inspection

• Found a defect? Fix it before you drive if it affects safety. If you find one after the day's driving, write it up on a DVIR, sign it, and keep it for three months.
• Emergency gear gets checked every day: the extinguisher's gauge in the green and the triangles where you can reach them (49 CFR 393.95).
• Keep your annual inspection current on both the truck and the trailer. Our hotshot equipment list covers the documents that go in the cab.

A clean inspection history also helps when you shop for coverage; see hot shot trucking insurance. And once the rig is ready, see where the freight comes from on hotshot loads.

How this checklist was put together

The required items come from the eCFR text of 49 CFR 392.7, 392.9, 393.43, 393.95, 393.110, 396.11 and 396.13, checked on October 26, 2026. The gooseneck and trailer items are our recommendations from dispatching hotshot rigs and from how trailer and hitch makers describe coupling. We review the checklist every year; the next scheduled review is October 2027.