BlueEagle,
yes these carriers did indeed have mechanics meet flights at the gate. However, given mechanics covering multiple gates and tight turnaround times crews were not always able to meet face to face.
Hence our interest in content of log write up, since with no face to face that is all maintenance is left with.
Interestingly, whether or not pilots and mechanics conferred on wording of squawks (snags) varied by airline, with some doing so often and others almost never. This was correlated with current political climate at the given carriers.