Vehicle Inspection
A pre-trip inspection is a legal duty, not a formality. The candidate must know the inspection sequence and what is being checked at each point: walk-around for tires, wheels, lights, and body damage; engine compartment for fluid levels, belts, and leaks; cab for gauges, controls, mirrors, and warning devices; and a brake test before moving. Alberta also requires periodic (scheduled) inspections at set intervals for commercial vehicles, and daily trip inspections with a written report when defects are found. Understanding the difference between a pre-trip check, a trip inspection, and a periodic inspection is frequently tested.
The traps cluster around defect reporting. A driver who finds a defect that affects safe operation must record it and ensure it is repaired before the vehicle is driven, or that the defect is certified as not affecting safety. Questions often present a minor defect (a burned-out clearance lamp) and a major one (a cracked brake drum) and ask which permits continued operation. Another trap is confusing who is responsible: the driver is responsible for the inspection, even if a mechanic performed maintenance.
Rule of thumb: if a defect could affect the safe operation of the vehicle, it must be reported and corrected before the trip. Worked example: during a walk-around you find a tire with a sidewall cut exposing cord. That is an out-of-service defect; the vehicle cannot be dispatched until the tire is replaced and the repair recorded.