School Bus Vehicle Inspection
Core concepts
A school bus inspection has two halves: the pre-trip inspection and the en route or post-trip check. The pre-trip covers the engine compartment, the walk-around, and the driver's compartment. In the engine compartment check fluid levels, belts, hoses, and leaks. On the walk-around check tires (tread depth, sidewall condition, proper inflation), wheels and lug nuts, brakes and slack adjusters, lights and reflectors, the stop arm, mirrors, the exhaust system, and the emergency exits. In the driver's compartment check the seat, seat belt, steering play, horn, wipers, gauges, and warning lights.
Know the air brake checks: with the engine off and the system charged, apply the brakes and listen for leaks; the low-air warning should activate before pressure drops too far, and the spring brakes should set automatically at low pressure. Know the emergency equipment list - fire extinguisher, first aid kit, triangles, and any required body-fluid cleanup kit. Understand that defects are classified: some require the bus be placed out of service before carrying students, others can be noted and corrected later. Report every defect in writing.
Traps
Questions test whether you know which defect is a "do not drive" item. Brakes, steering, tires, and lights are classic out-of-service items. Another trap is the belief that the pre-trip is done once per week; it is done before each trip or each day of service, per your district's policy. Watch for items about checking the bus after the route - the post-trip walk-through catches sleeping students and lost items.
Worked example
If a tire shows cord or a sidewall bulge, the bus is out of service regardless of tread depth. Tread depth alone is not the test.
Rule of thumb
"If it steers, stops, or is seen, it must be right before the bus moves."