Pre-Trip Checks and Defect Reporting
Core concepts
This domain tests process as much as knowledge: the order of checks, what counts as a defect, and what you must do about it. Understand the walk-around sequence (start at the driver's door and move clockwise), the interior check (emergency exits, seating, aisle, stop-request system, fire extinguisher charge, first-aid kit), and the paperwork side - the daily inspection report and the defect record.
Defect categories
Separate defects into those that make the vehicle unsafe to operate (brakes, steering, tires, lights, emergency exits, horn) and those that can be noted and corrected later. Exam questions frequently ask what to do when you find a defect mid-route. The rule of thumb: if passenger safety is compromised, stop carrying passengers and arrange a replacement vehicle.
Traps to expect
- Questions that assume the driver can sign off a defect as "monitored." You cannot; defects must be recorded and reported to the operator.
- Emergency-exit checks: a door that opens but whose warning buzzer does not work is still a defect.
- Confusing the pre-trip with a maintenance inspection - the driver's role is to detect and report, not to repair.
Worked example
During the walk-around you find the rear emergency door opens but the buzzer does not sound. The door itself works, so it is tempting to depart. The correct answer: record the defect, report it, and do not carry passengers until it is corrected, because the buzzer is part of the required warning system.