Vehicle Mechanics, Inspection and Pre-Departure Checks
This domain tests the daily walk-around and the mechanical knowledge a Category C driver needs to refuse an unsafe vehicle: brakes and air system, tyres and wheels, lights, steering, couplings and fluids, plus the statutory inspection regime.
The daily walk-around
Check tyres and wheels first: tread depth of at least 1.0 mm for heavy vehicles, correct pressure when cold, no cuts, bulges, exposed cords or objects, and sufficient spacing between twins. Check wheel-nut indicators for movement. Check all lamps and reflectors, mirrors, plates, mudguards and spray flaps, the windscreen and wipers, and look for oil, coolant or fuel leaks under the vehicle. Top up engine oil, coolant, screen wash and AdBlue as needed.
Air brakes and ABS/EBS
Start the engine and watch the pressure build. The warning buzzer and light should extinguish around 6 bar; the system normally works between roughly 6 and 8 bar. If pressure falls to about 4.5 bar the spring brakes apply automatically and the vehicle cannot legally be moved. Drain the air tanks periodically to remove condensate, and carry out a static leak and brake test before the first journey. An ABS or EBS warning lamp that stays on after the self-test is a defect.
Coupling and trailer checks
For an articulated unit, confirm the fifth-wheel jaw is closed and the safety catch engaged, the air lines and electrical cable are correctly connected and not chafing, the landing legs are fully raised, and the trailer brake and lights work. Check the coupling for excessive play and the kingpin area for cracks.
Inspection regime and defect reporting
Heavy goods vehicles are subject to periodic technical inspection at ΚΤΕΟ, in practice annually for professional use, with the certificate carried on board. Any defect found must be entered in the defect book and reported to the operator; a driver who takes out a vehicle with a known safety defect carries responsibility.
Worked example
After a night stop the gauge shows 4 bar and the buzzer sounds. Reasoning: the system has not built up pressure and the spring brakes are applied, so the vehicle must not be moved. The driver idles to build pressure to 6–8 bar, checks that it holds without audible leaks, then performs the brake test; if pressure will not build or falls away, the vehicle is off the road.
Traps that cost marks
Checking one tyre per axle only; ignoring a sidewall bulge or a protruding object; relying on the buzzer instead of checking the gauge; failing to confirm the coupling safety catch; skipping the defect book because the fault seems minor.
First Aid, Accident Procedures and Fire Safety
This domain tests what you do in the first minutes at a crash or a vehicle fire: making the scene safe, calling for help, the priorities of first aid, the legal duties after a collision, and how to attack a fire correctly or decide to withdraw.
Securing the scene
Stop, switch off the engine, apply the handbrake and switch on hazard lights. Put on the hi-vis vest before leaving the cab, place the warning triangle so approaching traffic has time to react (much further back on fast roads), keep bystanders behind a barrier and call 112 with an exact location, the number of casualties and any fire or hazardous load.
First aid priorities
Follow the sequence: danger, response, airway, breathing, circulation. Catastrophic bleeding is controlled by direct pressure, then a tourniquet if pressure fails. An unconscious but breathing casualty goes into the recovery position and is monitored continuously. A casualty who is not breathing needs CPR at 30 compressions to 2 breaths, compressions 5–6 cm deep at 100–120 per minute, with an AED as soon as one is available. Cool burns with water for about 20 minutes; never use ice, butter or ointment and never pull away stuck clothing. Do not move a casualty unless there is immediate danger, do not remove a motorcycle helmet unless the airway demands it, and never give food or drink to an unconscious person.
Legal duties after a collision
You must stop, give assistance and identify yourself. For material damage the European Accident Statement (Ευρωπαϊκό Δελτίο Ατυχήματος) is completed and signed by both drivers; injury accidents must be reported to the police. Leaving the scene is a serious offence.
Fire safety
Know the classes: solids, flammable liquids, gases and electrical. Dry powder or CO2 suits a fuel or electrical fire; water must never be used on burning fuel or live electrics. Use the PASS technique: pull the pin, aim at the base of the flames, squeeze, sweep. Attack from upwind and from behind cover, and never fully open a burning bonnet because the inrush of air feeds the fire. Tyre and brake fires reignite easily, so keep cooling and call the fire service.
Worked example
You arrive at a two-vehicle crash: one driver is unconscious but breathing, fuel is dripping near a hot exhaust. Reasoning: the fuel leak is an immediate danger, so the casualty is moved a safe distance first, then placed in the recovery position and monitored until the ambulance arrives, with 112 already called.
Traps that cost marks
Giving water to an unconscious casualty; removing a helmet unnecessarily; using water on a fuel fire; opening a bonnet fully; moving casualties for convenience rather than danger.
Environmental Awareness and Economic Driving
This domain tests eco-driving technique, fuel and emissions technology, noise and waste responsibilities, and the local restrictions a Greek lorry driver must respect. It rewards specific numbers and correct mechanical understanding rather than slogans.
Eco-driving technique
Accelerate progressively into the correct gear and upshift early, around 1,200–1,500 rpm in a modern diesel, using the torque band rather than revs. Anticipate so that you decelerate by easing off rather than by braking, use cruise control on motorways where traffic allows, and let the engine brake on descents instead of coasting in neutral, which is both dangerous and illegal. Switch the engine off for waits of more than a minute or two; idling burns fuel, wears the engine and creates noise.
Vehicle factors
Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance and heat; check pressures cold. Roof bars, tarpaulins flapping and unnecessary weight all cost fuel. Air resistance rises with the square of speed, so holding 90 km/h instead of 110 km/h on a motorway saves a substantial amount of diesel on a long run.
Emissions technology
Euro V and VI engines use SCR with AdBlue; running out of AdBlue normally derates the engine, and it must never be diluted or replaced with water. Diesel particulate filters need periodic regeneration at working temperature, so repeated short urban runs with a cold engine clog them and trigger a warning lamp.
Noise, waste and local rules
Avoid unnecessary idling and revving at night in residential areas. Used oil, filters, batteries and tyres go to authorised collectors, and a spill must be contained and reported. In Athens the Δακτύλιος ring restricts entry to the city centre according to odd/even registration and vehicle class, so check before routing a delivery.
Worked example
A 40 t lorry covers 100,000 km a year at 32 l/100 km, which is 32,000 litres of diesel. Eco-driving returns a conservative 5%, i.e. 1,600 litres saved. At about 1.40 euros per litre that is roughly 2,240 euros a year, and at 2.64 kg of CO2 per litre of diesel it avoids about 4.2 tonnes of CO2. Reasoning: the percentage looks small but multiplies through distance and price.
Traps that cost marks
Believing idling saves fuel compared with restarting; coasting downhill in neutral; over-inflating tyres as a shortcut to lower consumption; ignoring a DPF warning because the lorry still moves.