KS CDL Passenger cheat sheet

Before driving, check that all passengers are seated and that baggage and freight are secured so they cannot shift; a shifting load can change steering and braking behavior.

The passenger endorsement applies to vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver; a Class C CDL with P covers small passenger vehicles in that range.

Required vehicle inspection items include emergency exits, fire extinguisher, seating, standee line, and passenger entry/exit doors; defects must be corrected or reported before operation.

A standee line marks the area behind which standing passengers must stay; no passenger may stand forward of it while the bus is moving.

The aisle must stay clear of baggage at all times; riders may not block the aisle or the emergency exits with carry-on items.

On a bus with a required fire extinguisher, the driver must know its location and verify it is charged and secured during the pre-trip inspection.

When loading or unloading, approach the stop slowly, stop parallel and close to the curb, and set the parking brake before opening the door.

Passengers must be counted and accounted for; a driver must never leave the bus with passengers aboard unattended and must check the bus for sleeping or remaining riders at the end of a run.

Railroad crossings require stopping at least 15 feet but no more than 50 feet from the nearest rail when the vehicle carries passengers, unless a signal or flagger controls the crossing.

The S endorsement requires the P endorsement plus a knowledge test and a skills test in a school bus; it is added to a CDL and cannot stand alone.

School buses must stop at all railroad crossings, whether loaded or empty, unless the crossing is controlled by an active signal or a flagger; stop 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail.

The danger zone is the area within 10 feet around the school bus; students must be taught to move out of it and to wait for the driver's signal before crossing.

When unloading, the driver counts students as they leave and again after they reach a safe point; the bus is not moved until all students are accounted for.

The eight-light system: amber lights warn traffic that the bus is preparing to stop; red lights and the extended stop arm mean traffic must stop.

A school bus driver uses hand signals and eye contact with students, and never signals students to cross until traffic has stopped and the way is clear.

Loading and unloading procedures require the parking brake set, transmission in neutral (or park), and the driver remaining in the driver's seat except when assisting students.

School buses carry a stop arm, crossing gate or stop signal arm, and emergency equipment; the driver verifies these during the pre-trip inspection.

Post-trip inspection must include a walk-through to check for sleeping or left-behind students; this check is mandatory after every route.

The skills test has three parts: a pre-trip vehicle inspection, a basic control skills test, and an on-road driving test; all are scored against a fixed standard.

During the pre-trip inspection, the examiner asks the driver to identify and explain specific components, including brakes, lights, tires, and emergency exits.

Basic control skills include straight-line backing, offset backing, and parallel parking or alley docking; the driver must stay within the marked boundaries.

On the road test the driver must use proper lane position, signal all turns and lane changes, and check mirrors and blind spots before moving.

The driver must stop smoothly and completely at stop signs and railroad crossings, and must demonstrate the school bus stop procedure during the road test.

Examiners score the road test for errors such as hitting a curb, failing to signal, rolling through a stop, or failing to check traffic before a maneuver.

A critical error, such as causing an accident or violating a traffic law, results in automatic failure of the skills test.

The skills test must be taken in a vehicle representative of the type the driver will operate; a school bus skills test requires a school bus of the same class and configuration.

During the road test, the driver must demonstrate the ability to operate the bus in traffic, on curves, and in a controlled stop, while maintaining safe speed and following distance.