Vehicle Inspection and Pre-Trip Procedures (Passenger Vehicles)
This domain tests the passenger-specific portion of the pre-trip inspection and the vehicle inspection skill test. The examiner is not only checking that you can spot a bad tire; they are checking that you know which items on a bus keep riders safe and that you inspect them in a fixed, spoken sequence.
What to inspect on a passenger vehicle
- Entry door and stepwell: door opens and closes smoothly from inside and outside, seal intact, step light works, handrails secure.
- Emergency exits: side window exits, rear door, and roof hatch must open from inside (and outside where required), be labeled, and the buzzer or alarm must sound when the handle is moved.
- Standee line: a bus that carries standing passengers must have the 2-inch line on the floor behind the driver's seat, clearly visible.
- Seating and aisle: cushions and frames secure, aisle and exits clear, no loose objects that could become projectiles.
- Fire extinguisher: charged, gauge in the green, pin and seal in place, mounted securely and within reach.
- Emergency equipment: triangles or reflectors, spare fuses, first aid kit as equipped.
- Air brake check if equipped: static leak test, applied leak test, low-pressure warning, spring brake test.
Run the inspection the same way every time: exterior walk-around, under the hood, in-cab, then the passenger compartment.
Worked example
A driver opens the rear emergency door; it swings freely but no buzzer sounds. The alarm is part of the required exit warning system, so the defect is written up and the bus is held rather than dispatched with a note to fix it later.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing school bus items (stop arm, crossing gate) with passenger bus items; skipping the emergency exit alarm; forgetting the standee line; assuming an air brake test is not required because the bus is 'just a bus.'