Vehicle Inspection for Passenger Vehicles
What the pre-trip covers
The passenger-vehicle inspection is a system, not a glance at the main door. Walk around the bus: tires (front 4/32 in, others 2/32 in), wheels, lug nuts, hub oil, lights, reflectors, mirrors, windshield, wipers, and body damage. Open the baggage compartments and check latches. Under the hood, check fluids, belts, hoses, and leaks. In the cab, test horn, gauges, defroster, heater, parking brake, service brake, and steering play.
Bus-specific items
Every emergency exit must work: side and rear doors, roof hatches, and push-out windows. The exit alarm or buzzer must sound when opened. Check the fire extinguisher (charged and mounted), first aid kit, reflective triangles, and spare fuses. Seats must be secure and free of tears that expose metal. Handrails and stanchions must be tight. The aisle and stepwells must be clear, and the standee line must be visible. If equipped, cycle the wheelchair lift and check securement tracks and belts. Confirm the stop-request bell works.
Brake check
For an air-brake bus, follow the CDL air-brake test: build pressure, check the warning at about 60 psi, confirm spring brakes apply in the 20–45 psi range, and check leakage with the engine off. Do not accept “it worked yesterday.”
Worked example: A driver finds a roof hatch handle loose and the exit buzzer silent. The bus should not dispatch. The hatch is an emergency exit; if it cannot open, passengers lose an evacuation route, and a silent alarm hides an open exit. Tag the bus out of service, report it, and require repair and re-inspection.
Traps that cost marks: checking only the main door; forgetting roof hatches and windows; missing the standee line or an obstructed aisle; skipping the air-brake test; and treating a wheelchair lift as passenger equipment rather than a safety device.