Vehicle Inspection and Basic Control for Passenger Vehicles
This domain tests whether you can prove a bus or passenger van is safe to load, and whether you can move it precisely at low speed. Examiners want a defensible sequence and specific measurements, not a memorized chant.
Pre-trip sequence
Start at the driver's door and walk clockwise. Check lights and reflectors, tire tread (at least 4/32 inch on front steer tires, 2/32 inch elsewhere), cuts, bulges, missing lug nuts, and rust streaks that signal a loose wheel. Check the windshield for cracks in the wiper sweep, wipers, mirrors, horn, and defroster. Inside: seat belt, gauges, emergency exits that open and close from both inside and outside, a fire extinguisher with the gauge in the green, first aid kit, warning triangles, and the 2-inch standee line. On a lift-equipped bus, cycle the lift and inspect the four-point securement straps.
Brake checks
Air brakes: build to governor cut-out, then check static leakage (no more than 3 psi per minute), applied leakage (3 psi per minute for a single vehicle, 4 for a combination), a warning that activates before 60 psi, and spring brakes that set between 20 and 45 psi. Hydraulic brakes: a firm pedal that does not sink, no warning lamp, and a parking brake that holds on a grade.
Post-trip
Complete the daily vehicle inspection report (49 CFR 396.11) and review the previous report before driving (396.13).
Worked example
The gauge falls 5 psi in one minute with the engine off and the brakes released. The static limit is 3 psi per minute, so the vehicle fails. Tag it out of service, do not load passengers, and write the defect on the DVIR rather than topping off the air and hoping.
Traps
Skipping exits and the lift because they are not driving items; testing brakes after passengers are aboard; reciting the checklist without touching the components.