Loading and Unloading
Domain focus
Loading and Unloading tests safe boarding and alighting, passenger counts, standee control, baggage, and securement at stops. The examiner wants to see that you control the stop and the passenger area before the bus moves.
At the stop
- Signal early; pull to the curb or a safe shoulder; use hazard flashers; set the parking brake; place an automatic in Park.
- Open the door only when traffic is clear and passengers can reach a safe standing area.
- Do not discharge passengers into a traffic lane, ditch, or construction zone.
- Count passengers as they board and before moving; recount after each stop.
- Supervise standees: only behind the standee line, within capacity, never in stairwells or forward of the line.
Baggage and mobility devices
- Stow baggage so aisles and exits remain clear; no hazardous materials.
- Secure wheelchairs with a four-point tie-down and lap/shoulder belt; use the lift or ramp properly.
- Close and latch doors before moving.
Worked example
At a rural night stop, the driver sees no one get off but hears a snore. Reasoning: a sleeping passenger may be carried past their stop or left locked on the bus. The driver walks the aisle, checks seats and overhead areas, and confirms the bus is empty before securing it.
Traps
Moving with the door open; trusting a mental count; letting a passenger off into traffic; piling bags in the aisle; forgetting wheelchair securement.