Passenger Transport Vehicle Inspection
What this domain tests
This domain checks whether you can inspect a passenger-carrying CMV before, during, and after a trip, and whether you recognize defects that make the vehicle unsafe. New Mexico’s CDL pre-trip segment is demonstrated on the vehicle class you operate, so the examiner expects a systematic walk-around plus an interior passenger-area check-not a quick glance at tires.
Core rules
- Do a pre-trip inspection every day and after any change of vehicle. Check engine fluids, belts, hoses, steering, brakes, tires, wheels, lights, mirrors, horn, wipers, and emergency equipment.
- Inspect passenger-specific items: doors and controls, emergency exits and windows, roof hatches, aisles, seats, handrails, stepwells, luggage racks, and wheelchair lift or securement points if equipped.
- Test brakes, including the parking brake and low-air warning if air-braked. Confirm lights and reflectors work.
- During the trip, watch for new noises, smells, gauge changes, or door problems. Do a post-trip walk-through for passengers, hazards, and defects.
- Document defects and report them. Do not drive a vehicle with a defect that affects safety.
Worked example
A driver finds a cracked serpentine belt during pre-trip. The belt still turns the accessories, so the driver considers departing. Correct reasoning: a cracked belt can fail without warning and take out the alternator, water pump, or power steering. The driver reports it and does not dispatch until it is replaced. Inspection is not a checklist to “pass”; it is a decision point.
Traps that cost marks
Checking only the exterior and skipping emergency exits. Assuming a previous driver already inspected. Treating a wheelchair lift as someone else’s responsibility. Forgetting to test the parking brake. Writing “OK” without naming the defect and the action taken.