Vehicle Inspection and Pre-Trip Procedures
What this domain tests
Passenger-vehicle pre-trip inspection goes beyond the truck walk-around: you must show the vehicle is safe to carry people and that every passenger emergency exit is usable. The exam asks you to find passenger-specific defects and state what you would do before moving.
Core inspection points
- Exterior: tires, wheels, lights, mirrors, windshield, wipers, body damage, luggage doors, and service-door operation.
- Interior: aisle clear, seats secure, handrails and stepwells intact, emergency exits open and close from inside, exit labels visible, fire extinguisher charged, first-aid kit sealed, warning devices present.
- Systems: service brake, parking brake, steering, suspension, exhaust, fluids and leaks; test low-air warning and brake buildup if equipped.
- Accessibility: wheelchair lift or ramp cycles fully; securement tracks and belts work.
- Report defects and do not operate with a defect that affects safety. A post-trip inspection catches problems for the next driver.
Worked example
A driver finds the rear emergency window latch will not release from inside. The bus starts and brakes normally. Reasoning: the defect is passenger-safety-critical because that exit cannot be used in a fire or crash. The driver should tag the vehicle out of service, report it, and not carry passengers until repaired. "It worked yesterday" is not a valid inspection.
Traps
Treating the bus like a freight tractor and skipping interior exits; checking an exit from outside only; missing a missing fire extinguisher; not testing the parking brake on a slope; ignoring an active warning light; failing to document a defect.