CDL Practice Tests: School Bus Endorsement
Choose A Section:
Go!During your post-trip inspection of a school bus, which of the following should you look for?
- Mechanical/operational problems with the bus, with special attention to items that are unique to school buses, such as mirror systems, flashing warning lamps and stop signal arms.
- Articles left on the bus.
- Sleeping students.
- All these are correct
When your route or school activity trip is finished, you should conduct a post-trip inspection of the bus. You should walk through the bus and around the bus looking for the following:
- Articles left on the bus.
- Sleeping students.
- Open windows and doors.
- Mechanical/operational problems with the bus, with special attention to items that are unique to school buses, such as mirror systems, flashing warning lamps and stop signal arms.
- Damage or vandalism.
What can you do as a bus driver to ensure students are in a safe place during an emergency?
- Lead students as far away from railroad tracks as possible and in the direction of any oncoming train.
- You can do all of these
- Lead students to a safe place at least 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic
- Lead students upwind of the bus if a fire is present.
Some tips to determine a safe place to lead students during an emergency:
- A safe place will be at least 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic. This will keep the students from being hit by debris if another vehicle collides with the bus.
- Lead students upwind of the bus if a fire is present.
- Lead students as far away from railroad tracks as possible and in the direction of any oncoming train.
- Lead students upwind of the bus at least 300 feet if there is a risk from spilled hazardous materials.
- If the bus is in the direct path of a sighted tornado and evacuation is ordered, escort students to a nearby ditch or culvert if shelter in a building is not readily available and direct them to lie face down, hands covering their head. They should be far enough away so the bus cannot topple on them. Avoid areas that are subject to flash floods.
What type of railroad crossing has a traffic control device installed at the crossing to regulate traffic?
- Passive crossing
- Active crossing
- Semi-automatic crossing
- Crossbuck crossing
When you have adjusted the flat side mirrors on the bus properly, you will see all the following EXCEPT:
- 200 feet or 4 bus lengths behind the bus
- The rear tires touching the ground
- Along the sides of the bus
- The area directly beneath the mirror
Ensure that the mirrors are properly adjusted so you can see:
- 200 feet or 4 bus lengths behind the bus.
- Along the sides of the bus.
- The rear tires touching the ground.
There is a blind spot immediately below and in front of each mirror and directly behind the rear bumper.
What can you do as a bus driver to ensure safety in case of an emergency?
- Assign an older student assistant to lead the students to a “safe place” after evacuation.
- When possible, assign two responsible, older student assistants to each emergency exit. Teach them how to assist the other students off the bus.
- You can do all of these
- Teach all students how to operate the various emergency exits and the importance of listening to and following all instructions given by you
If you are caught in strong winds in a school bus you should:
- Contact your dispatcher to get more information on how to proceed.
- All these are correct
- You should slow down to lessen the effect of the wind or pull off the roadway and wait.
- Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel. Try to anticipate gusts.
If you are caught in strong winds:
- Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel. Try to anticipate gusts.
- You should slow down to lessen the effect of the wind or pull off the roadway and wait.
- Contact your dispatcher to get more information on how to proceed.
Which of the following are NOT true about ABS?
- ABS will not increase or decrease ultimate stopping power — ABS is an “add-on” to your normal brakes, not a replacement for them.
- ABS will compensate for bad brakes or poor brake maintenance.
- ABS will not necessarily shorten stopping distance. ABS will help maintain vehicle control but not always shorten stopping distance.
- ABS will not allow you to drive faster, follow more closely or drive less carefully.
- ABS will not allow you to drive faster, follow more closely or drive less carefully.
- ABS will not prevent power or turning skids — ABS should prevent brake-induced skids but not those caused by spinning the drive wheels or going too fast in a turn.
- ABS will not necessarily shorten stopping distance. ABS will help maintain vehicle control but not always shorten stopping distance.
- ABS will not increase or decrease ultimate stopping power — ABS is an “add-on” to your normal brakes, not a replacement for them.
- ABS will not change the way you normally brake. Under normal brake conditions, your vehicle will stop as it always stopped. ABS only comes into play when a wheel would normally have locked up because of over braking.
- ABS will not compensate for bad brakes or poor brake maintenance.
- Remember: The best vehicle safety feature is still a safe driver.
- Remember: Drive so you never need to use your ABS.
- Remember: If you need it, ABS could help to prevent a serious crash.
Approximately how far before a railroad crossing should you activate the school bus hazard lights to warn people you are stopping?
- 200 ft
- 1000 ft
- 50 ft
- 500 ft
When stopping a school bus at a railroad crossing, where should you stop?
- 200 ft before the nearest rail
- No closer than 50 feet and no farther than 100 feet from the nearest rail, where you have the best view of the tracks.
- No closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail, where you have the best view of the tracks.
- 300 ft before the nearest rail
There is a sign that marks the railroad crossing. It requires you to yield the right of way to the train. If there is no white line painted on the pavement, you must stop the bus before this sign. What is it called?
- Setback sign
- Passive sign
- Active sign
- Crossbuck sign
About The School Bus CDL Exam
The School Bus CDL Exam is required if you want to get a school bus or charter bus endorsement. It is not required for getting a Class A CDL to drive a big rig. Bus drivers must have a commercial driver's license if they drive a vehicle designed to seat 16 or more persons, including the driver.
Bus drivers must have a passenger endorsement on their commercial driver license. To obtain the endorsement, you must pass a knowledge test on the Safe Driving and (this section) portions of the CDL manual. If your bus has air brakes, you must also pass a knowledge test on air brakes. You must also pass the skills/drive tests required for the class and type of passenger vehicle you plan to drive.
This section covers:
- Vehicle Inspection
- Loading
- On the Road
- After-trip Vehicle Inspection
- Prohibited Practices
- Use of Brake-door Interlocks
Vehicle Inspection
Before driving your bus, make sure it is safe. You must review the inspection report made by the previous driver. Only if defects reported earlier have been certified as repaired or not needed to be repaired, should you sign the previous driver's report. This is your certification that the defects reported earlier have been repaired.
Make sure the following are in good working order before driving:
- Service brakes, including air hose couplings (if your bus has a trailer or semitrailer).
- Parking brake.
- Steering mechanism.
- Lights and reflectors.
- Tires (front wheels must not have re-capped or re-grooved tires).
- Horn.
- Windshield wiper or wipers.
- Rear-vision mirror or mirrors.
- Coupling devices (if present).
- Wheels and rims.
- Emergency equipment
Loading And Trip Start
Do not allow riders to leave carry-on baggage in a doorway or aisle. There should be nothing in the aisle that might trip other riders. Secure baggage and freight in ways that avoid damage and:
- Allow the driver to move freely and easily.
- Allow riders to exit by any window or door in an emergency.
- Protect riders from injury if carry-ons fall or shift.
Forbidden Hazardous Materials
Buses may carry small-arms ammunition labeled ORM-D, emergency hospital supplies and drugs. You can carry small amounts of some other hazardous materials if the shipper cannot send them any other way. Buses must never carry:
- Division 2.3 poison gas, liquid Class 6 poison, tear gas, irritating material.
- More than 100 pounds of solid Class 6 poisons.
- Explosives in the space occupied by people, except small-arms ammunition.
- Labeled radioactive materials in the space occupied by people.
- More than 500 pounds total of allowed hazardous materials and no more than 100 pounds of any one class.
Riders sometimes board a bus with an unlabeled hazardous material. Do not allow riders to carry on common hazards such as car batteries or gasoline. See Section 2 and Section 9 for additional information on hazardous materials.
Common Bus Accidents
Accidents In Intersections:
The Most Common Bus Accidents: Bus accidents often happen at intersections. Use caution, even if a signal or stop sign controls other traffic. School and mass transit buses sometimes scrape off mirrors or hit passing vehicles when pulling out from a bus stop. Remember the clearance your bus needs and watch for poles and tree limbs at stops. Know the size of the gap your bus needs to accelerate and merge with traffic. Wait for the gap to open before leaving the stop. Never assume other drivers will brake to give you room when you signal or start to pull out.
Speed In Curves
Accidents on curves result from excessive speed, often when rain or snow has made the road slippery. Every banked curve has a safe "design speed." In good weather, the posted speed is safe for cars but it may be too high for many buses. With good traction, the bus may roll over; with poor traction, it might slide off the curve. Reduce speed for curves. If your bus leans toward the outside on a banked curve, you are driving too fast.
Railroad Crossings
Bus drivers must stop at railroad crossings:
- - At streetcar crossings.
- - Where a policeman or flagman is directing traffic.
- - If a traffic signal is green.
- - At crossings marked as "exempt" or "abandoned.
Prohibited Practices
- Avoid fueling your bus with riders on board unless absolutely necessary. Never refuel in a closed building with riders on board.
- Do not talk with riders or engage in any other distracting activity while driving.
- Do not tow or push a disabled bus with riders aboard the vehicle, unless getting off would be unsafe. Only tow or push the bus to the nearest safe spot to discharge passengers. Follow your employer's guidelines on towing or pushing disabled buses.
Questions You Should Know For The Exam
- 1. Name some things to check in the interior of a bus during a pre-trip inspection.
- 2. What are some hazardous materials you can transport by bus?
- 3. What are some hazardous materials you cannot transport by bus?
- 4. What is a standee line?
- 5. Does it matter where you make a disruptive passenger get off the bus?
- 6. How far from a railroad crossing should you stop?
- 7. When must you stop before crossing a drawbridge?
- 8. Describe from memory the “prohibited practices” listed in the manual.
- 9. The rear door of a transit bus has to be open to put on the parking brake. True or False?
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