During the vehicle inspection test, you must be able to indicate where the oil dipstick is located; show that the oil level is within a safe operating range; and show that the oil level is above the refill mark.

If you must back up a school bus at a student pick-up point, do not put the bus in reverse until all students have boarded. Watch for late-comers at all times.

If time permits, before deciding to evacuate a school bus, the driver should contact their dispatcher to explain the situation. The decision to evacuate must be a timely one.

While students are boarding a school bus, if the driver cannot account for a student outside, they should secure the bus, take the key with them, and check around and underneath the bus.

In general, school bus drivers should stop before any railroad crossings to check the tracks for approaching trains. Drivers should stop no closer than 15 feet, and no farther than 50 feet, from the nearest rail in order to have the best view of the tracks. They should look and listen for approaching trains before proceeding through the crossing.

On a school bus, the overhead inside rearview mirror is used to monitor passenger activity inside the bus. The top portion of the mirror should be positioned to display the top of the bus's rear window. This mirror positioning should allow the driver to see all of the students on the bus, including the heads of the students sitting immediately behind the driver.

A pre-trip inspection should be completed in the same way before every drive. Consistency will help you learn all of the proper steps and decrease the likelihood that you will forget to check something.

Students should board a school bus slowly and in a single-file line. For safety, boarding students should use the handrail.

After evacuating a school bus, students should be led to a safe place at least 100 feet away from the road in the direction of oncoming traffic. This will keep them safe from flying debris if another vehicle hits the bus. Students should be upwind of any fires and as far away from railroad tracks as possible.

A school bus has blind spots immediately below the side flat mirrors, immediately in front of the side flat mirrors, and directly behind the rear bumper. Rear blind spots typically extend 50 to 150 feet behind a bus but can sometimes extend up to 400 feet, depending on the length of the vehicle.

After completing a trip, a school bus driver should do an inspection in which they check for sleeping students; belongings left on the bus; open windows or doors; any mechanical or operational issues with the bus; and damage or vandalism.

More students are killed each year during loading or unloading of school buses than while riding on school buses. Therefore, it is critical that school bus drivers follow appropriate safety procedures during loading and unloading.

Backing in a school bus is strongly discouraged and should be done only if there is no other safe way to move the vehicle. If you must drive in reverse at a student pick-up point, you should wait until all students have first loaded the bus.

You should slow down when driving a school bus in high winds. Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel and try to anticipate gusts.

An Ant-Lock Braking System (ABS) helps stop a vehicle's wheels from locking up during hard brake applications.

As a part of earning your CDL, you will have to pass an inspection test and demonstrate that your vehicle is safe for operation. During the vehicle inspection test, you will have to walk around the vehicle and point to or touch each item and explain to the examiner what you are checking and why. You will not have to crawl under the hood or under the vehicle.

During the vehicle inspection test, you will be asked to do a complete inspection of your vehicle. You will need to explain what you are inspecting and why.

In a school bus, the overhead rearview mirror is mounted directly above the windshield on the driver’s side.

If a school bus is equipped with alternating flashing amber warning lights, they should be activated at least 200 feet before a stop, unless state law requires otherwise.

If you are stopped at a railroad crossing and a gate fails to return to its open position after a train passes, call your dispatcher. Do not attempt to drive around the lowered gate.