Water and compressor oil are removed from air storage tanks through a drain valve. The water and oil can damage the brakes if left to accumulate in the system. Manually operated tanks must be drained every day to remove this build-up.

A pre-trip vehicle inspection should be done in the same way every time. Consistency will help a driver learn all of the proper steps and decrease the possibility of the driver forgetting to inspect something.

You should start and stop as smoothly as possible to help prevent passenger injury. After passengers have boarded your bus at a stop, you should allow them time to be seated or to brace themselves before you begin driving.

Even if a passenger is disruptive, a bus driver is still responsible for their safety. The passenger should be discharged in a safe place, either at the next scheduled stop or in another well-lit area where other people are present.

If you encounter a driver who seems distracted on the road, you should give them plenty of room and maintain a safe following distance.

When inspecting your vehicle, you should check the wiper blades for damage, stiff rubber, and proper securement.

Maneuvers that may be included in the basic vehicle control skills test include straight line backing, offset back/right parking, offset back/left parking, driver side parallel parking, conventional parallel parking, and alley docking.

A steering wheel should have no more than 10 degrees of play. This is equal to about two inches of movement at the rim of a 20-inch wheel. If there is more play than this, it may be difficult to steer.

Black ice is a thin layer of ice that is clear enough for the road surface to be seen through it. Be alert to black ice any time the temperature is below freezing and the road surface looks wet.

To make a normal stop in an air-braked vehicle, push the brake pedal down and control the pressure so that the vehicle comes to a smooth, safe stop.

When driving, you should scan the road at least 12 to 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle. This will allow you to notice hazards as early as possible, giving you time to react to them appropriately.

Most good drivers consistently look down the road 12 to 15 seconds ahead of their vehicles. Watching ahead of your vehicle will allow you to react to upcoming hazards before meeting them.

When stopping a bus at either an intermediate stop or its final destination, the driver should announce the location of the stop, the reason for stopping, the next departure time, and the bus number.

Potential warning signs of fatigue include difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids; yawning repeatedly or rubbing your eyes; daydreaming; wandering or disconnected thoughts; trouble remembering the last few miles you've driven; missing exits or traffic signs; having trouble keeping your head up; drifting from your lane; following too closely; hitting a shoulder rumble strip; or feeling restless and irritable.

To improve visibility, you should use high beam headlights at night where it is safe and legal to do so. However, the glare from high beam lights can blind other drivers. You should dim your lights to their low beam setting when driving within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle.

To prevent a vehicle with manual transmission from rolling backward when you begin to move forward from a stopped position, you can partly engage the clutch before removing your foot from the brake pedal.

Side mirrors should be adjusted to display part of your vehicle. This will provide a point of reference when judging the location of nearby objects.

Roads are especially slippery when it first begins to rain. Rain water initially mixes with oil and grease on the road to form a slippery film. As the rain continues, this mixture will eventually wash away.

Oil pressure should come up to normal within seconds of starting the engine.

Because they are exposed to less sunlight and warm up more slowly, shaded areas will remain icy and slippery after ice on other areas of the road has melted.