Montana CDL DMV Endorsement Bus 1

The process of loading or unloading students from a school bus requires a driver's full concentration. If there is a behavioral issue on the bus, wait until the exiting students are safely off the bus and out of the way before you address the problem on the bus.

During the vehicle inspection test, you must ensure that any emergency exit warning devices are working. All emergency exits should operate smoothly, be undamaged, and close securely from the inside.

School bus drivers may only pick up students at official stops designated by authorized school officials.

During a vehicle inspection test, you must ensure that all lug nuts are present, free of cracks and distortions, and showing no signs of looseness, such as rust trails or shiny threads. Verify that all bolt holes are free of cracks and distortions.

While taking the on-road driving skills test, check for traffic and use your mirrors regularly, especially when encountering intersections. Scan and check for pedestrians in areas where they may be present.

After students unload at school, a school bus driver should walk through the bus to check for sleeping students, hiding students, and items that students may have left behind. Students should exit the bus in an orderly fashion with the driver supervising.

Once students have boarded a school bus, the driver should wait to move the bus until all of the passengers are seated and looking forward.

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.

When exiting your vehicle during the basic vehicle control skills test, you must face the vehicle and maintain three points of contact at all times. If your testing vehicle is a bus, you must maintain contact with the handrail. Exiting the vehicle incorrectly may result in automatic failure of the basic control skills test.

When inspecting a trailer during a vehicle inspection test, ensure that its landing gear has no missing parts and that it is fully raised. The crank handle should be secure and the support frame should not be damaged.

During unloading, if a school bus driver cannot account for a student outside of the bus, they should secure the bus and check for the missing student around and underneath the bus.

Railroad crossings that do not display any traffic control devices are known as passive crossings. The decision to proceed across tracks at a passive crossing is entirely up to the driver.

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

During the on-road driving test, the examiner will be score you on specific driving maneuvers as well as on your general driving behavior. You must drive in a safe and responsible manner; obey all traffic signs, signals, and laws; and not cause an accident or commit a moving violation.

The top portion of the overhead inside rearview 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.

During the on-road driving skills test, you will be evaluated on your gear usage. Select a gear that does not rev or lug the engine; avoid grinding and clashing gears; and avoid shifting through turns or intersections.

During the straight line backing exercise, you are permitted to exit your vehicle to check its position no more than one time.

When approaching a curve during the on-road driving skills test, you must reduce your speed sufficiently before entering the curve so that you do not need to further brake or shift in the curve. Keep the vehicle in its lane and continue to check for traffic in all directions.

During the on-road driving skills test, you will be asked to pull your vehicle over to the side of the road and stop as if you were going to get out and check something on your vehicle. As you prepare to make this stop, you must check traffic; activate your turn signal; decelerate smoothly with even braking, changing gears as needed; and bring your vehicle to a full stop without coasting.

It is dangerous for students to retrieve dropped items because doing so could cause them to disappear from the driver's view at a crucial moment. If an item is dropped, the student should get out of the bus's danger zones, get the attention of the driver, and ask the driver to retrieve the item.