Diagram for Pre-Trip Test???

That would be great to have. Not to hijack the thread but when testing out doing the pretrip, can you have a cheat sheet to look at to make sure you don't miss anything?

 

You might try googling "freightliner braking system", "freightliner suspension systems", etc. You don't have to use Freightliner, but you get my point. You can also use the same strategy for in-cab stuff, fifth wheel, trailer tandems, steering, tires, axles, hubs, mirrors, air lines, compressors, etc. Hope that works for you!

 

Oh, any by the way, don't sweat the PTI....you'll get it! And, breaking everything down into sections and systems helped me a lot!

 

PTI is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to learn! Not backing or shifting! When you are NOT in the truck on the course you need the diagram that your school gives you as to the route you took and what to do during the PTI and do NOTHING but learn the PTI. Not watching someone backing or doing the other manuevers as you won't get anything out of watching another but a sence of frustration thinking you could do it better! PRACTICE that PTI!. I know Alliance Tractor Trailer Driving School did. It was an orange or yellow card with a truck seen from the top and the path you took around the truck with it all written down. We instructors walked you through the "path" pointing out what you did from the moment you walked up to the truck from the front looking for fluids leaking under the tractor and if the truck and trailer were leaning. After that it was a walk around the truck starting with popping the hood to starting the truck, doing your AP test then the rest of the walk around! I had two female students there, that after their first weekend at home came back to class with their cards covered with that plastic and with a hole punched in the top and a cord through it so they could hang them on their necks and never lose them!

In fact. If there are any Alliance graduates that might have a copy of that card and I notice that they might be back in business in North Carolina can a student or graduate post a copy here please? Or any other school member that they made a card or "cheat sheet" put yours in here please! Shucks I just might draw one up for you to use.

 

It's funny that in aviation (military) it is forbidden to memorize your inspections. You Must take your checklist with you when inspecting your aircraft.

But you're not allowed to have a checklist when inspecting your truck.

 

Here in Whizcowsin we were allowed a cheat sheet and they even had what to say on it and the order you do it in I didnt use mine on my PTI test and by the time I got to the frame rail around the doors the inspector said , you pass lets get this going you know what you're doing. I didnt memorize the "pat" lines they handed us. I KNEW what I was looking at and what I was supposed to be checking

 

if you are in mass, and if your road test is at Dartmouth, trooper Lavoie is easy on you. just do it carefully, remembering that you are on a time limit. pre-trips should be done in 15 minutes. brake test 15 minutes. maneuvers 30 minutes, road test 30 minutes. your whole time in school comes down to 1.5 hours at any DMV test site........in mass at least........

now, should you be tested at Stoughton, mass.........you will have trooper Eaton............

if its a rainy day, Eaton DOES NOT want to get wet........you will do the pre-trip in the cab.......so now, everything is done by MEMORY...........!!!!!!!!

trooper Eaton comes off as a real hard arse...........but do not let that fool you........he's cut more guys slack then you'll ever know.......just show that YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL.......seriously.

trooper Lavoie is great as well..........but he doesn't cut you too much slack...........but then again............he will if you demonstrate PROFESSIONALISM.........

good luck to you.

 

Having a diagram would not be helpful at all except to pass the test on a specific truck.

Every truck is different and the engine compartments vary from model your to model year.

It is more important that you know how to identify the different components and what a malfunctioning one looks like.

Unfortunately in driving school the truck was always perfect. I would have liked to see what a broken part looked like so I could identify it when it happens in real life.