1 CCR 301-26, 9.0 Pre-trip/Post-trip Vehicle Inspections

9.1  Each school transportation vehicle shall have a daily pre-trip and post-trip inspection performed and documented by the school transportation vehicle operator or other transportation employee authorized by the school district, charter school, or service provider. A daily pre-trip inspection shall be completed prior to a vehicle being placed in service. A daily post-trip inspection shall be completed at the end of daily operation of each vehicle.

9.2  The pre-trip and post-trip inspection requirements for school transportation vehicles, other than small vehicles, shall include at a minimum all items listed on the CDE School Transportation Vehicle (School Bus/Multifunction Bus/Motor Coach Bus) – Pre-Trip and Post Trip Requirements Form (STU-9).

9.3  The pre-trip and post-trip inspection requirements for school transportation small vehicles shall include at a minimum all items listed on the CDE School Transportation Vehicle (Small Vehicle) – Pre-Trip and Post Trip Requirements Form(STU-8).

9.4  School districts, charter schools, and service providers shall have a procedure in place to verify that students are not left on an unattended school transportation vehicle.

 

Pre-Trip

One of the most important inspections is the one that you perform as a school bus driver. During this inspection, you will check every component listed on your pre-trip inspection form to determine if your bus is ready for operation.

You have already reviewed the reason for conducting the inspection and found that they are both legally required, and also required by local school district/charter and service providers.

As you become aware of defects, you must report them immediately. You have a responsibility to drive a safe bus. Mechanics cannot make necessary repairs, nor do they know something is in need of repair, unless they receive appropriate feedback from you.

Pre-trip inspection forms must be kept by your district/charter and service provider for at least six months. The inspection form must be filled out completely with great care. Each inspection form should have a full driver signature.

You may want to consider keeping a copy of your pre-trip inspections to verify that you have completed the pre-trip inspection in the event it is ever questioned by supervision.

Your trainer will go over the specific items of the pre-trip inspection, what should be checked, how it is checked, and how to determine if it is defective.

 Between Trips

After you complete a bus run or have released your students at an event, and have some layover time you should perform a Between Trip Inspection. There are a number of items that should be checked. Check for pupils remaining in the bus. The possibility of leaving a child on the bus after a completed bus route is not acceptable and has potentially serious safety ramifications. This preventable problem can be addressed with an effective policy that requires drivers to check their bus before they exit it at the end of their route. See 1 CCR 301.26, 9.4.

Ø  Check for adequate fuel

Ø  Check for vandalism of seats, walls, windows, etc., that may have occurred during the trip

Ø  Check for anything that should not be on the bus, such as a bag or package that might look suspicious

Ø  Check for materials that pupils may have left behind

Ø  Pick up trash on the floor, sweep if needed

Ø  Secure bus if not going out on a run immediately

 Post-Trip

When you complete your final run for the day a few things should be checked to secure the vehicle and get ready for the next day. In addition to items listed on the STU-8 and STU-9 the Post Trip Inspections may include:

Ø  Check for students remaining in the vehicle.

Ø  Refuel the vehicle .

Ø  Record mileage and amount of fuel taken in

Ø  Check for needed supplies

Ø  Clean vehicle interior


The heaviest amounts of dirt are brought onto your vehicle in the morning when students have been waiting outside to board. If you sweep your vehicle after your morning run, in the afternoon all you have to do is pick up any trash and do a quick sweep and your vehicle will look neat and clean all day long. Studies show that school buses that are kept clean demonstrate to students that the driver takes pride in caring for the vehicle and in return, students will take better care of it as well. It also shows that in buses that are well-kept, drivers have fewer discipline issues.

Ø  Park the vehicle in designated location

Ø  Secure the vehicle

Ø  Close windows and door

Ø  Remove key (follow your district/charter and service provider procedures)

Ø  Remove other equipment, if required

Ø  Turn in items left in the vehicle

Ø  Turn in all necessary paperwork and records

 CDE School Transportation Assistance Review  (STAR)

The CDE School Transportation Unit conducts on-site reviews of all district/charter and service provider vehicle inspections and garage operations. During that review, CDE will randomly do a visual inspection of school transportation vehicles to determine any potential non-compliant concerns with the vehicles and required documentation. It will also review any non-compliant concerns with annual inspectors and inspections performed for the district/charter and service provider either by in-house technicians or outside CDE approved inspection sites. During the visual inspection if CDE determines that a vehicle(s) has defects that are listed in the CDE Out of Service Criteria or other defects determined to be potentially dangerous, the vehicle will be placed Out of Service until all repairs have been completed.

Some of the most common items found during STAR reviews:

Ø  First Aid Kit – Missing and/or missing items

Ø  Seats – padding broken down; seat bottoms not secured

Ø  Clean Up Kit – Missing and/or missing items

Ø  Instructional stickers by emergency exits peeling or missing

Ø  Lack of documentation

Ø  Unsecured items in the passenger compartment

Ø  Cleaning supplies, unmarked, unsecured (not permitted to hang on the inside of wastebasket)

Ø  Electrical Systems/Lights – headlights, tail lights, inoperative or with broken lenses

Ø  Emergency exits - hard to open due to lack of inspection, buzzers not working


All of the items listed above should be discovered by the school transportation vehicle operator performing a thorough pre-trip, between trip and/or post-trip inspection.

 

Maintenance and Repair

12.1 School districts, charter schools, and service providers must ensure all school transportation vehicles are systematically inspected, maintained, and repaired to ensure that school transportation vehicles are in safe and proper operating condition. 

12.2 School districts, charter schools, and service providers shall have a system to document preventative maintenance, reported defects, and repairs made to school transportation vehicles.

12.3 School districts, charter schools, and service providers shall maintain separate files for each school transportation vehicle with documentation of all annual inspections, all preventative maintenance, and all reported damage, defects, or deficiencies and the  corresponding repair and maintenance performed.

12.4 Any identified damage, defect, or deficiency of a school transportation vehicle must be reported to the school district, charter schools or service provider i it: 

12.04(a) Could affect the safety of operation of the school transportation vehicle;

12.04(b) Could result in a mechanical breakdown of the school transportation vehicle; 

12.04(c) Results in noncompliance with Colorado Minimum Standards Governing School Transportation Vehicles (1 CCR 301-25) and/or manufacturer’s specifications. 

12.5 Documentation for reported defects must include all the following: 

12.05(a) The name of the school district, charter school or service provider; 

12.05(b) Date and time the report was submitted; 

12.05(c) All damage, defects, or deficiencies of the school transportation vehicle; 

12.05(d) The name of the individual who prepared the report. 

12.6 Following a reported damage, defect, or deficiency of a school transportation vehicle, school districts, charter schools, and service providers or a representative agent must repair the reported damage, defects, or deficiencies, or document that no repair is necessary, ensuring that the vehicle is in safe and proper operating condition prior to transporting students.

12.7 School districts, charter schools, and service providers shall not transport students in a school transportation vehicle which is not in safe and proper operating condition. A school transportation vehicle shall be designated as “out-of-service” by a school district, charter schools or service provider, a school transportation annual inspector, or the CDE School Transportation Unit.

12.07(a) Any school transportation vehicle discovered to be in an unsafe condition while being operated on the highway, roadway, or private road may be continued in operation only to the nearest place where repairs can safely be affected. Such operation shall be conducted only if it is less hazardous to the public than to permit the vehicle to remain on the highway, roadway, or private road.

12.8 Following a school transportation vehicle being placed “out-of-service,” a school district, charter school, service provider, or a representative agent must make required repairs, ensuring that the vehicle is in safe and proper operating condition prior to transporting students. In the event of being placed “out-of-service” during an annual inspection, the school transportation vehicle must successfully pass a CDE annual inspection prior to transporting student





Last modified: Sunday, 7 May 2023, 3:43 PM