How does the heavy trailer endorsement (code 20) pre-trip differ from Class 1?
BC Class 1–4 overview
BC Class 1–4: Class 1 pre-trip inspection
The Class 1 road test pre-trip: timing, slack adjuster set-up, fifth wheel and landing gear checks, leakage limits with trailers, tug tests and breakaway checks.
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- 10 questions
- Topic drill
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Study reference: Driving Commercial Vehicles (ICBC, 2024 edition), Ch. 10 Vehicle and air brake pre-trip inspections — Class 1 pre-trip inspection
All 10 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
How does the heavy trailer endorsement (code 20) pre-trip differ from Class 1?
- It leaves out the air brake steps
- It is done with the engine running
- It adds a coupling-only test
- It skips the lights check
With one trailer, what is the most air loss allowed during a one-minute brake application?
- 2 p.s.i. per minute
- 6 p.s.i. per minute
- 4 p.s.i. per minute
- 8 p.s.i. per minute
During the circle check, what should be true of the landing gear?
- Removed for the trip
- Touching the ground lightly
- Lowered halfway to steady the trailer in turns
- Fully raised, crank handle secured
About how long should a Class 1 pre-trip inspection take on the road test?
- About two hours
- Under 10 minutes
- Less than 45 minutes
- About 90 minutes
What must Class 1 applicants show with the slack adjusters during the pre-trip test?
- How to set up a slack adjuster
- How to bleed the air tanks
- How to remove a brake drum
- How to replace a brake chamber
How do you check the breakaway system of a trailer with electric brakes?
- Disconnect the tractor battery and wait one minute
- Pull the breakaway pin; brakes must apply
- Drive and brake hard at speed
- Spray water on the brake magnets
In the first tug test, which brakes are applied?
- The trailer brakes only
- The tractor brakes only
- Both sets of brakes
- Neither set of brakes
Before the Class 1 leakage test, what minimum air pressure is needed?
- At least 60 p.s.i.
- At least 80 p.s.i.
- At least 100 p.s.i.
- At least 120 p.s.i.
What should you see when checking the fifth wheel from the side?
- A small gap for the trailer to pivot
- The slider pin unlocked
- No daylight between plate and apron
- Jaws open around the kingpin
What decal should you look for on the trailer and tractor?
- A CVIP inspection decal
- A MELT completion decal
- A dangerous goods placard
- An ICBC insurance sticker
Class 1 pre-trip inspection: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Class 1 tractor-trailer pre-trip (p. 204)
- You should be able to complete the Class 1 pre-trip inspection in less than 45 minutes.
- You must show you can set up a slack adjuster during the Class 1 pre-trip test.
- Heavy trailer endorsement (code 20) applicants follow the Class 1 pre-trip but leave out the air brake steps.
- Before you begin: set the parking brakes, shut off the engine and block the wheels.
- Class 1 applicants must also complete and submit a written trip inspection report.
Class 1 mechanical circle check (p. 209–212)
- Check lights in a counter-clockwise circle: left signal, low beams, tail, plate and clearance lights first; then right signal, high beams and brake lights.
- Carry a rag to wipe lenses and reflective tape.
- Fifth wheel: plate flush with the trailer apron (no daylight), slider locked with room for the trailer to turn, locking jaws closed around the kingpin; check with a flashlight from both sides and underneath.
- Pintle or ball hitch: not worn, lock closed, chains or cables free of stress cracks and weld breaks and attached to both units.
- Landing gear: fully raised, no missing parts, crank handle secured.
- Check the cab protector is secure to the frame, the cargo lift is retracted and latched, load security devices are tight, trailer doors latched.
- Check for a CVIP inspection decal on the trailer body and tractor.
- Check drive line u-joints for free play and leaks, and that air tanks are securely mounted.
- Fuel tanks, caps and lines, exhaust, batteries and storage compartments must be secure on both sides of the tractor.
Class 1 leakage, tug and response tests (p. 212–213)
- Back in the cab, air must be at least 100 p.s.i. with parking brakes released before the leakage test.
- Hold a 90 to 100 p.s.i. application for one minute: no more than 4 p.s.i. per minute loss with one trailer, 6 p.s.i. with two.
- Then set the parking brakes and remove the wheel blocks.
- Tug test 1: release the tractor parking brakes, keep the trailer brakes applied, and in low gear gently tug; the trailer brakes must hold.
- Tug test 2: apply the tractor parking brakes, open the trailer supply valve to release the trailer brakes, and gently tug; the tractor brakes must hold.
- Then roll ahead slowly and test the foot brake, then the hand valve for trailer brake response, then steering wheel play.
- A trailer without air brakes: check its breakaway system; for most electric brakes, disconnect the electrical cable, pull the pin from the breakaway switch and confirm the brakes apply, then reinstall.
- Inspect double trailers, their couplers and air systems the same way.
Class 1 road test and MELT (p. 7–13)
- Class 1 covers semi-trailer trucks and any other vehicle or combination except motorcycles; minimum age 19.
- The Class 1 knowledge test includes all the air brake knowledge test material; Class 1 applicants do not take the separate single-unit air brake test.
- Class 1 Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT), required since October 18, 2021, includes air brake training, so no separate air brake course is needed.
- The Class 1 road test takes about two hours and includes coupling and uncoupling.
- Class 1 test vehicle: loaded tandem or tridem tractor-trailer with air brakes, at least 28,000 kg on the road, semi-trailer at least 13 m (7.5 m pintle-hitch trailer).
- The Class 1 combination air brake endorsement comes through the Class 1 knowledge test, MELT and an air brake pre-trip on the Class 1 road test (ICBC air brake page).
Other topics
- Licence classes, endorsements and testingClass 1 to 4 and what each covers, minimum ages, the air brake (code 15) and heavy trailer (code 20) endorsements, the driving record and medical rules, learner supervision, MELT and retest waiting periods.
- Heavy vehicle brakingHow brakes turn motion into heat, stopping time and following distance, speed and weight effects, brake fade, retarders, downgrades, water, runaway lanes and ABS.
- Basic commercial driving skillsFollowing distance, danger zones, off track and turns, curves, roundabouts, backing, mirrors, emergency vehicles, double-clutching, railway crossings and night driving.
- Tires, warnings and personal safetyTire pressure and tread limits, wheel checks, required braking systems, flashing lights, warning devices for disabled vehicles, carbon monoxide, seatbelts, phones, impoundment and fire fighting.
- Fuel-efficient drivingStarting and warming up a diesel, smart shifting and speed, idling, tire pressure, en route checks and vehicle choices that save fuel.
- Backing and handling trailersBacking a semi-trailer, rollovers and load height, double trailers, trailer whipping, parking a trailer and weight distribution on a tractor-trailer.
- Coupling and uncouplingCoupling and uncoupling a fifth wheel step by step, the tug test, landing gear, pintle hitches, safety chains and drawbars.
- Loading and weight distributionWhere to place heavy loads on a truck, axle load shares for freight, dump and mixer trucks, covered aggregate loads, livestock and liquid tank loads.
- Cargo securementThe North American cargo securement standard, tiedown condition, how many tiedowns and how strong, binders, front-end structures, load projections and vehicles carried as cargo.
- Dimensions, weights and permitsHeight and width limits, mirrors, GVW and licensed GVW, overload and oversize permits, pilot cars and reporting to weigh scales.
- Dangerous goods and signs for commercial driversDangerous goods training and documents, reporting spills, placard classes, CANUTEC, runaway lanes, low clearance, transit priority and zone signs.
- Operating a busBus passenger safety, leaving the curb, transit right-of-way, highway stops, fares, standing passengers, required equipment, baggage and the bus pre-trip.
- School busesWhich licences cover school buses, daily brake checks, school bus equipment and signs, loading and unloading, flashing red lights and railway crossings.
- Taxis, limousines and ride-hailingClass 4 restricted, taxi and limousine definitions, passenger transportation licences, seating, duty to carry and when you may refuse, jump seats and passengers with disabilities.
- Ambulances and special vehiclesLicences for ambulances and special vehicles, when emergency vehicles may use lights and sirens, yielding to them, and equipment rules that depend on seating capacity.
- Hours of serviceOn-duty and off-duty time, daily and shift limits, cycles and resets, deferral, sleeper berths, personal use, ELDs and records of duty status, the 160 km exemption and other jurisdictions.
- Air brake componentsWhy air brakes, brake chambers and slack adjusters, s-cam brakes, compressor, governor, reservoirs, foot valve, air dryers and ABS.
- Dual air brake systemsThe dual foot valve, primary and secondary circuits, one-way check valves, the low-air warning, quick release and relay valves, and what happens when one circuit fails.
- Spring parking brakesWhy parking needs mechanical force, how spring brakes apply and release, compounding, caging, blended air and safety actuators.
- Tractor-trailer air systemsSupply and control lines, glad hands, trailer emergency application, the tractor protection system, the trailer hand valve and bobtail tractors.
- Air brake adjustmentPushrod stroke limits, checking manual slack adjusters by the applied and pry methods, adjusting them, automatic slack adjusters and common misconceptions.
- Trip inspections and reportsWhen inspections are required, which vehicles need written reports, cargo securement re-checks, report rules, pre-trip procedure, brake checks before hills and en route checks.
- Air brake pre-trip testThe air brake pre-trip on the road test: draining reservoirs, governor cut-out and cut-in, low-air warning, trailer supply valve closing, build-up time and leakage limits.