On a multi-day trip, when is a new trip inspection report due?
BC Class 1–4 overview
BC Class 1–4: Trip inspections and reports
When 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.
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Study reference: Driving Commercial Vehicles (ICBC, 2024 edition), Ch. 10 Vehicle and air brake pre-trip inspections — Vehicle condition, Written reports, Pre-hill and en route inspections
All 12 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
On a multi-day trip, when is a new trip inspection report due?
- By the first rest stop of each later day
- Only at the very end of the multi-day trip
- Only if a defect appears
- Every 1,000 km
A sign tells trucks to stop and check brakes before a steep downgrade. What must you do?
- Slow down without stopping
- Turn on four-way flashers and continue
- Stop only if your brakes feel weak
- Stop in the pullout and inspect brakes and load
After loading cargo, within what distance must you re-inspect its securement?
- Within 80 km
- Within 10 km
- At the end of the day
- Within 240 km
Before working underneath the vehicle during an inspection, what should you do?
- Release the parking brakes
- Take the keys out of the ignition
- Start the engine to build air
- Remove the wheel blocks
During an en route check you find smoke coming from an oil-filled hub. What should you do?
- Do not continue driving
- Pour water on it and continue
- Drive slower and watch it
- Keep driving to the next town
Which commercial trailers need reflective markings to the rear and sides?
- Trailers built before 2000 only
- Trailers 2.05 m wide or more
- Only trailers longer than 16 m
- Only trailers hauling dangerous goods
Which way should you walk around the vehicle during a pre-trip inspection?
- Clockwise, with traffic behind you
- Only along the curb side
- Counter-clockwise, facing oncoming traffic
- Any way, as long as it is quick
Below what thickness may a peace officer put a vehicle out of service for drum brake linings?
- 1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
- 1/2 inch (12.7 mm)
- 1/4 inch (6.4 mm)
- 1/8 inch (3.2 mm)
Which vehicle needs a daily written trip inspection report?
- A motorhome on a family trip
- A two-axle truck licensed over 14,600 kg
- A pickup truck licensed at 5,000 kg GVW or less
- A car used for deliveries
When must NSC commercial vehicles be inspected?
- Only before long trips
- Before first use each day and after the final trip
- Once a week, at the start of the driver's work week
- Only after a breakdown
After the first check, when is the next cargo securement check due?
- At a duty change, 3 hours or 240 km
- Once every 24 hours
- Only at the destination
- Every 80 km of driving, without any exception
How soon must trip inspection reports be given to the carrier?
- Within 60 days
- Within 7 days
- Within 20 days
- Within 24 hours
Trip inspections and reports: 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 ↗
You're responsible, vehicle condition (p. 199–200)
- The driver is responsible for making sure all safety features work before driving.
- Commercial vehicles under the National Safety Code must be inspected before first use each day (pre-trip) and at the end of the day's final trip (post-trip), as required by the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations.
- The driver or another person named by the carrier may do the inspection; driver and carrier share responsibility.
- Daily written inspection reports are required for: buses, school buses, special activity buses, special vehicles or limousines seating more than 10 including the driver; two-axle trucks or tractors licensed over 14,600 kg GVW; trucks or tractors towing a trailer licensed over 8,200 kg GVW.
- You may be fined for failing to carry a trip inspection report; an unsafe vehicle may bring a fine and/or be put out of service.
- Pre-trip inspections prevent costly delays and crashes from mechanical failure.
Cargo securement inspections (p. 200, 233)
- Under the NSC, all vehicles carrying cargo on a highway, whatever their weight, must be inspected for cargo securement, including equipment such as tailgates, doors, tarps and the spare tire.
- Re-inspect cargo securement within 80 km of where the cargo was loaded.
- After that, re-inspect at the earliest of a change in duty status, three hours of driving, or 240 km since the last check.
- Record cargo securement inspections in your daily log.
- No inspection is needed if the cargo is sealed and you were ordered not to open it, or if it is inaccessible.
Written report requirements (p. 201–202)
- A trip inspection report must show plate or unit numbers, list every defect that may affect safe operation or state that none was found, be dated, be signed by the inspector and be completed before the first trip of the day.
- On multi-day trips, a new report is due no later than the first rest stop of each later day.
- If you couple to another trailer during the day, carry that trailer's report for the day or complete one.
- For each defect, the report must say it was corrected or that no correction is needed; a defect that does not affect safety may wait but must still be recorded.
- With more than one driver, only one need sign if all agree; if they disagree, all must sign and describe the disagreement.
- Trip inspection reports must be given to the carrier within 20 days.
- Division 37 of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations sets B.C.'s trip inspection rules and exemptions.
- On the road test the examiner gives you a trip inspection report form; part of your mark is how completely and accurately you fill it in.
Conducting a pre-trip inspection (p. 203)
- Any order is allowed, but use the same order every time so nothing is missed.
- Before you begin: park in a safe spot away from traffic, on level ground if possible, set the parking brakes, shut off the engine and block the wheels front and back on the same axle.
- Walk counter-clockwise around the vehicle so you face oncoming traffic.
- Look under the vehicle for leaks as you approach; leaks and body damage are easier to see from a distance.
- Take the keys out of the ignition before working underneath.
- Tools: flashlight, tire pressure gauge, chalk and ruler, pry tool, wrench, and a watch or timer for air leakage and build-up; wear sturdy clothing, hard hat and eye protection.
- Components you cannot safely reach on low or air-suspended vehicles should be checked by a mechanic during maintenance.
- A peace officer may put a vehicle out of service if drum brake linings are under 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) or air disc pads under 1/8 inch (3.2 mm).
- Rust streaks at wheel nuts may mean loose nuts; shiny areas at spoke wheel clamps may mean the rim is slipping.
- Check that a fire extinguisher's label date is valid; typical emergency equipment is flags or flares, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.
Pre-hill, in-service, en route and post-trip inspections (p. 232–235)
- Where signs are posted before steep or long downgrades, stop in the pullout and inspect the brakes and load security before going on; you may be fined for not stopping.
- At a brake check: compressor keeps full pressure, no audible leaks, glad hands and lines secure, drums and hubs not overheated, pushrod travel within limits, even with automatic slack adjusters.
- With hydraulic brakes, check pedal reserve, drum temperature and fluid leaks before the hill.
- Drivers of heavy non-commercial vehicles such as motorhomes are not required to stop at brake checks but may use the pullouts.
- In-service checks: watch the air gauges, the low-air warning and how the brakes feel.
- En route checks cover tires (heat, damage), wheels and nuts, brakes and hubs, trailer coupling, cargo and dangerous goods placards, and suspension and driveline.
- Do not keep driving if smoke comes from an oil-filled hub or the hub is too hot to touch.
- At the end of the day's final trip, inspect the vehicle and complete a trip inspection report; it can be added to that day's pre-trip report.
- Commercial trailers 2.05 m wide or more need reflective markings to the rear and sides.
- Under the fuel-efficiency chapter, en route inspections including tires and cargo are recommended at least every three hours.
Study the Trip inspections and reports rules as flashcards →
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.
- Class 1 pre-trip inspectionThe 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.
- 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.