Other than any other transportation fleets, school buses needs special maintenance and care as it carries little children, who also happen to be our future.
So, it’s a crime to drive a bus recklessly and take it for granted. More than a transport system, a school bus is a classroom where students learn road safety rules. School authorities must take care of the safety of the school buses before starting a trip.
So, here’s a checklist of the pre-trip inspection for the school buses.
1.Inspection of the Body
There is a chance of broken shields and loose connections, including window panes, shaded lamps, and rugged bumpers on the school bus. Keeping a regular check on the school bus body will help you recognize visible damages, plus dents and scratches on it.
Body check-up includes everything on the bus, from glossy mirrors and grills to wipers and reflectors and everything visible to the naked eye.
Besides, this inspection enables you to catch the error in any part. Just make sure that you don’t leave any part without inspecting.
2. Examination of the Engine
It is like a full heart check-up, so you need to have enough patience and time. The engine comprises of various parts, so you need to analyze and figure out hidden issues genuinely.
The valves, wires, tubes, caps, lube tanks, engine chamber, radiator, battery, etc., is included in an engine check.
So, if any of these parts starts malfunctioning, it affects the other parts abruptly. Furthermore, various other issues can arise in an engine. The list includes broken seals, oil leakage, blocked vents, settled grits.
Therefore you need to save some time to understand these issues in the engine. Besides, you should have a standard understanding of the sound variations, vibration, and unusual processes to find the actual problem.
3. Lamps and Horns Check
Lights are the critical components in schools buses since it needs to take turns and cuts frequently. So, it’s crucial to check the indicators, headlights, and tail lamp thoroughly.
If it needs any repair or replacement, you need to call a mechanic immediately. Also, check the brightness, modes, wiring, and connections of the lights before every trip.
The similar steps are involved in the horn check. Most importantly, you shall check the battery as horns rely on batteries vastly. If you find any abnormal behaviors, repair it immediately before starting your journey.
4. Pedals and Gears
When the engine moves the piston and shafts powerfully, and levers, gears, and pedals fail to transport it to wheels, it may affect the parts. Thus, the brakes and gears are as important as any other part of the bus.
If you want to avoid any unexpected failures during the trips, you have to inspect the brakes, gears, and clutch and move pedals regularly. Also, you should maintain and repair these parts accurately as prevention is better than cure.
5. Lubrication
Lubricants play as catalysts to vehicles’ machine operations. Perhaps, the drivers know how a vehicle needs it when it runs short of the lubrication every time. Thus, the proper functioning of parts and long life of vehicles, it’s vital to keep the machine lubricated.
So you have to examine all the vehicle parts that needs a sufficient amount of lubrication. The prime focus should be on rotating joints, moving pedals, steering columns, and shafts. Moreover, lubricants determine the increased efficiency of vehicles.
6. Safety Tools
The safety of a school bus is an essential matter of concern. However, you can’t predict the events on the roads; every school bus must keep all the emergency and safety measures to handle any situation. Also, the school authorities must train their drivers and students well about making use of these types of equipment well.
Before the drivers start their trip, they must ensure that the safety kit is present on the bus. These includes first aid box, fire extinguishers, warning hazard triangles, emergency exit doors, and spare parts. If any of the equipment is working irregularly, schools should replace it immediately.
7. Wheels
Wheels are the heart of a vehicle that is important for its smooth running as well as standing still. Thus, its malfunctioning can bring problems on a trip.
The tread thickness, air pressure level, lug nuts, and disk connections are the elements that needs to be examined almost every day. Also, you should replace the wheels at appropriate intervals for a smooth driving experience.
8. Meters and Gauges
These are the essential components in all vehicles. Meters and gauges are used to measure the temperature, pressure, fuel levels, and speed fixed on the driver panel. So, it’s critical to keep it updated for calculative driving.
Any issue with these components can cause miscalculations and can effect the driving. Hence, always check if the meters and gauges are in a proper working condition and get a timely repair/replacement done.
9. Brake System
The brake system is one of the most important safety factors of a vehicle. And when it comes to the small kids, the brakes’ inspection is crucial. In a large vehicle like buses, there’s a chance of defects in the brake.
So it’s recommended that you must check the oil, chamber, air lines, pedal, and seals on time. The brake system must be fit enough to control the vehicle all around, irrespective of the weather and road conditions.
Wrapping Up,
These were some of the significant aspects you must take care of while starting a trip. Along with this, using a school bus tracking system in the vehicle can help you with the added features of safety.
Anyway, following the above checklist can keep the unwanted issues away from the little kids while traveling, and this could be a gain for your institutes too.
