A child disappears beside your stopped bus. Which area needs attention?
Correct answer: The danger zones around every side of the bus.
Children can be hidden close to the front, sides or rear. The left side also exposes them to passing traffic; a single mirror view is not a complete check.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.1.1, physical PDF page 147, printed page 10-1. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
You take over a school bus from a taller driver. What should happen before you operate it?
Correct answer: Check and adjust each mirror for your own seated view.
Mirror coverage depends on the driver's position. Check all mirrors before operation and have any inadequate view corrected.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.1.2, physical PDF page 147, printed page 10-1. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
What should properly adjusted outside flat mirrors show on a school bus?
Correct answer: Bus sides, rear tires at ground level and traffic behind.
Flat mirrors help monitor side clearances and rear traffic. They do not remove the close-in blind spots in front of or behind the bus.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.1.3, physical PDF page 147, printed page 10-1. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
A vehicle looks small in a school bus's convex mirror. What must the driver remember?
Correct answer: Its apparent size and distance can be distorted.
Convex mirrors widen the viewing area but distort apparent size and distance. Use them together with the other mirrors and direct observation.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.1.4, physical PDF page 148, printed page 10-2. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
The red loading lights are flashing. What must you confirm before fully opening the door and signaling children to approach?
Correct answer: Traffic has actually stopped.
Warning lamps and the stop arm do not physically stop a motorist. Make the final traffic check before inviting children toward the bus.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.1, physical PDF page 150, printed page 10-4. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
At the designated school unloading area, how should students leave once the bus is stopped and secure?
Correct answer: In an orderly manner after the driver tells them to exit.
Wait for the stopped, secure bus and the driver's instruction. Orderly movement lets the driver observe students leaving and moving clear.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.4, physical PDF page 151, printed page 10-5. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
At the school's loading area, you saw six children but counted five boarding. What is the correct response?
Correct answer: Account for the missing child before moving.
Count students and know where each one is. Ask about a missing child and, if necessary, secure the bus and physically check around and underneath before moving.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.2, physical PDF page 150, printed page 10-4. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
Everyone you first saw at the stop is seated. Why check the mirrors again before departure?
Correct answer: A late-arriving child may now be approaching the bus.
Children may run toward a bus after the original group boards. Make the final exterior checks before returning safely to traffic.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.2, physical PDF page 150, printed page 10-4. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
At the school unloading area, you must leave the driver's compartment to supervise students. How should you secure the bus?
Correct answer: Stop the engine, set the parking brake and take the ignition key.
Keep the bus secured with the parking brake and proper transmission position. The school-unloading procedure requires shutting off the ignition and taking the key when leaving the driver's compartment.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.4, physical PDF page 151, printed page 10-5. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
According to the OMV-linked Louisiana CDL handbook's railroad approach procedure, when should the school bus's hazard lights be activated?
Correct answer: Approximately 200 feet before the crossing.
The manual recommends activating the hazards approximately 200 feet before the crossing to make the approach intention visible. Slow down, check traffic behind and prepare for the required rail stop.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.4.3, physical PDF page 155, printed page 10-9. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
At the required rail stop, how should you prepare to look and listen?
Correct answer: Quiet the students and equipment, then open the door and driver window.
At the railroad stop, open the driver's window and service door to look and listen both ways. Quieting passengers and equipment helps the driver hear approaching rail traffic.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.4.3, physical PDF page 155, printed page 10-9. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
Under the OMV-linked Louisiana CDL handbook's school-bus procedure, what does the absence of flashing lights or gates at a passive railroad crossing mean?
Correct answer: The driver must stop, observe carefully and decide whether it is safe to cross.
At a passive crossing there is no active warning system to make the decision for the driver. Recognize the crossing, make the required stop, check for rail traffic and ensure there is enough room to clear the tracks.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.4.1, physical PDF page 153, printed page 10-7. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
If time and conditions permit, how should you secure the bus before directing an emergency evacuation?
Correct answer: Set the brake, use Park (Neutral if no Park), stop the engine and take the key.
For evacuation, secure the bus with the parking brake and Park, or Neutral if there is no Park position. Stop the engine and take the key so an unattended bus cannot be set in motion.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.3.2, physical PDF page 153, printed page 10-7. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
Why teach emergency-exit procedures to all students, even when trained student helpers are assigned?
Correct answer: The assigned helpers may be absent when an emergency occurs.
Assigned helpers are useful, but every student needs basic evacuation knowledge. Planning must account for an emergency on a day when those helpers are not riding.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.3.2, physical PDF page 152, printed page 10-6. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
Once students have reached the evacuation meeting place, what must the driver establish?
Correct answer: That all students are accounted for and any injuries are identified.
Keep students together at the safe meeting location, account for everyone and check their condition. Communicate with dispatch and responders rather than allowing students to wander back.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.3.2, physical PDF page 153, printed page 10-7. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
A train is approaching a bus trapped on the rails. In which direction should evacuees move?
Correct answer: Away from the tracks, angled toward the approaching train.
Move well away from both the bus and the tracks. Angling toward the approaching train takes evacuees away from the direction debris may be carried after impact.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.4.4, physical PDF page 155, printed page 10-9. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
Your authorized pickup requires unavoidable backing. In what order should you handle students?
Correct answer: Board them before backing, then watch for late arrivals.
For a necessary backing point, board pupils before backing and unload them after backing. Do not leave pupils outside to guide or wait beside the maneuver.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.7.3, physical PDF page 157, printed page 10-11. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
The route has ended and the bus seems quiet. What must the driver still do?
Correct answer: Walk through and check for sleeping or hiding students.
A physical post-trip check can find a student who is asleep or hidden from the driving position. Also check belongings, exits and visible problems and make required reports.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.6, physical PDF page 152, printed page 10-6. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
Students are boarding a school bus before daylight. Which boarding arrangement follows the handbook's guidance?
Correct answer: Use the dome light, and have students board in single file using the handrail.
The handbook recommends lighting the interior during dark boarding conditions and having students enter slowly, one at a time, using the handrail. These precautions support visibility and balance.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.2, physical PDF page 150, printed page 10-4. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
A school-bus driver realizes that a student's approved drop-off stop has just been passed. What should happen next?
Correct answer: Follow the local missed-stop procedure without backing to the stop.
The handbook says not to back after missing an unloading stop and directs drivers to local procedures. Do not improvise an unauthorized drop-off or reverse toward children.
Source: Louisiana OMV-linked Commercial Driver's License Manual, July 2017 cover version; section 10.2.3, physical PDF page 150, printed page 10-4. General handbook guidance; state and school-district requirements control actual operations. Not a complete S endorsement or Louisiana licensing course. ↗
