Properly Mounted And Secured, No Abrasions Bulges Or Cuts……

For anyone that's worried about the pretrip don't sweat it. It seems like alot to memorize but you'll get it if you work at it. As Kearsey pointed out different states have different requirements. Your school you attend will give you the material to teach you what's expected and the wording in that state. If you're looking to get a jump on it before school look at your state (or where you'll attend school) CDL manual. For Iowa on page 5 on the CDL manual, which most states have free PDF downloads, they give you a list of what's expected.

Follow the “truck” through the pre trip process. After you get some practice and memorize the paper outline, the visual aspect will lead you around the truck from start to finish. You will see all the parts and they will serve as a reminder of what to identify.

The thing that was hardest for me was the in cab break test procedure. It took a lot of work and repetition but I finally got it and passed that part of the test.

I agree with BK, as far as developing a flow from one part to the next. Like once I get to the power steering fluid, those hoses go to the steering box, which connects to the linkage, which connects to the tie rods. And after you do the tie rods the suspension parts are right there, which the suspension parts go to to the brake chamber and the brake chamber goes to the tire and the tire goes to the outside to the lug nuts and the wheel and the hub.

Something that is helping me learn it is I printed off Daniel B.'s guide, sectioned it off, and am tackling the smallest parts first, as in Lights and In-Cab. Even though they're a couple or few pages each, they're also mandatory for the exam if I understand correctly, and feels good knowing I knocked out a couple sections. Some stuff I know I won't comprehend until I can see it / touch it because that's the type of learner I am, but it made a daunting task seem more manageable.

As follows, Daniel’s pretrip is below.

• Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide
• Daniel's Pre-Trip Inspection
• Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist
• Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Questions

A trick that I have learned helps in learning things like this is to find a guinea pig to use as your pupil to teach the material to. By actively teaching it to someone else, the human mind retains it better, for some reason.