Texas CDL pre-trip inspection: what DPS checks and scores
The pre-trip is the first of three CDL skills tests in Texas, and you cannot move on until you pass it. It rewards a fixed routine, said out loud, more than mechanical knowledge.
Written by Inely Baez
The pre-trip test in numbers
The Texas CDL pre-trip inspection is the first of three skills tests at Texas DPS. You work through a set checklist, naming, pointing to or touching, and explaining each safety item. Skip or botch the brake check, or commit an unsafe act, and you can fail on the spot.
The pre-trip test is less about knowing a truck than about showing a process: out loud, in order, without skipping a step. That is also what a good daily inspection looks like.
I lead operations at Simplex, and I read a test like this the way I read any procedure: what is checked, what earns credit, and what ends it. This guide sticks to what Texas DPS documents.
The full briefing, read aloud
7 chapters. Select one to jump to it.
Generated with AI text-to-speech from this article's key insights, in order, rather than reading it word for word. Chapter times come from a transcript of the audio. The article itself was written and reviewed by Inely Baez.
Key takeaways
The pre-trip comes first
You must pass the vehicle inspection before DPS lets you take basic control skills or the road test.
Name it, point to it, explain it
If you do not name, point to or touch, and explain what you are inspecting each item for, you get no credit for it.
The brake check is pass or fail
Failing to explain and perform all four parts of the air brake check, or the hydraulic brake check, fails the whole test.
Know your test vehicle's specs
You must tell the examiner the manufacturer's air system values, such as governor cutout and when the brake valves pop out.
Del Rio and Wichita Falls test differently
Those two sites still use the older inspection in Section 11a of the handbook, with a longer item list.
In this articleContents
What is the Texas CDL pre-trip inspection test?
It is the vehicle inspection part of the CDL skills test, taken before basic control skills and the road test. DPS covers it in Section 11 of the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook (DL-7C), revised March 2026.
The examiner is checking one thing: whether you can show the vehicle is safe to drive. You will not have to crawl under it, and the test only covers the items on the DPS checklist, not every federal inspection rule.
The CLP, the 14-day wait, and the knowledge tests come before this. Our Texas CDL handbook guide walks through that process.
What happens before the test starts?
DPS inspects the vehicle you bring first. It must have current registration, liability insurance, and an inspection certificate (VIR or VIC), plus working equipment such as lights, horn, wipers, and brakes. If it fails, your skills test is postponed until the problem is fixed and re-inspected.
Ask your questions before the test begins. Once it starts, DPS staff cannot make general conversation, and all skills tests are given in English.
Safety rules during the inspection
- Use wheel chocks; the handbook recommends them for safety.
- Set the parking brake(s) and put the vehicle in neutral before you get out.
- Face the vehicle and keep three points of contact when you climb in or out.
- Use a vehicle with no added marks or labels on its parts. One labeled by anyone other than the manufacturer cannot be used.
What is on the Texas CDL pre-trip inspection checklist?
DPS prints three checklists in Section 11: Class A combinations, Class B or C straight vehicles, and Class B or C passenger vehicles or school buses. You may bring the checklist and tick items off during the test, but nothing else may be written on it.
| Area | What you inspect |
|---|---|
| In-vehicle / engine start | Air or hydraulic brake check, parking and trailer brake check, service brake check, lighting indicators, emergency equipment, windshield and mirrors or cameras, wipers and washers, heater and defroster, horn |
| Lights operations check | All external lights |
| Front / engine area | Lenses, fluid levels, fluid and air leaks, steering system |
| Steering axle | Tires, rims, lug nuts, springs, mounts, U-bolts, air bags and shocks, brake lines and hoses, brake contaminants |
| Side of vehicle | Lenses and reflectors, mirrors or cameras, battery, fuel and DEF tank, frame (plus tandem release on Class A) |
| Combination only | Air and electric lines and connectors, fifth wheel or pintle hook or tow hitch, kingpin and apron or drawbar or coupler, locking and safety devices |
| Trailer only | Landing gear and clearance, reflective tape |
| Rear | Lenses and reflectors (rear of the trailer on a combination) |
| Passenger and school bus | Entry door and lift, emergency exits, seating, passenger mirrors or cameras; school buses add student lights, stop and safety arms, first aid and body fluid kits |
You only have to inspect one axle, but the handbook says to be ready to do the same inspection on every axle of the vehicle.
How is the pre-trip inspection scored?
You earn credit item by item, and only when you name the part, point to or touch it, and explain what you are inspecting it for. A few failures end the test outright.
The handbook does not publish a points threshold. Federal rules require states to score skills tests with the standardized scores in the examiner manual (49 CFR 383.133), and to fail any applicant who commits an automatic-failure offense (49 CFR 383.135).
What causes an automatic failure?
- The brake check. Not explaining and performing all four parts of the air brake check, or the hydraulic brake check, correctly.
- An unsafe act. The handbook's example is forgetting to set the parking brake.
- Not following instructions. Not completing the test as the examiner directs. If an instruction is unclear, ask.
The four-part air brake check
Section 11 sets these four steps, with the values the handbook gives or your manufacturer's specification:
- Air gauge and governor cutout. Build pressure to cutout and identify it, about 120 to 140 psi.
- Leakage rate. Engine off, key on, brakes released, foot brake fully applied for one minute: no more than a 3 psi drop on a single vehicle, 4 psi on a combination.
- Low air warning. Fan the brakes; the buzzer, light, or flag must activate before pressure drops below 55 psi.
- Emergency brakes. Keep fanning; the parking brake valve should pop out between 20 and 45 psi. On combinations, the tractor protection and trailer valves should pop out with or before the tractor's valve.
Hydraulic brakes get their own check instead: pump the pedal three times, hold it for five seconds, and confirm it stays firm, or follow your manufacturer's procedure.
Where do applicants lose credit on the pre-trip?
Most lost credit comes from skipping the explanation, not the part. The handbook flags these points specifically:
- Tires. Kicking a tire or using a mallet earns nothing. Mention a tire gauge, and check tread with a tread depth gauge: 4/32 inch on steering tires, 2/32 on all others.
- Lights. You must check external lights from outside the vehicle. The examiner can help, but you must tell them which light you are turning on. Any light you leave out gets no credit.
- Air and electric lines. Inspect the connections on both the power unit and the trailer, or you get no credit.
- Manufacturer specs. You must know and describe the air system values for the vehicle you test in, including dual systems whose valves will not pop out.
- Circuit breakers. If the vehicle has no fuses, say so and identify the circuit breakers.
Studying the wrong list is another trap. The older format includes items the Section 11 checklist does not.
Testing in Del Rio or Wichita Falls
DPS uses the modernized pre-trip at every site except these two. They follow Section 11a, the older format, which adds items such as engine belts, cab gauges, and slack adjusters, and uses a three-part air brake check. Study the section for the site where you test.
How to prepare for the pre-trip test
Each step comes from what DPS tells applicants to study or bring.
Step 1: Print the checklist for your class
Use the Section 11 checklist for your vehicle type from the current DL-7C, or Section 11a if you test in Del Rio or Wichita Falls.
Step 2: Learn your test vehicle, not a generic one
Find its governor cutout, low air warning, and pop-out values, its coupling type, and where its fluids, battery, and breakers are.
Step 3: Practice the script out loud, in English
For every item, say what it is, point to it, and say what you are inspecting it for. The DPS instructional videos show engine start, engine components, exterior, axles, and coupling systems.
Step 4: Finish entry-level driver training first
DPS requires your entry-level driver training to be complete, along with the 14-day CLP hold, before you take the driving tests.
Step 5: Bring a vehicle that passes the DPS check
It must be representative of your CLP class, with current registration, insurance, and inspection certificate, and working equipment. A failed vehicle check postpones the test.
How does the test compare to a daily pre-trip on the job?
The test is a sample of a legal duty you will have every day. Under 49 CFR 392.7, you may not drive a commercial motor vehicle until you are satisfied these are in good working order: service brakes and trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment.
Under 49 CFR 396.13, before driving you must also review the last driver vehicle inspection report when it lists defects, and sign it to acknowledge the repairs were certified. The report itself is required by 49 CFR 396.11 at the end of each day's work, when a defect is found or reported.
For carriers, the daily inspection feeds the repair cycle. Our preventive maintenance guide covers the rest, and our DOT safety compliance team helps carriers keep those records audit-ready.
How Simplex helps once your drivers are licensed
Passing the pre-trip is the driver's job. Keeping inspections, files, and records in order across a fleet is ours.
DOT compliance in Texas
Our Texas DOT compliance services help carriers get set up and stay compliant with FMCSA standards.
Driver qualification files
When a new CDL holder joins your fleet, we help keep their driver qualification file complete and audit-ready.
A program that keeps checking
Our compliance programs include CSA monitoring and mock audits, so inspection findings surface before an auditor sees them.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Texas CDL pre-trip inspection checklist?+
How many axles do I inspect on the Texas pre-trip test?+
Can I take the Texas CDL pre-trip test in Spanish?+
What happens if I fail the pre-trip inspection?+
Do I have to crawl under the truck?+
Where this information comes from
The requirements below come from Texas DPS's own handbook and skills test guide, and from federal regulations, checked on September 24, 2026.
-
1
Texas DPS — Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook (DL-7C)
Sections 11 and 11a: the checklist, scoring rules, air and hydraulic brake checks, automatic failures.
-
2
Texas DPS — How to Prepare for a Commercial Skills Test (DL-60A)
The vehicle assessment before the test, and the 90-day, three-failure application limit.
-
3
Texas DPS — How do I apply for a CDL?
English-only skills tests, the modernized test at all sites but Del Rio and Wichita Falls, and prerequisites.
-
4
Texas DPS — CDL Instructional Videos
The three skills tests in order, and DPS's pre-trip inspection videos.
-
5
eCFR — 49 CFR 383.133
Standardized skills test scoring, English-only skills tests, and the required test order.
-
6
eCFR — 49 CFR 383.135
Passing a skills test segment, and automatic failures.
-
7
eCFR — 49 CFR 392.7
The parts a driver must be satisfied are in good working order before driving.
-
8
eCFR — 49 CFR 396.13
The driver's inspection duties before driving, including reviewing the last DVIR.
Written by
Inely Baez
Chief Operating Officer, Simplex Group
Chief Operating Officer at Simplex Group, with nearly eight years at the company leading operational strategy and execution across compliance, technology, logistics, and performance systems. She is a Certified Public Accountant with a background spanning operations and finance, including leadership roles within Simplex's Freight 4 U division and Velox Transport Solutions. Her work focuses on building scalable, disciplined systems that support long-term performance and growth.
Published · Updated
Related articles and services
Pass the pre-trip by running it as a routine
The test asks for the same order, the same words, and the same checks every time. Drivers who practice it that way pass it, and keep doing it on the job.
If you are hiring new CDL holders and want help keeping their files and inspection records in order, talk to our team.