CDL skills test prep
Pre-Trip Pass Bundle
Learn the pre-trip script by ear, by sheet, by checklist and by watching it. You get the Pre-Trip Cheat Sheet, a 19 minute audio walkthrough, a printable checklist, an Air Brakes one-page sheet and short illustrated videos of the Texas and California air brake check, all in one download.
- The word-for-word pre-trip script, zone by zone (7 page PDF)
- About 19 minutes of audio you can play in the yard or the truck
- A printable tick-off checklist for practice runs
- A one-page Air Brakes sheet with the check in order
- Short illustrated videos of the Texas and California air brake check, step by step
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What is inside
Pre-Trip Inspection Cheat Sheet (PDF, 7 pages)
The same script sold on its own for $10. The three golden rules for metal, rubber and fluid, then the engine compartment, the in-cab and air brake test, and the coupling system and trailer.
Audio walkthrough (MP3, about 19 minutes)
A coach style walk through all four zones in the same order as the sheet, with the phrases to say out loud and pauses so you can repeat them. Made with a computer voice, so it sounds the same every time.
Printable pre-trip checklist (PDF)
43 tick boxes grouped by zone, a walk-around order and a test-day packing list. Print it and tick items off in the yard.
Air Brakes one-page sheet (PDF)
The parts you must know and the air brake check in order, with the leak limits for a single vehicle and for combinations, and the sources for each number.
Texas air brake check video (MP4, about 2 minutes)
An illustrated, narrated walkthrough of the four-part air brake check as the Texas DPS handbook describes it: gauges and governor cutout, the leakage test, the low air warning and the emergency brakes, with the pressure numbers on screen. For illustrative purposes only.
California air brake check video (MP4, about 2 minutes)
The same four-part check as California DMV describes it in its modernized handbook supplement, with the pressure numbers on screen. For illustrative purposes only.
A look at the pages
These are real pages from the PDF.
Who this is for
- You are preparing for the CDL skills test and want to practice the inspection out loud.
- You learn better by listening than by reading.
- You already own the $10 Pre-Trip Cheat Sheet and want the audio, checklist and air brakes sheet. The bundle is $9 more than the sheet alone.
What to know first
- The script is written for a Class A combination vehicle. For a straight truck, skip the coupling and trailer zone and ask your testing site what they require.
- Examiners and states differ. Ask your school or testing site for their official inspection list and use this as practice material.
- Air brake numbers on the one-page sheet come from the California Commercial Driver Handbook and 49 CFR 393.51. Some manuals and examiners use slightly different figures, for example for the low air warning. Where they differ, go with your examiner.
- The audio file is about 8 MB. It is a voiceover made with a computer voice, not a recording of a person. The videos also use a computer voice.
- The videos follow the Texas DPS Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver's Handbook (DL-7C, March 2026) and the California DMV Commercial Driver's License Handbook Supplement for Modernized Version (January 2023), and are for illustrative purposes only. Other states and examiners can use different figures, so check your own manual.
Where the facts come from
The cheat sheet is our own script. The air brake figures cite the California Commercial Driver Handbook (DL 650) and 49 CFR 393.51 on eCFR, and the sources are printed on the sheet itself.
Questions
What do I get, and in what format?
Six files: the Pre-Trip Cheat Sheet (PDF), the audio walkthrough (MP3), a printable checklist (PDF), the Air Brakes one-page sheet (PDF) and the illustrated Texas and California air brake check videos (MP4, about 2 minutes each). They work on a phone, tablet or computer, and the PDFs print on regular letter paper.
How do I get the files?
You are taken to a download page as soon as you pay, and we email the same links. The links keep working, so you can download again later.
Is the audio a real person?
No. It is a computer voice reading a script we wrote, so it sounds even and steady. It is meant for repetition. The videos use a computer voice too.
Will this match my state test exactly?
Not necessarily. States and examiners use their own checklists. This is practice material for the common script, so check what your testing site requires.
Can I get a refund?
All digital sales are final, see the refund policy. If a file does not open or the email does not arrive, reply to your receipt and we will fix it.
Pre-Trip Pass Bundle
$19, one payment, download straight away.
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CDL Schools USA is not part of the FMCSA, TSA, any state licensing agency or any government body. This is study material, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check the official source before you pay or book.