Under the hood: air compressorA drive belt close to failing, loose mounting bolts, or a cracked, broken or loose pulley: Appendix A to Part 396, item 1.h.
Under the hood: power steeringBelts frayed, cracked or slipping, a leak, a loose or broken part, or too little fluid in the reservoir: 49 CFR 393.209(e).
Steering 2
Steering gear boxMounting bolts loose or missing, or a crack in the box or its mounting brackets: Appendix A to Part 396, item 7.d.
Steering linkageA pitman arm loose on its shaft, a loose clamp on a tie rod or drag link, or a nut loose or missing: Appendix A to Part 396, items 7.e, 7.h and 7.i.
Suspension 2
Springs or air suspensionA leaf broken or missing, a broken coil spring, or an air suspension that has lost its air: Appendix A to Part 396, item 8.b.
U-bolts and spring hangersCracked, broken, loose or missing, so that an axle shifts from its normal position: Appendix A to Part 396, item 8.a.
Show all 48 lines (42 more)
Brakes 4
Brake chambers and push-rodsA loose air chamber, a leak you can hear at a chamber, or a push-rod missing or broken: Appendix A to Part 396, items 1.a(2) to (4).
Brake drums or rotorsAn outside crack that opens when the brake is applied, or a piece missing or about to fall away: Appendix A to Part 396, item 1.c.
Brake hoses and tubingDamage through the outer reinforcement ply, a bulge under pressure, a leak you can hear, or a line cracked, broken or crimped: Appendix A to Part 396, items 1.d and 1.e.
Brake linings or padsNot firmly attached to the shoe, soaked with oil or grease, or under 1/4 inch thick at the shoe center of an air drum brake: Appendix A to Part 396, item 1.a(6).
Wheels and tires 4
Drive and trailer tiresTread under 2/32 inch in a major groove, ply or belt showing, a flat, or a tire that touches its mate: Appendix A to Part 396, item 10.b.
Steer axle tiresTread under 4/32 inch in a major groove, ply or belt showing, a tread or sidewall separation, or a tire that is flat or leaking: Appendix A to Part 396, item 10.a.
Wheel fasteners (lug nuts)Any wheel fastener loose, missing, broken, cracked or stripped: Appendix A to Part 396, item 11.c.
Wheels, rims and lock ringsCracked or broken, bolt holes worn out of round, or a lock ring bent, cracked or badly seated: Appendix A to Part 396, items 11.a and 11.b.
Side of vehicle 2
Exhaust systemA leak forward of or directly below the cab or sleeper, or a system not fastened securely to the vehicle: 49 CFR 393.83(g) and (h).
Fuel tank and capA leak you can see, a filler cap missing, or a tank loose on its bolts or brackets: Appendix A to Part 396, item 4.
Rear of vehicle 2
Lamps, reflectors and markingA required lamp that does not work, or a lamp, reflector or reflective marking hidden by dirt or by part of the load: 49 CFR 393.9; Appendix A to Part 396, item 5.
Rear impact guardOn a trailer built on or after January 26, 1998: missing, not securely attached, or with its bar more than 22 inches above the ground: Appendix A to Part 396, item 15.a.
Tractor-trailer features: air lines, fifth wheel and trailer frame 6
Air lines to the trailerA hose not secured against chafing or kinking, or a connection that leaks: 49 CFR 393.45(b) and (d). The pre-trip rule calls them trailer brake connections: 392.7(a).
Fifth wheel mountingA fastener missing or not holding, movement between mounting parts, or a cracked angle iron, weld or plate: Appendix A to Part 396, items 2.a(1) and (2).
Fifth wheel sliderA latching fastener missing, a fore or aft stop missing or loose, or more than 3/8 inch of movement between slider bracket and base: Appendix A to Part 396, item 2.a(3).
Locking handle and kingpinOperating handle not closed or locked, kingpin not properly engaged, or light showing from side to side between the upper and lower coupler: Appendix A to Part 396, item 2.a(4).
Outside parts missedThe count of 1s above it, one total for each run.
Trailer frame and axle pinsA frame member cracked, broken, loose or sagging, or a sliding axle assembly with locking pins missing or not engaged: Appendix A to Part 396, items 9.a and 9.c.
In the cab: before starting 5
Driver's seat beltA truck tractor has a seat belt assembly at the driver's seat, and no driver may drive unless restrained by it: 49 CFR 393.93(b) and 392.16(a).
Fire extinguisherNot filled, not within ready reach, or not mounted securely: 49 CFR 393.95(a)(4).
Mirrors, one on each sideA truck tractor needs two outside rear-vision mirrors, one at each side and firmly attached: 49 CFR 393.80(a).
Warning triangles or fuseesFewer than three reflective triangles, or fewer than six fusees carried in their place: 49 CFR 393.95(f).
Windshield glassAbove the top of the steering wheel: discoloration, a crack that another crack meets, or a damaged spot too big for a 3/4 inch disc to cover: 49 CFR 393.60(c).
In the cab: engine running 9
ABS malfunction lampA lamp that does not light when power is first applied, or one that stays lit: Appendix A to Part 396, items 1.l(2) and (3).
Air pressure gaugeMust be visible from the driving position and show the air pressure available for braking: 49 CFR 393.51(c)(1).
Defroster and defoggerA truck tractor needs a system that defrosts and defogs the windshield: 49 CFR 393.79.
Horn gives a warning signalThe horn and its control must give an adequate and reliable warning signal: 49 CFR 393.81.
Low air warning signalMissing, not working, or not warning at 55 psi and below (or at half the governor cut-out pressure, if that is less): Appendix A to Part 396, item 1.f; 49 CFR 393.51(c)(2).
SpeedometerA truck tractor needs one that shows speed in miles or kilometers per hour: 49 CFR 393.82.
Steering wheel free playMore lash than the rule's table allows, which for a 20-inch wheel is 5 1/4 inches with power steering and 2 1/2 inches without: 49 CFR 393.209(b).
Turn signals and hazard lampsFront and rear turn signals, and the switch that flashes all of them together as a hazard warning: 49 CFR 393.11, Table 1 and its footnote 12.
Windshield wipers and washersA wiper that does not work, or missing or damaged parts that leave it ineffective: Appendix A to Part 396, item 13. Wiping and washing systems: 49 CFR 393.78.
In the cab: brakes 4
Air brake checkThe six air brake skills of 49 CFR 383.113(a)(2), from naming the controls and gauges to a working check of the brakes. Type 1 if the check was left out.
Cab parts missedAdds the 1s in the column for the cab and engine start area.
Parking brake applies and holdsNo brake applies when the parking brake control is set: Appendix A to Part 396, item 1.b. It must hold the vehicle or combination: 49 CFR 393.41.
Service brake appliesNo braking action on an axle that must have brakes when the service brake is applied: Appendix A to Part 396, item 1.a(1).
Scoring key 6
Cab rowsThe cab and engine start area of 49 CFR 383.113(a)(1)(ii), from parts named in Part 393.
No pass mark49 CFR 383.135(b) leaves the scores to the examiner manual.
Row orderThe inspection areas of 49 CFR 383.113(a)(1), in the rule's order. Cab and engine start is the In the cab sheet.
What a 1 meansThe driver did not name or check that part on that run.
Who wrote this sheetThis website wrote it for practice. No state licensing agency, examiner or employer issued it.
Your state's CDL manualFederal rule puts directions for taking the tests in it: 49 CFR 383.131(a)(1)(v). A part the sections read do not name has no row.
How this list was compiled: From Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, read on ecfr.gov on 2026-10-04 in the text current as of 2026-10-01 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49). The order of the rows is the list of inspection areas in section 383.113(a)(1) (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.113): engine compartment, cab and engine start, steering, suspension, brakes, wheels, side of vehicle, rear of vehicle, and the special features of a tractor-trailer. Each row is a part that a federal section names, and its line says in our own words what that section calls a defect: Appendix A to Part 396, Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-396/appendix-Appendix%20A%20to%20Part%20396), items 1 (brake system), 2.a (fifth wheels), 4 (fuel system), 5 (lighting devices), 7 (steering mechanism), 8 (suspension), 9 (frame), 10 (tires), 11 (wheels and rims), 13 (windshield wipers) and 15 (rear impact guard); and sections 393.9, 393.11, 393.41, 393.45, 393.51, 393.60, 393.78, 393.79, 393.80, 393.81, 393.82, 393.83, 393.93, 393.95 and 393.209 of Part 393 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-393), with 392.7(a) and 392.16. Section 383.135(b) was read for scoring: it sends the pass scores to the examiner manual and prints none, so the sheets show no pass mark, no point value and no time limit. Section 383.131 was read for the one line about a state's manual: paragraph (a)(1)(v) puts directions for taking the tests in the driver information manual that a state provides, and paragraph (b)(1)(iv), (viii) and (x) puts scoring in the examiner manual. Nothing is taken from a state CDL manual, a walk-round script, a memory aid or an examiner's score form, so a part that the sections read do not name has no row (shock absorbers are one example). The electrical cable to the trailer has no row either, because the sections read name no defect for it. Our own work: the wording of every line, which named parts were chosen for a one-page sheet, and what a 1 in a box means (a part the driver did not name or check on that practice run). These are unofficial practice sheets, not a state's, an examiner's or an employer's form and not an inspection record. Licence: own work
How it works
This unofficial CDL pre trip inspection checklist lists parts that federal rules name in Title 49, read October 4, 2026. Directions for taking the test are in your state's CDL manual; scoring is in the examiner manual (49 CFR 383.131).
Read the full guide
Pre trip inspection steps, area by area
1. Press Print blank sheet, or keep the page open on a phone.
2. A partner follows the rows while the driver names each part and says what is checked: under the hood, steering, suspension, brakes, wheels, side, rear, then the coupling.
3. Type 1 for a part the driver missed. An empty box is a part done.
4. Switch to In the cab for the seat belt, gauges, horn and brake checks.
5. Outside parts missed adds up each run.
For a class A pre trip inspection, print both sheets: the outside rows and In the cab are separate pages.
A pre trip inspection under the hood has two rows here: the air compressor and the power steering.
A semi truck pre trip inspection run takes one column, and a sheet holds up to six.
Questions and answers
How to do a pre trip inspection on a tractor trailer?
49 CFR 383.113(a)(1) asks a driver to identify each safety-related part and explain what needs to be inspected, across nine areas from the engine compartment to the tractor-trailer's special features. The rows follow those areas in the rule's order.
How to memorize pre trip inspection parts?
The sheet offers practice runs, not a memory word: the federal sections cited here print none. A partner marks each part missed. The 1s show which parts to repeat, and the total shows how many were missed on each run.
Is there a score for passing pre trip inspection?
49 CFR 383.135(b) says passing means performing the skills of 383.113 and reaching the scores listed in the examiner manual. The rule prints no number, so this sheet shows no pass mark, point value or time limit.
Can I save this as a pre trip inspection PDF?
Yes. Press Print blank sheet and choose Save as PDF in the browser's print dialog. The file holds the sheet that is open, tractor-trailer or in the cab. No separate download is offered.
Which parts of a pre trip inspection are left off this sheet?
Any part that the federal sections cited here do not name, shock absorbers for one, and the electrical cable to the trailer, for which they name no defect. Every row cites its section in the list under the sheet.