ICBC Driving Commercial Vehicles: A Guide for Professional Drivers

✍ Scribed by Insurance Corporation of British Columbia

• Publisher: Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 284
• Edition: 2022
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Statement of Limitation:
ICBC has prepared Driving Commercial Vehicles to assist individuals studying for a Class 1, 2, 3 or 4 (restricted or unrestricted) British Columbia driver’s licence, an air brake endorsed driver’s licence, an industrial air brake endorsement, or a heavy trailer endorsement. It has also been prepared for use as a source text for ICBC-approved air brake courses.

Driving Commercial Vehicles is not intended to take the place of professional training and ICBC does not make any representation or warranty that any individual who studies Driving Commercial Vehicles will be successful in obtaining the desired licence or endorsement. ICBC is not responsible for any consequences that may result from the use of Driving Commercial Vehicles.

Throughout this guide, references are made to acts and regulations that govern driving and the design and construction of air brake-equipped vehicles in British Columbia. This guide reflects the law in British Columbia as set out in these acts and regulations as of December 1, 2011. These references are written in plain language for ease of understanding. In the event of a difference between the material included in Driving Commercial Vehicles and any of these acts or regulations, the acts or regulations shall apply.

The illustrations and explanations of various types of vehicles, vehicle components and air brake systems are provided for instructional purposes, and are not to be interpreted in any way as superseding vehicle, vehicle component, or air brake system specifications as may be required by law. Each vehicle and its air brake systems may have features and components that are different from those described in this guide.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Cover
What to take to the driver licensing office
Acknowledgements
Table of contents
introduction
Using this guide
Inside this guide
Licence study chart
1 - getting your driver’s licence
Licence classes
Medical fitness
Vision
Air brake endorsement
How to apply for an air brake endorsement
How to apply for a Class 1, 2, 3 or 4 driver’s licence
Class 1 Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT)
MELT for those moving to B.C.
Class 1 drivers coming to Canada
How to apply for a heavy trailer endorsement
Knowledge tests
Road testing
Pre-trip inspection test
Road test
Road test vehicles
Retest
Commercial driver training
Air brake courses
Keeping your licence
Commercial driver medical examination processing fee
Upgrading your commercial licence
Downgrading to a non-commercial licence
Downgrading to a lower commercial licence class
2 - heavy vehicle braking
Starting and stopping
Power to move and power to stop
Stopping distance and stopping time
Speed and weight facts
How much heat can brakes handle?
Retarders
Braking
Icy roads
Downgrades
Water on roadways
Runaway lanes
Combination unit braking
Anti-lock braking systems
Automatic traction control
3 - basic driving skills
Sharing the road
Following distance
Traffic flow
Tailgaters
Construction zones
Danger zones
Manoeuvring
Steering into turns
Wheel positions during turns
Curves and turns
Traffic circles and roundabouts
Backing up
Seeing and being seen
Using your mirrors
Looking ahead
Which lane should you use?
Lane use
Emergency vehicles
Stopped vehicles with flashing lights
Shifting gears
Knowing how to shift gears
Knowing when to shift gears
Shifting skills
Passing and being passed
Passing
Being passed
Parking
Crossings
Intersections
Alleys, lanes and side roads
Railway crossings
Acts of nature
Animals on the road
Weather conditions
Night driving
Vehicle safety
Tires and wheels
Brake failure warning devices
Braking systems
Flashing lights
Disabled vehicles
Personal safety
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Seatbelts
Cellphones and other devices
Impairment
Fire
4 - fuel-efficient driving
Fuel efficiency — a growing priority
Making smart choices
Smart driving practices
Preparation and planning
Starting
Smart driving techniques
Start out easy
Choose the right gear
Ease off the throttle
Use see-think-do
Road and traffic conditions
Maintaining your vehicle
Choosing a fuel-efficient vehicle
5 - skills for driving trucks and trailers
Driving with a trailer
Backing up
Towing trailers
Towing doubles
Swerving and whipping
Parking
Preparing to tow
Coupling and uncoupling
Other types of connections
Loading
Loading cargo
Securing cargo
General cargo securement requirements
Specific cargo types
Transporting dangerous goods
Vehicle and load dimensions
Oversize and overload permits
Reporting to weigh scales
Fixed weigh scales
Portable weigh scales
6 - skills for driving buses, taxis, limousines and ride-hailing vehicles
Passenger safety
Manoeuvring
Leaving the curb
Bus right-of-way
Passing parked cars
Operating a bus, taxi, limousine or ride-hailing vehicle
Taking on and letting off passengers
Smoking
Focus on driving
Standing passengers
Refusing to transport passengers
Let-down or jump seats
Transporting people with disabilities
Chauffeur’s permit
Inside lights
Vehicle cleanliness
Vehicle inspection
Emergency equipment and exits
Defects and breakdowns
Fuelling
Baggage
Smoking and using alcoholic beverages
Reporting a defect or deficiency
Operating a school bus
Unfit vehicles
Rental buses
Brake maintenance
Mechanical defects
Refuelling
Emergency equipment and exits
School bus signs
Exterior mirrors
Passengers must be seated
Cleanliness
Taking on and letting off passengers
Operating emergency vehicles
7 - hours of service requirements
National Safety Code
Hours of service
On-duty time
Off-duty time
Day
Daily limits
Work shift
Daily hours (cycles)
Deferring off-duty time
Driver has ‘deferred’ two hours from Day 1 to Day 2
Reset provision
Sleeper berth
Personal use exemption
Electronic Logging Devices (ELD’s) and Records of Duty Status
Other forms of Record of Duty Status
Sample RODS
Drivers operating within 160 km of home terminal
Other jurisdictions
Driving north of the 60th parallel
Driving into the U.S.
8 air brakes
Why air brakes?
What’s compressed air?
Basic air brake components
Force multipliers
Air brake chamber components
Leverage and air pressure
Long stroke and regular stroke brake chambers
Air brake chamber — air pressure applied
Foundation brakes: s-cam type
Compressor
Intake stroke
Compression stroke
Governor
Reservoirs
Foot valve
How air brakes work
Brakes applied
Brakes released
Dual air brake systems
Components of a dual air brake system
Supply, primary and secondary reservoirs
One-way check valve
Reservoir pressure gauges
Low-air warning device
Quick release valve
Relay valve
Dual system with primary system failure
Parking brakes
Spring parking brakes
Applying and releasing spring parking brakes
Driver alert — compounding of brakes
Spring parking brakes in dual air brake systems
Safety actuator parking brakes
Tractor-trailer air brake systems
Tractor protection
Bobtail tractors
Dual air tractor-trailer system — foot valve applied
Other types of foundation brakes
Other air brake system components
Air dryers
Alcohol evaporators and alcohol injectors
Automatic drain valves
Front wheel limiting systems
Spring parking brake emergency release system
Pressure-protection valves
Application pressure gauges
Anti-lock braking systems
Trailer ABS air brake systems
9 - air brake adjustment
Brake adjustment — it’s critical
Brake adjustment — it’s the law
S-cam brake — released
S-cam brake — applied
S-cam brake — incorrectly adjusted and cold brake drum
S-cam brake — incorrectly adjusted and hot brake drum
Checking and adjusting s-cam brakes — manual slack adjuster
Applied stroke method (service brake application)
Pry method of free stroke measurement
Brake adjustment indicators
Brake adjustment — manual slack adjuster
Adjustment
S-cam brakes — automatic slack adjuster
Checking and adjusting automatic slack adjusters
Air brake adjustment myths
10 - vehicle and air brake pre-trip inspections
You’re responsible
Vehicle condition
Cargo securement
Written report requirements
Pre-trip inspection report for your road test
Conducting a pre-trip inspection
Before you begin
Tractor-trailer combination pre-trip inspection — Class 1
Single unit truck pre-trip inspection — Class 3
Bus pre-trip inspection — Class 2 or Class 4 (unrestricted)
Passenger vehicle pre-trip inspection — Class 4 (restricted)
Pre-hill inspections
In-service brake checks
En route inspections
Post-trip inspections
Lights and reflectors
11 - signs, signals and road markings
Signs
Regulatory signs
School, playground and crosswalk signs
Lane use signs
Turn control signs
Parking signs
Reserved lane signs
Warning signs
Object markers
Construction signs
Information and destination signs
Railway signs
Signals
Lane control signals
Traffic lights
Road markings
Yellow lines
White lines
Reserved lane markings
Other markings
12 - industrial roads
Industrial air brake endorsement
How to apply for an industrial air brake endorsement
Driver’s duty to inspect vehicles
Reporting defects
Brakes
Brake test
Water cooled brakes
Parking
Driving on industrial roads
Speed
Right-of-way
Warning signals
Railway crossings
Safety tips
Highway crossing permits
13 - for more information
Dangerous goods
In case of an emergency
Federal contacts
Environment Canada
Commercial vehicle information
Commercial vehicle permit line
Dangerous goods inspectors
Passenger transportation branch
Booking road tests and licensing information
Medical qualifications
More information
ICBC Prorate
ICBC Tip Line
Acts and regulations
Travel information
Reporting forest fires
TaxiHost
Metric conversion table
Index
Examiners’ tips for passing the Class 1, 2, 3 and 4 road tests
Identification (ID)