Current Course Schedule

SBT 01: Tire and Wheel Maintenance and Repair (CDX)

Class Length: Full day,    Presented by: TASBT Instructors

Description: This class explains the purpose, function, and make-up of commercial vehicle tires and the fundamentals of wheels and rims. Describes the different classifications of commercial vehicle tires and how wheels are classified by their dimensions and load-carrying capacity. Explain the purpose and operation of TPMS, and explain tire inflation factors. Outline procedures to inspect, and the importance of competent maintenance and monitoring procedures of tires and wheels and how this affects the bottom line. 

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by: 


SBT 02: School Bus Preventive Maintenance & Inspection (CDX)

Class Length: Full day,  Presented by: TASBT Instructors

Description: This class will describe the categories of preventative maintenance (PM). Explain the reasons for implementing a PM program, and reasons for using different PM service intervals. Outline and describe requirements for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Inspections PM program standards. Explain how safety inspection programs are administered. Identify the types and classifications of PM lubricants. Explain the purpose of safety recalls and identify sources for recall information. Describe practices for preparing and handling vehicles for PM inspections. Outline general inspection procedures and inspection criteria for major vehicle areas. Describe out-of-service criteria and inspection procedures for the braking system. Outline procedures for inspecting tires and wheels, and inspection procedures for verifying correct wheel alignment. Outline general inspection procedures for performing under-vehicle and cargo-handling devices inspections. Explains developing a comprehensive school bus preventive maintenance program, covering the importance of and the laws regarding PMIs. The class will cover best practices and record keeping.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 03: Braking Fundamentals & Air Brake Foundations (CDX)

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will: describe physical concept fundamentals of how the air brake system works and the effects of vehicle speed and weight on braking performance. Identify the different types of braking systems and parts. Describe and compare air brake foundation systems. Describe the construction and operation of S-cam brake components. Explain the causes of brake fade. Explain the concepts of brake torque and brake balance. Describe the purpose and construction of brake drums. Describe the types, purpose, construction, and adjustment of brake chambers, actuators, and operation of slack adjusters. Describe the construction and operation of air disc brakes. Describe the design and operation of wedge brakes.

Explain brake component designs, setup, adjustments, and some diagnostics.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:


SBT 03A:  Air Brake Circuits and Valves (CDX)

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will outline the advantages and disadvantages of air brake systems on commercial vehicles. List air brake subsystems and control circuits. Describe the purpose, construction, and operation of components used by the air supply, delivery and control systems. Describe pneumatic brake balance. Describe the purpose, construction, and operation of components used by the park/emergency braking circuits. Describe the purpose, construction, and operation of components used in trailer air circuits.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:


SBT 03B: Servicing Air Brakes Systems & Diagnostic  (CDX)  

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will: Explain safety hazards, precautions, and procedures to be observed when servicing air brakes. Describe common categories of brake system complaints. Identify common air brake system component failures, associated symptoms, and corrective actions. Describe preliminary inspection and diagnostic procedures used to identify air brake system faults. Describe the testing procedure for the automatic emergency brake system. Describe procedures used to perform inspections for correct brake balance. Describe common failures and inspection procedures for components in the air supply system.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:




SBT 03C: Servicing Air Brake Foundation and Parking Brake System (CDX)

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will outline common procedures used to safely prepare a vehicle to perform service work on its foundation brakes. Outline common inspection areas and procedures used to perform a preliminary inspection of brake foundation components. Describe the procedures used to inspect and perform an adjustment of brake stroke travel. Outline the procedures used to perform functional tests, inspection, and service on spring-type parking brakes. Describe inspection and service procedures used to replace brake drums, and S-cam-actuated brake shoes. Describe inspection and service procedures used to replace S-type camshafts. Describe the types of slack adjusters, inspection, and service procedures used to replace and adjust automatic slack adjusters. Outline inspection and service procedures for air disc brakes, explaining the purpose and procedures used to inspect, measure, and adjust disc brake pad to rotor running clearance inspection. Outline the procedures used to replace disc brake pads, inspect automatic adjusters, and perform an initial brake adjustment. 

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:


SBT 03D: Anti-Lock Braking, Vehicle Stability, and Collision Avoidance Systems (CDX)

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will describe the fundamentals of an antilock braking system (ABS). List the system requirements for ABS. Describe ABS configurations, the components and their functions of a basic ABS. Describe the purpose and operation of vehicle dynamic control systems. Describe the construction and operation of rollover protection systems, directional stability control systems, and collision avoidance systems (CAS). Cover maintenance and service procedures for antilock braking, vehicle stability, and CAS. 

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 03E: Fundamentals of Hydraulic and Air-over-Hydraulic Braking Systems (CDX)

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will Identify and explain the features and advantages of hydraulic power brake systems. Describe the construction and operation of conventional hydraulic brake systems,and Explain the purpose, advantages, and construction of brake-by-wire hydraulic brake systems.  Describe the components of hydraulic foundation braking systems, and the advantages and features of disc brake systems. Describe the construction and operation of a hydraulic brake anti-lock braking system (HABS). Describe the components, construction, and operation of a full power hydraulic brake system. Describe the purpose, construction, and operation of parking brakes and emergency braking systems. Outline the steps and procedures for a hydraulic brake system inspection.

Describe the properties of hydraulic brake fluid. This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is not required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 04: School Bus Basic Body Electrical (CDX) with hands-on board

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will describe fundamental behaviors of electricity and the trends and market forces influencing electrical system design for current commercial vehicles. Explain a model for describing the movement of electricity, explain concepts of electrical polarity, voltage, amperage, resistance, and explain the differences between electrical and electronic circuits. Identification and best practice usages of the tools for electrical testing, diagnosis, and repairs. 

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is not required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 04A: Electrical: Battery, Starting and Charging Systems (CDX)

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This chapter will identify and describe the construction, operating principles,  classification, and functions of batteries used in commercial vehicles. Identify safety equipment and safe work practices for servicing and procedures used to analyze the condition of batteries, failure modes and their causes. Identify and describe the construction, operation, and features of the charging system, and the principles of alternating current generation. Identify and describe the various classifications and construction features of heavy-duty (HD) starting motors and circuits.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:          

                                          www.texasalternator.com



SBT 04B: Electrical Wiring and Circuit Diagrams (CDX)

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will help you be able to identify and describe requirements, features, and characteristics of electrical wiring, and the types, construction, and repair techniques for wiring connectors. Identify and describe wiring failures and repair techniques. Identify and understand types and features of electrical system wiring diagrams.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 04C: School Bus Body Electrical

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

Description: This class will help you identify, evaluate, and diagnose the school bus body electrical system and components.  

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 05: Principals of School Bus Air Conditioning (CDX)

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will introduce you to the development and benefits of air conditioning systems. Explain the operating principles of the HVAC system and identify the components and their function. Explain the laws governing the safe handling of chemicals used in the HVAC systems.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 05A: MACS 609 Certification, Presented with # 05

This is and option for Refrigerant handling license, required for anyone performing A/C system serving and repairs and covered in conjunction with SBT05. There is a $20 testing fee for this. 

It is recommended to retake this class about every ten years to keep up with new laws, recommendations and procedures. 



SBT 05B: Servicing Heating and Air Conditioning Systems  (CDX)

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will outline the steps and procedures to performance test an air conditioning (A/C) system. Explain the purpose and procedures used to perform refrigerant leak testing. Outline procedures used to recover, recycle, and charge an A/C system with refrigerant. Explain proper inspection, service, and repair operations related to Heating, ventilation, and A/C systems.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 06: Basic School Bus Electronics (CDX)               

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will identify and explain the advantages of electronic signal processing over mechanical system control. Describe the elements of electronic signal processing systems, classification of electrical signals, the purpose of serial data, characteristics of pulse-width–modulated electrical signals, explain the use of ladder logic, etc.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 06A: Advanced School Bus Electronics BlueBird

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class takes an in depth look at the electronic controls and multi-plex systems on a BlueBird bus, covering part identification, diagnostics, and service. 

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 06B: Advanced School Bus Electronics International

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class takes an in depth look at the electronic controls and multi-plex systems on a International/IC bus, covering part identification, diagnostics, and service. 

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 06C: Advanced School Bus Electronics Thomas

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class takes an in depth look at the electronic controls and multi-plex systems on a Thomas bus, covering part identification, diagnostics, and service. 

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 08: Shop Safety

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class covers safety awareness and the safe practices when working in a shop environment, including equipment evaluation and hazards.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is not required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 09: Alternative Fuels

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will cover the laws and some best practices with maintaining and servicing vehicles using alternative fuels. Explain the purposes of and applications for using alternative fuels instead of diesel fuel in heavy-duty engines. Identify common classifications of alternative fuels,and the criteria to choose an alternative to diesel fuel. Identify safety issues associated with servicing vehicles that are powered by alternative fuels. Explain basic construction, operating principles, and diagnostic techniques of engines that use alternative fuels.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is not required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 10: Shop Management

Class Length: Full day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will assist school district transportation personnel with the understanding of developing or enhancing their shop management practices.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 11: Automatic Transmission

This course is currently under development.


SBT 15: Driveshaft and Axles (CDX)

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will explain the fundamentals, operation of driveshaft, and drive axle systems. Describe and explain driveshaft angle cancellation, check and adjust driveline angularity. Inspect, maintain, and troubleshoot driveshaft and drive axle vibrations and failures.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by:



SBT 14: Suspension & Steering (CDX)

Class Length: Half day, Presented by: TASBT instructors

This class will explain the fundamentals of heavy-duty vehicle suspensions and steering systems. Identify and describe the major components of the suspension and steering systems. Covering best practice servicing and repairing systems.

This class requires recertification every 5 years, and is required for Master Certification.

Sponsored by: