CDL General Knowledge Test Flashcards
To stop quickly, you can use which of the controlled braking methods?
A. Apply the brakes as hard as you can to lock the wheels
B. Apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking the wheels
C. Apply the brakes and make large steering adjustments
D. Apply the brakes but keep them released before and after you make steering adjustments
B. Apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking the wheel
Two possible causes of tire fires are
A. short circuits and duals that touch
B. under-inflated tires and duals that touch
C. improper fueling or loose fuel connections
D. improperly loaded cargo and driver smoking
B. under-inflated tires and duals that touch
Possession or use of drugs while on duty is prohibited by law except when
A. using amphetamines
B. using over-the-counter drugs
C. your doctor informs you that the certain drug prescribed will not affect safe driving abilities
D. using alcohol
C. your doctor informs you that the certain drug prescribed will not affect safe driving abilities
Poor weight balance can make vehicle handling unsafe. Hard steering is caused by
A. underloaded front axles
B. too little weight on the driving axles
C. too much weight on the steering axles
D. a high center of gravity
C. too much weight on the steering axle
Which of the following statements about unbaffled or “smooth bore” liquid tankers is NOT true?
A. You must be extremely cautious, especially when starting and stopping
B. There is nothing inside the tank to slow down the flow of liquid
C. Food products will most likely be transported in an unbaffled liquid tank
D. Forward and back liquid surge is reduced
D. Forward and back liquid surge is reduced
You are driving a vehicle when two cars collide a short distance ahead of you. In order to safely avoid the accident, you should
A. always apply the brakes immediately
B. make a sharp turn to clear the accident area
C. turn quickly with one hand on the wheel and one hand on the horn
D. grip the wheel firmly with both hands and turn only the amount of space needed to clear whatever is in your way
D. grip the wheel firmly with both hands and turn only the amount of space needed to clear whatever is in your way
To correct a drive-wheel braking skid you should
A. brake harder
B. turn slowly
C. countersteer
D. keep your foot off the clutch
C. countersteer
If you are driving a long distance, you should
A. stop often and take short breaks before you really drowsy or tired
B. take a short break once or twice during the trip when you are feeling tired or drowsy
C. avoid short breaks, but keep the windown open
D. do some physical exercises after the trip
A. stop often and take short breaks before you feel really drowsy or tired
When transporting cargo, inspect the materials and securing devices
A. before the trip only
B. before and after the trip
C. within 50 miles after beginning the trip and during every driving break
D. before the trip, withing 50 miles after beginning the trip, after every 3 hours or 150 miles, and during every driving break
D. before the trip, within 50 miles after beginning the trip, after every 3 hours or 150 miles, during every driving break
Which of the following statements about tank vehicles is true?
A. Tank vehicles transport liquids only
B. The term “tank vehicle” refers only to those vehicles having a permanenly attached tank
C. Special skills are required to haul liquid tanks
D. All tank vehicles have some sort of bulkhead or baffle
C. Special skills are required to haul liquid tanks
Dry tanks and hanging meat
A. have low center of gravity
B. handle better than most cargo on sharp turns
C. are unstable loads
D. do not require special care
C. are unstable loads
To turn quickly and safely in the event of a traffic or vehicle emergency, you should be prepared to countersteer. This means you turn the wheel
A. the opposite direction of the obstacle
B. away from the obstacle and the back in the other direction
C. to the right of the obstacle
D. to the left of the obstacle
B. away from the obstacle and the back in the other direction
You should turn on your 4-way flashers when
A. driving on mountain roads
B. hauling heavy cargo
C. approaching a railroad crossing
D. driving in fog
D. driving in fog
Which of the following is an effect of drinking and driving?
A. Driving in the wrong lane
B. Making quick, jerky movements
C. Running stop signs
D. All of the above
D. All of the above
Which of the following statements about a vehicle with a high center of gravity is true?
A. The vehicle is less likely to tip over
B. The vehicle is less dangerous on curves
C. The cargo is evenly distributed and as low as possible
D. The cargo should be rearranged so that the heaviest parts of the cargo are under the lightest parts
D. The cargo should be rearranged so that the heaviest parts of the cargo are under the lightest parts
Outage is
A. a full liquid tanker
B. the space allotted for expanding liquids
C. the weight of the liquid is transit
D. caused by liquid surge
B. the space allotted for expanding liquids
For cargo, blocking is
A. shaped to fit loosely over the cargo
B. unattached to the cargo deck
C. needed in the front of a piece of cargo only
D. used in the front, back and/or sides of a piece of cargo
D. used in the front, back and/or sides of a piece of cargo
In the event of an engine fire,
A. always open the hood to release the fire
B. keep the engine running and use extinguishers
C. try to keep the hood closed and shoot extinguishers through louvers or from the underside of the vehicle
D. always open the hood and shoot extinguishers through louvers or from the underside of the vehicle
C. try to keep the hood closed and shoot extinguishers through louvers or from the underside of the vehicle
The Federal Hazardous Materials Table names materials that are hazardous. If you are transporting any of these materials,
A. only the shipper should know
B. only the driver should know
C. the shipper and the driver should know
D. everyone who handles the material should know
D. everyone who handles the material should know
Which of the following should you NOT do in the event of air brake failure where there was a major air leak in the system?
A. Pump the brakes
B. Find an escape route
C. Shift down
D. Use the parking or emergency brake
A. Pump the brakes
Which of the following statements about loading heavy or dense liquid is true?
A. Tanks carrying heavy liquids can sometimes be filled completely
B. You must be aware of legal weight limits
C. Heavy or dense liquids do not expand
D. The weight of the actual liquid does not matter
B. You must be aware of the legal weight limits
You have been driving for a long time and you are feeling tired. What should you do?
A. Take a half-hour coffee stop
B. Take an over-the-counter drug that will keep you awake
C. Push on until your next stop and rest
D. Make an early stop and sleep or pull off the road and nap
D. Make an early stop and sleep or pull off the road and nap
In some emergencies, you may have to drive off the road and onto the shoulder in order to avoid collision with another vehicle. If possible, you shold avoid
A. keeping one set of wheels on the pavement
B. using the brake until your speed has dropped to about 20 mph
C. coming to a complete stop before returning to the road
D. All of the above
B. using the brake until the speed has dropped to about 20 mph
When driving baffled liquid tanks,
A. bulkheads are included which stop side to side liquid surge
B. there is no risk of rollover
C. forward and backward liquid surge is controlled
D. there is no risk involved in taking curves or making sharp turns at the posted limits
C. forward and backward liquid surge is controlled
The Gross Combination Weight Rating is the
A. maximum total weight of a single vehicle plus its load specified by the manufacturer
B. maximum total weight of a power unit plus trailer(s) plus the cargo as specified by the manufacturer
C. total weight of a single vehicle plus its load
D. total weight of a powered unit plus trailer(s) plus the cargo
B. maximum total weight of a power unity plus trailer(s) plus the cargo as specified by the manufacturer
Which of the following statements about driving and over-length, over-width, and/or over-weight load is NOT true?
A. You do not need a special permit
B. Driving is usually limited to certain times
C. Special equipment may be necessary
D. You may require a police escort
A. You do not need a special permit
Shippers must write the name of the hazard class of hazardous products
A. only on the shipping papers
B. only on the diamond-shaped labels on the containers
C. on the shipping papers and on the diamond-shaped labels or special tags on the container
D. only on the special-fitting tags for the containers
C. on the shipping papers and on the diamond-shaped labels or special tags on the container
A skid happens when tires lose their grip on the road. To prevent skidding, you should
A. turn the wheel sharply for all turns
B. accelerate to give power to the drive wheels
C. adjust to conditions while driving
D. brake hard at all stops
C. adjust to conditions while driving
Which of the following statements about tie-downs is true?
A. They go from the upper part of the cargo to the floor and/or walls of the cargo compartment
B. The combined strength of all cargo tie-downs must be strong enough to lift one-and-a-half-times the weight of the piece of cargo tied down
C. Tie-downs can be of any type or strength
D. Cargo should have at least one tie-down for each 20 feet of cargo
B. The combined strength of all cargo tie-downs must be strong enough to lift one-and-a-half-times the weight of the piece of cargo tied down
If your vehicle is involved in an accident, try to
A. keep one empty lane between your vehicle and other traffic
B. stop all traffic in other lanes
C. honk your horn to warn other vehicles
D. get it to the side of the road
D. get it to the side of the road
A tank vehicle with a high center of gravity
A. should take highway curves or on-ramp/off-ramp curves below the posted speeds
B. should take highway curves or on-ramp/off-ramp curves at least five miles above the posted speed
C. cannot turn over at the speed limit posted for curves
D. is top-heavy, but not easy to rollover
A. should take highways curves or on-ramp/off-ramp curves well below the posted speeds
With regard to hand-held devices and cell phones, drivers
A. are not allowed to have these devices in the vehicle
B. can send a text or receive a text while driving in the vehicle
C. must not text or receive a text while driving
D. can send a text or receive a text while driving if this is the motor carrier’s policy
C. must not text or receive a text while driving
Which of the following about covering cargo is NOT true?
A. You need to protect people from spilled cargo
B. You should look at your cargo in the mirrors often while driving
C. Flapping covers don’t need be tied down as long as the bulk of the cargo is covered
D. You need to protect the cargo from the weather
C. Flapping covers need to be tied down as long as the bulk of the cargo is covered
When a front-wheel skid occurs, the only way to stop the skid is to
A. brake hard
B. turn sharply
C. let the vehicle slow down
D. increase acceleration
C. let the vehicle slow down
In the event of a cargo fire in a van or box trailer, you should
A. keep the doors shut
B. keep the doors open
C. drive the closest service station for assistance
D. park close to the road so other vehicles can see the danger and call for assistance
A. keep the doors shut
You should use your mirrors to check
A. the condition of tires
B. traffic gaps when merging
C. where the rear of your vehicle is while turning
D. All of the above
D. All of the above
If an oncoming driver has suddenly drifted into your lane or if an obstacle suddenly blocks your path, you should
A. move to the right
B. move to the left
C. brake immediately
D. apply brakes slowly and signal for a lane change
A. move to the right
Which of the following statements is NOT true about an overloaded vehicle?
A. The vehicle will have to go very slowly on upgrades
B. The vehicle may gain too much speed on downgrades
C. The vehicle’s stopping distance decreases
D. All of the above
C. The vehecles’s stopping distance decreases
Which of the following is true about drinking and driving?
A. Alcohol increases your ability to driver further
B. Alcohol wil reduce your ability to drive
C. Coffee and a little fresh air will help sober up a driver who is about to drive
D. A drink will wake upo a sleepy driver
B. Alcohol will reduce your ability to drive