Gen Knowledge Flashcards
what can happen if you drive too fast around a curve?
if you take a curve too fast, your tires can lose traction and continue straight ahead, causing your vehicle to skid off the road, or your tires may retain traction, but your vehicle may roll over
What is the rule about backing in a commercial vehicle?
Because your view of your surroundings is very limited, backing is always dangerous. Avoid it whenever possible. Parking in an area where you can pull out straight is a better alternative
if you’re traveling at 55 mph on dry pavement, what is your reaction distance?
your reaction distance is the distance your vehicle moves from the time your brain recognizes the hazard until your foot moves off the accelerator and pushes the brake pedal. At 55 mph, your vehicle will travel an additional 60 feet before your foot hits the brakes
How many reflective triangles should you have in your commercial vehicle?
you’re required to have this safety equipment in your CMV: spare electrical fuses (unless your vehicle uses circuit breaker)three red reflective triangles, and at least one properly charged and rated fire extinguisher
after you first stop and check your vehicle’s cargo, how many miles can you drive before you must stop and check the cargo again?
you’re required by law to inspect your vehicle 50 miles into a trip. After that, inspect it every 150 miles or 3 hours, whichever comes first
what is a common reason for hydroplaning
hydroplaning often occurs because of low tire pressure or worn treads
how many tie downs should you use for 20 feet of cargo
include at least one tie down per 10 feet of cargo, but no matter how small the cargo, secure it with at least two tie downs. If you have 20 feet of cargo, you would need two tie downs
when should you apply your brakes while driving around a curve
you should apply your brakes before you enter a curve. If you use your brakes halfway through, you run the risk of locking your wheels and causing your vehicle to skid
when should you turn off your high beams?
you should turn off your high beams when you’re within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and when following another vehicle within 500 feet
which part of the Skills Test must all drivers applying for a CDL take
the Skills Test consists of three components: 1 - Pre-Trip Inspection, 2 - Basic Control Skills, and 3 - Road test
if you’re tested for alcohol while driving a commercial vehicle and your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.04 percent, what will happen
you can lose your CDL for 1 year if you’re tested for alcohol and your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.04 percent or more
how much tread depth should your front tires have in every groove?
your front tires should have at least 4/32-inch tread depth in every major groove. Other tires must have at least 2/32-inch tread depth
which of the following is true about the oil pressure gauge in a commercial vehicle
the oil pressure gauge should come up to normal within seconds of starting the engine. If the gauge is low or if it drops or fluctuates, turn off the engine and have it checked
what can happen to brakes if they get wet?
water can cause brakes to weaken, apply unevenly, or grab. If this happens, you might lose braking power, experience wheel lockups, feel pulling to one side or the other, or undergo jackknifing
the total weight of a single vehicle and its load is called the
The total weight of a single vehicle and its load is the gross vehicle weight (GVW)
What might happen if there is too little weight on the front axle?
Too much weight on the front axle will make your CMV hard to steer. If you have too little weight on this axle, you won’t be able to steer safely.
If your engine is on fire, you should
turn it off and don’t open the hood if you don’t have to. Shoot the fire extinguisher through louvers, the radiator, or from the underside of the vehicle
How can you recover from a skid caused by driving too fast?
skids that occur while going too fast can usually be stopped by removing your foot from the accelerator
When you load cargo on a flatbed, you should
when you load a flatbed, load the heaviest items over the axles when possible, since these area are the strongest. After you do this, distribute the rest of the cargo evenly in the front and back of the trailer
Signs placed on the outside of a vehicle warning others of danger are called
placards are signs on the outside of a vehicle warning others of danger. If you’re transporting hazardous material, you’ll have placards on the outside of the front and rear of the vehicle, and on both sides
What should you do if you’re being tailgated while driving a commercial vehicle?
to safely deal with a tailgater, increase your following distance, so there’s room in front of your vehicle. Making more room in front of your vehicle gives a tailgater a place to go if he wants to pass you
When should you inspect your vehicle?
responsible CMV drivers check their vehicles before a trip (during pre-trip inspection), while driving (en-route inspection), whenever they make stops, and after their trip (or post-trip inspection)
What should you be aware of if your vehicle has curved mirrors?
some large vehicles are equipped with curved mirrors, sometimes called convex, fisheye, bug-eye, or spot mirrors. These mirrors allow you to see more than flat mirrors do, but images in these mirrors appear smaller and farther away than they actually are, which is why it’s important to look in both mirrors
When driving downhill, when should you shift your transmission into a lower gear?
you should shift your transmission into a lower gear before going downhill. Don’t wait until you build speed to downshift or you might not be able to find a gear and could seriously damage the transmission
When crossing railroad tracks in a commercial vehicle, you should
you can’t rely on your hearing when crossing railroad tracks because the sounds of a commercial vehicle might drown out a train’s horn. Since warning signals and gates might not work properly, always approach railroad tracks as though a train is coming
Securing devices called false bulkheads are often used to haul
because unconfined livestock can rock a CMV, securing devices called false bulkheads are often used to group the livestock together and prevent their movement. Even with the use of false bulkheads, however, livestock are known to lean on curves, which shifts the center of gravity and can cause your CMV to tip. Because of this, you have to turn especially slowly when transporting livestock
When transporting metal coils, the coils can be placed so that the “eyes” are
metal coils are very heavy and circular shaped, so they can roll, which makes them more likely to break loose and fall of a trailer. Because of this, the FMCSA has specific rules about how metal coils must be tied down on a trailer. The center of a metal coil is called the “eye.” During transportation, metal coils may be placed on a trailer so that the eyes are vertical, crosswise, or lengthwise
To find your total stopping distance, add perception distance, reaction distance, and
three factors dictate shopping distance: perception distance, reaction distance, and braking distance. These factors are added together to determine total stopping distance. Air brake vehicles have one more factor called “brake lag”
A long bed of loose material such as gravel you can use if your brakes fail is called an
escape ramps are designed to stop runaway vehicles without injuring drivers or passengers. An escape ramp consists of a long upgrade, a long bed of loose material such as gravel, or both. If your brakes fail while you’re driving on a downgrade, look for signs indicating an escape ramp
Applying the brakes all the way and releasing them when they lock up is called
in stab braking, you apply your brakes all the way and release them when they lock up. When your wheels begin to roll, apply the brakes all the way again
Which of the following is true of your stopping distance on wet roads?
a wet road can actually double your stopping distance. when driving on wet roads, reduce your “dry-road speed” by one-third (i.e., from 55mph to 35mph)
When you begin a trip, how many miles can you drive before you must stop and check your cargo?
you’re required by law to inspect your cargo (if it’s not in a sealed container) 50 miles into a trip. after that, inspect it every 150 miles or 3 hours - whichever comes first
You should use the mirrors on your vehicle to
you should always use your mirrors when making lane changes, merging, and turning. you should also use your mirrors in tight spaces and on congested roads to make sure you have enough room to drive without hitting anything. look in your mirrors for any signs of tire trouble (loose or flapping tread, smoke, fire, or flats)
Which of the following is true about using the correct gear on a downgrade when driving a newer truck?
newer tucks work better when drivers use a lower gear going downhill than they would use going uphill
If you’re backing with a trailer and the trailer begins to drift, you should
if your trailer does begin to drift, correct the drift immediately by turning the steering wheel in the direction of the drift
While signaling a turn, when should you cancel the signal?
when turning, signal several seconds before you turn. Don’t remove your hands from the wheel to cancel a signal until you have completed a turn. if your vehicle doesn’t have a self-canceling signal, turn off your signal once you’ve completed the turn
Which of these has a high center of gravity?
livestock stand tall, so they have a high center of gravity. Hanging meat and dry bulk are also types of cargo with a high center of gravity. All three types of cargo can shift, so when you’re hauling this type of cargo, you need to drive very slowly around curves
The distance it takes for your vehicle to stop once your foot has pushed the brake is called
the braking distance is the distance it takes for your vehicle to stop once your foot has pushed the brake
When you’re loading cargo into a van, you should
when loading a van, load the heaviest cargo on the bottom and work your way up to the lightest. It’s safest to load the cargo using a tiered effect, as if you were laying bricks
Which of these is a type of retarder?
The four main types of retarders are exhaust, engine, hydraulic, and electric
When a vehicle is driven around a turn and its rear wheels follow a different path than its front wheels, it’s called
Your CMV needs a lot of space around it in order to turn without hitting another vehicle. You’ll make wide turns and have to deal with offtracking (when your CMV goes around a corner and its rear wheels follow a different path than its front wheels
When driving a CMV, about how many seconds should you look ahead of your vehicle?
Commercial drivers should look at least 12 to 15 seconds ahead of their vehicles. If you’re driving at a lower speed, this is about one-eighth of a mile (one city block) ahead of your vehicle. If you’re driving faster (highway speeds), it’s about one-quarter of a mile
If you’re driving a vehicle with a manual transmission, you should shift up when your vehicle’s tachometer
if you’re driving a manual transmission, shift up when your tachometer is at the top number of the range
About how many feet of light do low beams provide?
low beams allow you to see only about 250 feet ahead of you. Reduce your speed when you must rely on low beams alone
In hot weather, you should check your tires every
in hot weather, check your tires every 2 hours or every 100 miles. Air pressure can increase when the temperature is high
If your driving axle is underloaded, your
if you load too little weight on the drive axle, you’re underloading this axle. An underloaded driving axle could cause your tires to lose traction, and you might not be able to drive in bad weather
When should you use snub braking?
snub braking is the proper technique for long steep downgrades. when snub braking, first apply the brakes just enough to feel a definite slowdown. when your speed has been reduced to around 5 mph below the posted or safe speed, release the brakes. Let your speed increase back to the posted or safe speed and then repeat the procedure
What is the best way to regain control of your vehicle if it hydroplanes?
the best way to regain control when you’re hydroplaning is to release the accelerator and push in the clutch. This usually does the trick. If your drive wheels start to skid, push in the clutch, so they’re able to turn freely. accelerating or braking may cause you to lose complete control of your vehicle