General CDL A/B Louisiana 2019 Flashcards
When loading cargo, it is important to:
Know the weight capacity rating of the suspension system.
It is a driver’s responsibility to make sure their vehicle is not overloaded. They must be aware
of legal weight limits and the maximum weight that their vehicle is rated to carry, including
the weight capacity rating of the suspension system.
When loading cargo, weight should be placed:
As low as possible.
A vehicle is vulnerable to tipping over if its center of gravity is too high. To prevent this, you
should distribute the weight of your cargo evenly and as low as possible.
Who is responsible for inspecting a vehicle’s cargo?
The driver
It is a driver’s responsibility to inspect their cargo; recognize overloading or poorly balanced
weight; know that the cargo is properly secured and not obscuring their view; and know that
the cargo does not restrict access to emergency equipment. The driver is always responsible
for their cargo, even if they were not the one who initially loaded and secured the cargo.
Loading cargo onto a vehicle:
May be done by a person other than the driver, but the driver is responsible for the safety of the cargo.
Even if someone else loads cargo onto a vehicle, the driver is responsible for properly
inspecting the cargo, ensuring that it is properly loaded and secured, and ensuring that it
does not obscure their view or access to emergency equipment.
Cargo being transported should be checked:
Before the trip and again within the first 50 miles of the trip.
Cargo should be inspected before beginning a trip, within the first 50 miles of the trip, and
every three hours or 150 miles traveled thereafter. Cargo should be inspected every time the
driver stops to take a break. The driver of a truck transporting cargo is responsible for the
cargo being safely secured throughout the trip.
If transporting 30 feet of cargo on a flatbed trailer, you should use a minimum of ____ to
restrain the cargo.
Three tie-downs
When transporting cargo on a flatbed trailer, you should use at least one tie-down for every
10 feet of cargo. Any cargo, no matter how small, should be restrained by a minimum of two
tie-downs.
You should always use at least ____ to secure cargo on a flatbed trailer.
Two tie-downs
When transporting cargo on a flatbed trailer, you should use at least one tie-down for every
10 feet of cargo. Any cargo, no matter how small, should be restrained by a minimum of two
tie-downs.
Bracing is used to:
Prevent items from moving in a trailer.
Blocking and bracing are used to prevent cargo from shifting in transit. Blocking is used in
the front, in the back, and on the sides of a piece of cargo to prevent movement. Bracing
prevents movement by reaching from the upper portion of a piece of cargo to the floor and
sides of the cargo compartment.
A truck may need to be under the legal maximum weight limit when being driven:
On a mountainous road.
Under some driving conditions, it may not be safe to operate a vehicle at its full legal
maximum weight. Keep this in mind when driving in poor weather or on mountainous
roadways.
Too little weight on a steering axle can result in:
Poor traction.
The weight of cargo in a vehicle needs to be balanced appropriately so that it does not
interfere with the vehicle’s safe handling. For example, if cargo is placed too far to the rear of
a vehicle, the front axle will be under-weighted and the front wheels may not have enough
traction for the driver to steer safely.
Dry bulk tanks require special care because:
They have high centers of gravity.
Driving with a dry bulk tank requires special care, both because dry bulk tanks have high
centers of gravity and because their loads often shift in transit. Be especially careful when
taking turns and curves while operating such a vehicle.
You should cover cargo:
To protect the cargo from weather.
You should cover your cargo to protect people from the cargo if it spills, as well as to protect
the cargo from the weather.
When carrying a sealed load, the driver:
Should ensure the weight of the cargo does not violate weight limits.
While a driver cannot inspect sealed loads, they can still ensure that the load does not
exceed gross weight and axle weight limits.
When a combination vehicle goes around a corner:
The front and rear wheels move in different paths.
When a vehicle goes around a corner, the rear wheels follow a different path than the front
wheels. This is called off-tracking. This effect is especially pronounced on vehicles with
trailers.
When coupling a trailer:
Make sure to couple matching glad hands.
When coupling, make sure you couple matching glad hands. They are often color-coded to
help drivers avoid mistakes. Typically, blue is used for service lines and red is used for
emergency lines.
The trailer hand valve should:
Be used only to test the trailer brakes.
The trailer hand valve works the trailer brakes but should only be used when testing them.
Using it while driving could create a skid. Never use the trailer hand valve while parking
because doing so may release the air pressure from the braking system, releasing the brakes
that are holding the vehicle in place.
Large combination vehicles take the longest amount of time to stop:
When empty.
Large combination vehicles take longer to stop when they are empty than when they are loaded. The decreased weight causes a vehicle’s wheels to have decreased traction on the
surface of the road.
If a trailer begins to skid, the driver should:
Release the brakes.
If your trailer starts to skid while you are braking, you should release the brakes and allow
them to begin to regain traction. Once its wheels have regained their grip on the road, the trailer will begin to straighten out and follow the tractor.
What does the trailer air supply control look like?
It is an eight-sided red knob.
On newer vehicles, the trailer air supply control is an eight-sided red knob. It’s used to control the tractor protection valve.
Air pressure in the ____ air line is controlled by either the foot brake or trailer hand brake.
Service
Air pressure in the service air line is controlled by either the foot brake or trailer hand brake.
The service air line is also known as the control line or signal line. This line is connected to
relay valves, which allow the trailer brakes to be applied more quickly than would otherwise
be possible.
One function of the emergency air line is to:
Control the emergency brakes.
The emergency air line (also known as the supply line) has two functions. The first is to supply air to the trailer air tanks, and the second is to control the emergency brakes on combination vehicles.
Rollovers happen when:
You take a turn too fast.
Rollovers are caused by operators turning too fast. To avoid rolling over, drive slowly on entrance ramps, on exit ramps, and around corners. Avoid making quick lane changes when towing trailers.
The “crack-the-whip” effect can:
Turn over a trailer.
Trailers can overturn as a result of the “crack-the-whip” effect. The last trailer in a
combination is the most prone to tip over due to this effect. Drivers should be aware of the
rearward amplification of their specific vehicles and drive accordingly.
A second conviction of operating a CMV with a minimum blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of
0.04 percent will result in:
The loss of your CDL for life.
It is illegal to operate a CMV if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.04 percent or higher. A first offense will result in the loss of your CDL for one year. A second offense will result in the loss of your CDL for life.
While still below the legal limit, a driver operating a CMV with a detectable amount of alcohol in
their system will:
Result in an out-of-service order for 24 hours.
If you are found to have any detectable amount of alcohol in your system while operating a
CMV but your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is still below the legal limit of 0.04 percent,
you will be put out-of-service for 24 hours. It is both illegal and dangerous to operate a
motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
You may:
Not have more than one license.
A person cannot have more than one driver license at a time. States share information through a computer database to ensure that no person has more than one license. Violation of this law could result in fines or jail time.
If you are disqualified from driving:
You must notify your employer within two business days.
You must notify your employer within two business days if your license is suspended, revoked, or canceled, or if you are otherwise disqualified from driving.
While operating a CMV:
You are always required to wear a safety belt.
A safety belt is your best defense in the event of a collision. You must always wear a safety
belt while operating a CMV.
It is illegal to operate a CMV with a minimum blood alcohol content (BAC) of:
0.04 percent.
Operating a CMV with a minimum blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.04 percent is illegal and
will result in loss of license for at least one year for a first offense. If you operate a CMV with
any detectable amount of alcohol in your system while remaining below the legal limit of
0.04 percent, you will be put out-of-service for at least 24 hours.
If asked by a law enforcement officer to take a test to determine your blood alcohol
concentration (BAC):
You will lose your CDL if you refuse to take the test.
Most states have an Implied Consent Law, which means that by driving a vehicle on the
state’s roads, you have agreed to undergo a drug or alcohol test if a police officer asks you to do so. If you refuse to submit to a test, you will lose your operating privileges. Make sure you are aware of the laws for every state in which you drive.
Your CDL will be revoked if:
Your privilege to operate your personal vehicle is revoked.
If your privilege to operate your personal vehicle is revoked, canceled, or suspended due to
moving traffic violations, you will also lose your CDL. This does not apply if your license is
revoked due to parking violations.
If convicted of a traffic violation, you must inform your employer:
Within 30 days.
If you are convicted of any kind of traffic violation in any type of vehicle, you must notify
your employer within 30 days of the incident. You must also inform your motor vehicle
licensing agency within 30 days if the incident happened in another jurisdiction. This rule
does not apply to parking infractions.
While driving a CMV:
You may not hold a cell phone to make a call.
While driving a CMV, you may not make voice calls if you need to hold your phone or press
more than one button to do so. Additionally, you may not send or read text messages while
driving.
During the steering box portion of the vehicle inspection test, you should not:
Assume all cotter keys are present.
Before a trip, ensure that the steering box is securely mounted. Check for missing nuts, bolts, and cotter keys. Be sure that there are no power steering fluid leaks and that there is no damage to power steering hoses.
During a vehicle inspection, ensure that the landing gear is:
Fully raised.
When inspecting a trailer during a vehicle inspection test, ensure that its landing gear has no
missing parts and that it is fully raised. The crank handle should be secure and the support
frame should not be damaged.
When performing a pre-trip inspection and looking into the fifth wheel gap, you should:
Make sure the locking jaws are fully closed around the kingpin.
When inspecting a trailer coupling, you should make sure the fifth wheel locking jaws are closed around the shank of the kingpin, not the head of the kingpin.
Move over laws require:
All vehicles to vacate the lane closest to an emergency vehicle that is stopped with its lights flashing.
If an emergency vehicle with its lights on is stopped on the side of the road, move over laws
require drivers to vacate the lane directly next to the vehicle, if possible. If a driver cannot
move over safely, they must slow down and proceed with caution.
Emergency equipment in a vehicle is:
Required.
During a pre-trip inspection, you should check for emergency equipment, including spare
electrical fuses; three red reflective triangles, six fuses, or three liquid burning flares; and at
least one properly charged and rated fire extinguisher.
Mirror adjustment can only be checked properly if:
The trailer is straight.
On a vehicle with one or more trailers, mirror adjustment can only be checked accurately if
the trailers are straight. Mirror adjustment should be checked before the start of every trip.
If unable to tell if the road is becoming icy and slippery, a driver:
May open their window and feel the front of the side mirror for ice.
If you think the road surface may be becoming icy but you are not certain, you can open your window and feel the front of the side mirror, mirror support, or antenna. If ice has formed on any of these items, the road is likely becoming icy as well.
What happens when a vehicle hydroplanes?
The tires lose contact with the road.
On a wet road, it is possible for a vehicle’s tires to lose traction with the road surface and begin to glide along on the layer of water. This is referred to as hydroplaning. Hydroplaning can occur at speeds as low as 30 mph.
A cardboard box on the roadway:
May contain a heavy object that could damage your vehicle.
Any foreign object on the road is potentially dangerous. For example, something seemingly
harmless, such as a cardboard box or paper sack, could contain a hard or heavy object that
could do serious damage to a vehicle.
A stopped bus:
Is a concern, whether passengers are visible or not.
Always drive cautiously around a stopped bus. Passengers may cross in front of or behind it,
and the bus may prevent them from seeing your vehicle.
Headlights:
Should be on the high beam setting whenever possible.
To improve visibility, you should use high beam headlights at night where it is safe and legal
to do so. However, the glare from high beam lights can blind other drivers. You should dim
your lights to their low beam setting when driving within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle.
What is road rage?
Operating a motor vehicle with the intent of doing harm to others
Aggressive driving is defined as operating a motor vehicle in a selfish, bold, or pushy manner.
Road rage is defined as operating a motor vehicle with the intent of doing harm to others, or
the intent of physically assaulting another driver or their vehicle.
Black ice is:
A thin layer of ice on the road.
Black ice is a layer of ice that is thin and clear enough for the road to be visible through it.
The surface will look like a wet road. Always be alert to black ice if the road looks wet when
the temperature is below freezing.
Before entering a curve, you should:
Downshift.
Always downshift before entering a curve. Decreasing your speed before entering the curve
will allow you to maintain better control over the vehicle throughout the curve.
When driving, it is important to:
Look to the front, sides, and rear of your vehicle.
For safe driving, it is essential that you are aware of what is happening on all sides of your
vehicle. In addition to watching the road ahead, you should frequently check your mirrors to
monitor the road to the sides and to the rear of your vehicle.
When making a turn, when should you cancel your turn signal?
After the turn is completed
When turning or changing lanes, you should signal early and signal continuously. Cancel your
turn signal once the turn or lane change is complete.
The maximum amount of play that is safe on a 20-inch steering wheel is:
Two inches.
A steering wheel with play of more than 10 degrees may be defective. On a 20-inch wheel,
this is equal to about two inches of movement at the rim of the wheel.
If you identify a distracted driver on the road, you should:
Give them plenty of room.
If you encounter a distracted driver, make sure to give them plenty of room. Be very careful
if you pass their vehicle because the driver may be unaware of your presence and drift into
your lane.
When conducting a pre-drive inspection:
The previous inspection report should be reviewed, if applicable.
The first step of a vehicle inspection is to review the last vehicle inspection report. Only sign
the report if noted defects are certified to have been repaired.
If being tailgated, you should:
Increase the amount of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
If you are being tailgated, you should increase the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle ahead of you. This reduces the need for you to make sudden changes in speed or
direction while making it easier for the tailgater to pass your vehicle.
If a vehicle is equipped with power steering, the hoses should be checked:
For leaks.
When inspecting a vehicle with power steering, you should inspect the hoses, pumps, and
fluid levels. Specifically check the hoses for leaks.
You will often have to drive your vehicle under bridges and overpasses. If approaching such an
opening, you should:
Assume the posted clearance height is inaccurate.
Do not assume that posted height clearances are accurate. If the road was repaved after the
sign was posted, or if there is packed snow on the ground, the actual height of the opening
may be different than what is indicated. If you are not confident that your vehicle will be able
to safely clear an upcoming bridge or overpass, you should slow down and find another path,
if possible.
A ramp’s posted speed limit:
Is suitable for some vehicles, but may be too fast for a large CMV.
Posted speed limits on exit and entrance ramps often show speeds that are safe to be driven
by cars. However, these speed limits may be too fast for large or heavily-loaded vehicles and
CMV drivers will likely need to slow down to a speed below the posted limit.
Parked delivery trucks may be hazardous because:
People are often in a hurry when exiting such trucks and may not look for other vehicles.
Passing parked delivery or postal trucks can be dangerous because the driver may be in a
hurry and pull into traffic without warning, or may they suddenly step out of the vehicle
without checking for other traffic.
How do ice cream trucks become hazardous to other drivers?
Children often run toward an ice cream truck without looking for other traffic.
Ice cream trucks can create hazardous conditions for other drivers because they attract
children. Children often do not notice or pay attention to other vehicles on the roadway
when running to or from ice cream trucks.
When a vehicle is started, warning lights and buzzers:
Should turn off within a few seconds.
After an engine is started, the warning lights and buzzers for oil, coolant, charging circuits,
and the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) should go out right away.
After two violations of any state law regarding hand-held mobile phone use:
Your CDL will be disqualified.
If you are twice convicted of violating any state law regarding hand-held mobile phone use,
your CDL will be disqualified. Consequences will become more severe with subsequent
violations.
