WorksheetsGeneral Knowledge Test #1 (CDL Permit)
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 3hrs 30mins
When driving through construction zones, you should:
Speed up and hurry through them so you aren't in them any longer than
necessary
Stop before entering them, get in low gear and proceed through
Watch for sharp pavement drop-offs
Reduce your speed only if workers are near the roadway
Which of the following is true about the use of reflective emergency triangles?
Regulation requires they be placed within five minutes of stopping
You do not need to use them if you break down as long as your 4-way flashers are working
You do not need to use them as long as you have pulled your vehicle completely off the traveled portion of the roadway
If you stop on a hill or curve, it's necessary to place them as much as 500 feet out to provide adequate warning
When driving a vehicle with-a height over 13 feet, you should:
Assume all clearances are of sufficient height
Height clearance is not a concern as long as you stay on state or federal roadways
Stop and check before proceeding if you are unsure of the clearance
All of the above
The proper way to load a vehicle is:
Keep the load balanced in the cargo area
Place the load at the front of the trailer to give your drive wheels better traction
Place the load at the rear of the trailer so your rear tires have better traction
It makes no difference where the cargo is placed as long as you are not over the allowable gross weight
When driving at night, you should:
Dim your lights when you are within 300 feet of oncoming traffic
Watch the white line on the left side of the roadway
Adjust your vehicle speed so as to keep your stopping distance within your sight distance
Keep your high beams on at all times
While driving you're looking ahead of your vehicle. What's the best way to do that?
Look to the right side of the roadway
Look back and forth and near and far
Stare straight ahead at all times
Look straight ahead and glance in your mirrors every 45-60 seconds
According to the Commercial Driver's License Manual, why should you limit the use of your vehicle's horn?
If your vehicle has air brakes, the air horn may not work while you are applying your brakes
It may startle other drivers
You should keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times
The Commercial Driver's License Manual does not say that a driver should limit the use of the horn
If you break down on a level, straight, four lane, divided highway, where should you place the reflective emergency triangles?
One 10 feet from the rear of the vehicle, one approximately 100 feet from the rear of the vehicle and another one about 100 feet to the front of the vehicle
One 10 feet from the rear of the vehicle, one approximately 100 feet from the rear of the vehicle, and one about 200 feet from the rear of the vehicle
One 100 feet from the rear of the vehicle, one approximately 200 feet from the rear of the vehicle, and one about 300 feet from the rear of the vehicle
One 50 feet from the rear of the vehicle, one about 100 feet from the rear of the vehicle, and one about 200 feet from the front of the vehicle
Bridge formulas are designed to:
Determine the total gross vehicle weight of a vehicle
Permit the same maximum axle weight for any axle spacing
Permit less maximum axle weight for axles that are closer together
Permit less maximum axle weight for axles that are further apart
What three factors add up to the total stopping distance for a commercial motor vehicle without air brakes?
Perception distance, reaction distance and braking distance
Eye lead time, reaction distance and braking distance.
Perception distance, reaction distance, and response distance
Response distance and braking distance
You're driving on a straight and level roadway at 60 mph and suddenly a tire blows out on your vehicle. What should you do first?
Immediately begin light, controlled braking
Immediately begin stab braking
Grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands and stay off the brakes until the vehicle has slowed down
Immediately begin emergency braking
When traveling down a long downgrade, you should always:
Apply trailer brakes to reduce speed or maintain speed
Use the braking effect of the engine
Use stab braking
Apply brakes when your vehicle exceeds the "safe speed" by 5 mph
Which of the following statements about backing a commercial motor vehicle to a dock is NOT true?
Since you can't see behind you, you should back slowly until you bump the dock
Use a helper and communicate with hand signals
You should always back toward the driver's side when possible
Both A and C
Shifting gears properly is important because:
Doing so helps you maintain control of the vehicle
It helps to keep the oil flowing through the crankcase
It keeps the radiator cool
It keeps the engine at the proper operating temperature
As alcohol begins to build up in the body, which of the following is affected first?
Muscle control
Coordination
Kidney control
Judgment and self-control
If you drive through heavy rain or standing water, your brakes may get wet. What can this cause to happen when you apply the brakes?
Trailer jackknife
Your brakes to heat up
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning if you were traveling faster than 30 mph when you applied the brakes
Statistics prove that most serious skids are a result of:
Driving too fast for conditions
Improper loading of the vehicle
Turning too sharply
Winter driving conditions
Which of the following should you NOT do?
Turn your headlights on during the day if visibility is reduced due to bad weather
Flash your brake lights to warn vehicles behind you that you are slowing down
Flash your brake lights when entering a construction zone if vehicles are close behind you
Flash your brake lights if someone is following too closely
Controlled braking is:
Applying the brakes hard enough for the wheels to lock up
Pressing the brakes hard enough to lock up the wheels, then releasing and then reapplying again
Applying firm brake pressure, but not to the point of lock-up
Only used if the vehicle does not have anti-lock brakes
Stab braking is NOT used on vehicles:
Towing trailers
With anti-lock brakes
Hauling hazardous materials
Equipped with air brakes
Which of the following is true?
It is permissible to use radial and bias-ply tires together on the same axle
Tires of mismatched sizes should not be used on the same vehicle
4/32 inch tread depth is the maximum allowed on drive tires
2/32 inch tread depth is permissible for steering tires
Controlled braking is:
Used when the goal is to keep the vehicle in a straight line while braking
Used when you must stop as quickly as possible
Only used with hydraulic brakes
Only used when the vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes
Hazardous Materials placarding is an example of:
Containment
Controlling the hazardous materials risk
Communication
All of the above
At what Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) will you be placed out of service for 24 hours?
.04% or higher
.03% or higher
1.0% or higher
Any detectable amount
When you see a hazard in the roadway in front of you, you should:
Steer and countersteer around it
Stop quickly and get off the roadway if possible
Stop quickly, stay in the roadway, set your reflective emergency triangles, and go to the rear of your vehicle to flag down traffic
Turn on your 4-way flashers or flash your brakes lights to warn others
When starting a commercial motor vehicle on level, dry pavement, it is not usually necessary to:
Apply the parking brake
Use slower acceleration
Press on the accelerator while popping out the clutch
Both A and C
Which of the following is true concerning cold weather driving?
Exhaust system leaks are not of concern during cold weather
If the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the engine cannot overheat
Using bleach on tires will provide increased traction
You should use windshield washer fluid which contains an anti-freeze
You're traveling down a long grade, and you notice your brakes are not working as well as they had been. You should:
Continue to the bottom of the grade and then stop to check your brakes
Stop as quickly as you can
Downshift one or two gears and continue
Begin pumping your brake pedal
Why do the Hazardous Materials Regulations exist?
To provide for safe drivers and equipment
To communicate a risk
To contain the product
All of the above
Water will extinguish which of the following fires?
Electrical
Diesel fuel
Gasoline
Tire
Which of the following happens when a tire blows at highway speed?
You will experience an immediate and dramatic drop in speed
You will feel a vibration
You will hear a hissing sound
The low air pressure signal device will come on
Which of the following is true about tire pressure?
As temperature increases so does air pressure in the tires
It is not necessary to check tire pressure during a pre-trip inspection
In warmer weather it is best to let out some of the air in the tires to reduce pressure
All of the above
When fighting a fire, which is most correct?
Get downwind of the fire before using the fire extinguisher
Get as close to the fire as possible
Aim the fire extinguisher at the base of the fire
Aim the fire extinguisher at the top of the fire
"Over-the-counter" medication used to treat the common cold:
Is permissible as long as the dispatcher has given the okay to use it
Can only be taken when driving during daylight hours
Often can make you sleepy and should not be used while driving
Is okay as long as you take just half a dose
Which of the following conditions may produce a skid?
Driving too fast for conditions
Over-braking
Over-steering
All of the above
What is the purpose of a pre-trip inspection?
To add an additional 15 minutes of time to your log book
To avoid being cited by a law enforcement official
To make sure the vehicle is safe to operate
To see if additional freight can be added to maximize revenue
Your vehicle is 40 feet long and you are traveling at 50 mph. The safe following distance is:
5 seconds
6 seconds
4 seconds
3 seconds
Which of the following statements about causes of vehicle fires is true?
An overheated radiator is the most common cause of a vehicle fire
Carrying a properly charged and rated fire extinguisher will help to prevent fires
Under-inflated or flat tires will NOT cause a vehicle fire
Poor trailer ventilation can cause cargo to catch fire
Convex (curved) mirrors will:
Make objects appear to be larger than they really are
Make objects appear to be smaller than they really are
Make objects appear closer and larger than they really are
Show a wider area than flat mirrors
After you start your engine, which of the following should occur?
Oil pressure will build in 4 to 5 minutes
Air pressure will rise to normal in 10 to 15 minutes
The water temperature will indicate a gradual rise to normal operating temperature
The manifold exhaust indicator gauge will immediately rise to 190 degrees Fahrenheit
Which of the following is a true statement?
You can always trust other drivers to turn in the direction that their turn signal is indicating
Mail or city delivery truck drivers are professionals and do not pose any hazard to you
You do not have to worry about individuals driving cars with out-of-state license plates
Short-term or daily rental truck drivers are often not used to driving a large vehicle and may pose a hazard to you
Which of the following can you NOT check at the same time?
Turn signal, brake lights, and 4-way flashers
Headlights and clearance lights
Taillights and clearance lights
Clearance lights and 4-way flashers
The Commercial Driver's License Manual says you should use your horn:
To make the deer standing alongside the road move further away
When a car gets in the way
If it may help you to avoid a collision-
When you begin to change lanes
What is hydroplaning?
An emergency situation created when an aircraft must make an emergency landing on a highway
Excessive heat build up in the radiator
Something that only occurs at high vehicle speeds
When your vehicle wheels lift off the roadway on a thin film of water
Can federal inspectors inspect your truck or bus?
Yes, and they have the authority to place you out of service
Yes, but they have no authority to place you out of service
Yes, but only at a port-of-entry
No
If you're being tailgated, you should:
Motion for the tailgater to pass you when it is safe
Increase your following distance
Turn on your 4-way flashers
Slam on the brakes
How many missing or broken leaves in a leaf spring will cause your vehicle to be placed out of service?
One-fourth of the total
One-half of the total
One-third of the total
Any
Which of the following is true about rear drive wheel skids when braking?
The vehicle's front wheels will slide sideways
It is not a cause of jackknifing
The locked wheels have more traction than the wheels that are rolling
If it occurs with a vehicle towing a trailer, the trailer can push the towing vehicle sideways
Which of the following statements is true?
Hazards are easier to see at night than during the day
Many commercial motor vehicle accidents occur between midnight and 6 a.m.
Most drivers are more alert at night than during the day
It is recommended that you use your high beams at all times during the period from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
A first offense for driving a CMV under the influence of alcohol or drugs will cause you to lose your CDL for at least:
Three years
One year
Two years
Six months
