General Knowledge · Practice test 11

Question 1Not answered

Why should you check for road closures and construction before starting a trip, even if you know the route well?

1. Conditions can change since the last time you drove it, and an unexpected closure could force a difficult detour
2. Construction and closures never affect commercial vehicle routing
3. Checking ahead of time mainly saves time, but rarely affects whether the route is safe, a point that's simple to get backwards with well
4. Roads you've driven before never have new construction or closures

Question 2Not answered

What is a 'hazard' in the context of defensive driving, as opposed to an emergency?

1. Any road condition or action by another user that presents a possible danger
2. Only weather-related conditions such as rain or snow
3. Something that only matters once it has already become an emergency, which sounds right but isn't, at least for emergency
4. Only a situation that has already resulted in a collision

Question 3Not answered

Why should fuel stops be planned in advance on a long route through a remote area?

1. Fuel planning is only relevant for trips under 100 miles
2. Fuel stops only need planning on routes longer than a full day's drive, something few drivers think about with area
3. Fuel availability can be limited in remote stretches, and running out leaves you stranded
4. Modern vehicles never need to consider fuel range on any route

Question 4Not answered

What should you do if bystanders begin to gather closely around the crash scene while you are waiting for help?

1. Ask them to keep a safe distance, especially from traffic and any spilled cargo
2. Ask them to stand closer to the vehicles so oncoming traffic notices the scene
3. Ignore them since bystanders are never a safety concern
4. Ask them to direct traffic in your place

Question 5Not answered

Why might road hazards like potholes or debris be harder to spot at night compared to during the day?

1. Reduced lighting makes shadows and contrast harder to judge, hiding low-profile hazards
2. It only matters on rural roads, not city streets
3. Potholes and debris are only harder to see on unlit rural roads, not city streets, an assumption that doesn't hold up with day
4. Road hazards do not change in visibility based on lighting

Question 6Not answered

What should the low air pressure warning device do, in terms of both sound and sight, when pressure drops below the safe level?

1. Only flash a light with no sound
2. Trigger both an audible alarm and a visible warning light or gauge indication
3. Only sound an alarm with no visual indication
4. Flash the headlights automatically instead of sounding any kind of alarm, which isn't obvious without real level experience

Question 7Not answered

Why might a driver choose to rest longer than the legal minimum required by hours-of-service rules?

1. The legal minimum is a floor, not a guarantee that a driver will feel rested enough to drive safely
2. Resting longer than the minimum only helps if the next shift is unusually long, though it only feels that way with rules
3. Extra rest is only useful for reducing fuel costs, not for safety
4. Resting beyond the minimum is against regulations

Question 8Not answered

At highway speed, roughly how far ahead should your visual search extend to spot developing hazards in time?

1. Only as far as your headlights reach, even during the day
2. About one car length ahead for every 10 mph, the same rule used for following distance, which most training glosses over about time
3. Only as far as the length of your own vehicle
4. Far enough ahead that you have time to react before reaching whatever you're looking at, well beyond just the vehicle in front

Question 9Not answered

Why should you treat a ball bouncing into the roadway ahead as more than just an object to avoid?

1. A child chasing the ball may follow closely behind it
2. It matters only if the ball is large enough to damage the vehicle
3. It is relevant only in residential areas with sidewalks
4. Balls in the roadway have no connection to any other hazard

Question 10Not answered

Why is it important to check the weather forecast for your entire route before a long trip, not just your starting point?

1. Checking only the starting point's weather is sufficient for trips under a few hours, which sounds right but isn't, at least for point
2. Weather forecasts only matter for trips longer than a full day
3. Weather is always the same across an entire route regardless of distance
4. Conditions can change significantly along the route, and you need to plan for hazards you haven't reached yet

Question 11Not answered

What is the purpose of the post-trip inspection report you fill out at the end of a shift?

1. It mainly protects the driver from blame if a defect is found later that day, a point that's simple to get backwards with shift
2. It is only used to track fuel mileage for the company
3. It records any defects found so they can be repaired before the next driver takes the vehicle out
4. It is optional paperwork that most companies no longer require

Question 12Not answered

What is the general purpose of a extended restart period in hours-of-service regulations?

1. To let a driver take an extended break that resets their weekly driving hours before starting a new work cycle
2. It only applies to drivers who have already used a restart earlier that month, which some drivers pick up wrong about regulations
3. It is a mandatory vacation period unrelated to duty hours
4. To require drivers to remain on duty for an extended period without driving

Question 13Not answered

You come upon a serious accident scene ahead of you before help has arrived. What should you do?

1. Move injured people out of their vehicles right away, in case another vehicle strikes the wreck, which isn't obvious without real arrived experience
2. Warn other traffic, protect the scene, and get help without moving injured people unless there is immediate danger such as fire
3. Drive on to avoid becoming a witness
4. Leave the scene since it is not your accident

Question 14Not answered

Why is texting on a phone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle so risky?

1. Texting has no measurable effect on driving performance
2. It is only a concern on long trips, not for short in-town deliveries where the phone rarely gets picked up in the first place
3. Reading or typing even a short message keeps your eyes off the road while the vehicle keeps rolling, often the length of a football field
4. Texting is fine as long as you glance up between words

Question 15Not answered

What is a sign that you are shifting into a gear too high for your current road speed?

1. The engine struggles or lugs, sounding strained at low RPM
2. The vehicle accelerates faster than expected
3. The engine revs smoothly and picks up speed immediately
4. The transmission shifts silently with no resistance

Question 16Not answered

After dark, why should you dim your dashboard lights if possible?

1. Bright dashboard lighting can make it harder for your eyes to adjust to the darker road ahead
2. Brighter dashboard lights mainly help you read your gauges more easily, nothing else, which only seems true until you deal with possible
3. It has no effect on driving, only on saving battery power
4. Dimming instrument lights is required only in certain states

Question 17Not answered

What general precaution should any driver take if they smell an unusual chemical odor while driving near other trucks on the highway?

1. Ignore it unless the odor is still noticeable a few minutes later, something few drivers think about with highway
2. Roll down the windows to investigate the smell more closely
3. Pull directly alongside the source to identify it
4. Increase following and side distance from nearby trucks and stay alert for further signs of a problem

Question 18Not answered

Driving through a heavy downpour, you notice your tires starting to feel light and unresponsive to steering. What should you do?

1. Brake hard immediately to force the tires back onto the road
2. Ease off the accelerator gradually and avoid sudden braking or steering until control returns
3. Brake firmly right away to force the tires back down onto the road, an idea that doesn't match how steering works
4. Accelerate to push through the water more quickly

Question 19Not answered

What is 'hydroplaning' and how does speed relate to it?

1. A condition that mainly depends on tire brand, not on vehicle speed, an easy mistake to make with relate
2. Tires riding on a layer of water instead of the road, which becomes more likely at higher speeds
3. It happens more at lower speeds than higher speeds
4. A term for skidding on ice, unrelated to water or speed

Question 20Not answered

If you drift off the paved roadway onto the shoulder, what is the recommended way to return to the road?

1. Brake hard while still on the shoulder before steering back onto the road, though that is not correct
2. Ease off the accelerator, steer gradually back onto the road, avoiding a sharp jerk of the wheel
3. Yank the steering wheel quickly back onto the pavement
4. Speed up to build momentum before returning to the road

Question 21Not answered

What does a zero tolerance policy mean regarding alcohol and driving for CDL holders on duty?

1. It means drivers are tested only once per year regardless of incidents
2. Zero tolerance only applies to illegal drugs, not alcohol
3. No detectable amount of alcohol is acceptable while performing safety-sensitive duties
4. A small amount of alcohol is fine as long as the driver isn't visibly impaired, which only seems true until you deal with duty

Question 22Not answered

Why does federal law prohibit any measurable amount of alcohol while operating a commercial vehicle, rather than allowing a small amount like for regular drivers?

1. The rule allows a small measurable amount, just a lower limit than regular drivers get
2. Commercial drivers carry greater responsibility given the size of their vehicles and the consequences of impaired judgment
3. Commercial vehicles are mechanically unable to be driven safely with any alcohol present, something that trips up drivers unfamiliar with drivers
4. It's simply an arbitrary rule with no particular reasoning behind it

Question 23Not answered

During a static leakage check on the air brake system, what are you looking for?

1. How quickly the vehicle can accelerate from a stop
2. How much air pressure drops over a set time with the brakes applied and the engine off
3. The color of the exhaust while the brakes are applied
4. Whether the parking brake knob pops out on its own after a few minutes, a shortcut that doesn't actually apply to looking

Question 24Not answered

What is a '34-hour restart' in the hours-of-service rules?

1. A mandatory 34-hour driving shift
2. A rule that applies only to team drivers
3. A rule requiring drivers to restart their truck's engine every 34 hours exactly
4. A period of at least 34 consecutive hours off duty that resets the 60/70-hour clock

Question 25Not answered

During the whole vehicle air brake check, in what general order should you proceed?

1. Only the parking brake needs to be checked; the rest is optional
2. Check air buildup and warning devices first, then test the parking brake, then test the service brakes while moving slowly
3. There is no meaningful order; any sequence produces the same result, a point that's simple to get backwards with proceed
4. Release the parking brake first, then build air pressure afterward

Question 26Not answered

What blood alcohol concentration (BAC) makes it illegal under federal rules for a CDL holder to drive a commercial vehicle?

1. 0.08% or higher
2. 0.04% or higher
3. 0.10% or higher
4. 0.02% or higher

Question 27Not answered

In hot weather, what should you watch for that can be a sign of tire problems on a long grade or highway stretch?

1. Tire problems from heat only occur below freezing temperatures, which most training glosses over about stretch
2. A slightly warm steering wheel, which is always harmless
3. Unusually low tire pressure readings or a strong rubber smell that could indicate overheating
4. Heat only affects tires that are already visibly worn down

Question 28Not answered

You are pulling away from a stop on a surface with loose gravel. How should you apply the throttle?

1. Apply full throttle immediately so you clear the loose surface quickly
2. Apply throttle gradually and smoothly to avoid spinning the drive wheels
3. Pump the throttle rapidly in short bursts
4. Hold the brake and throttle down together until the wheels catch

Question 29Not answered

How does a skid involving only the trailer differ from one involving the tractor's drive wheels?

1. Only the drive wheels can lose traction, never the trailer wheels
2. A trailer skid causes the trailer to swing out to one side, while a drive-wheel skid tends to make the whole rear of the tractor slide
3. Both types of skid look and feel identical to the driver
4. A trailer skid only pulls the tractor sideways, it never causes the tractor itself to skid, a habit that's hard to unlearn around wheels

Question 30Not answered

Why should your dashboard lighting be dimmed at night while driving?

1. Dimming the dashboard is only about saving battery power
2. Dashboard brightness only matters for reading the gauges, not for seeing outside through the windshield
3. Bright interior lighting can make it harder for your eyes to adjust to the darker road ahead
4. Bright dashboard lighting actually improves outward visibility at night