General Knowledge · Practice test 13

Question 1Not answered

What should you review about your vehicle before a long trip, beyond the standard daily pre-trip inspection?

1. Nothing extra is needed beyond checking that the fuel tank is full, something that rarely comes up around inspection
2. Upcoming scheduled maintenance and any known minor issues that could worsen over a long haul
3. Only the fuel level needs extra review for a long trip
4. Maintenance schedules are irrelevant to trip planning

Question 2Not answered

You are backing and notice the trailer starting to angle the wrong way. What is the correct first step to fix it?

1. Stop, pull forward to straighten out, and then resume backing with a corrected angle
2. Keep backing while turning the wheel sharply the same direction
3. Continue backing without adjusting, since the angle usually corrects itself over time
4. Speed up briefly to force the trailer back into line

Question 3Not answered

You plan to slow down much more quickly than other drivers might expect. What should you do?

1. Turn on your hazard lights while braking normally, without tapping the pedal first as a warning
2. Sound your horn repeatedly
3. Pump the brake pedal briefly beforehand so your brake lights flash and warn traffic behind you
4. Flash your headlights at oncoming traffic

Question 4Not answered

If your brakes fail on a level road, what is a recommended technique to slow the vehicle using the brake pedal?

1. Pressing the brake pedal to the floor and holding it there no matter what happens next
2. Ignoring the brake pedal entirely and using only the parking brake
3. Stab braking, applying firm pressure and releasing if the wheels lock, then reapplying
4. Pumping the brake pedal as fast as possible in short taps

Question 5Not answered

Why is it dangerous to assume a vehicle ahead that just changed lanes will maintain a steady speed?

1. A driver who just changed lanes may still be adjusting speed, and treating their behavior as predictable too soon can catch you off guard
2. Lane changes have no effect on a vehicle's speed at all
3. It is only a concern in the seconds right after the lane change begins, not for the rest of the time spent driving nearby
4. Vehicles always speed up immediately after changing lanes

Question 6Not answered

Why is space management especially important when driving through a work zone with narrowed lanes?

1. Space management rules are suspended in construction zones
2. It matters only if the work zone has no posted speed limit
3. Work zones only narrow lanes on the left side, never the right, though that's not how lanes actually works
4. Reduced lane width leaves less margin for driver or equipment error near barriers or workers

Question 7Not answered

Why should you check the warning label on an over-the-counter medication before driving?

1. Medication warning labels have no connection to safe driving
2. Some common medications can cause drowsiness or slowed reaction time, similar to the effect of alcohol
3. Warning labels are mostly legal boilerplate and rarely describe a real drowsiness risk, though the reality of driving says otherwise
4. It only matters if you plan to drive for more than eight hours

Question 8Not answered

What is the most common overall cause of skids in commercial vehicles?

1. Keeping a long following distance from the vehicle ahead
2. Driving too slowly relative to surrounding traffic
3. Driving too fast for road or weather conditions
4. Using cruise control on a dry, straight highway

Question 9Not answered

When merging onto a highway, how should you manage the space around your vehicle?

1. Merge at a slow, fixed speed regardless of the traffic around you
2. Merge as soon as the lane appears, adjusting speed afterward
3. Wait on the shoulder until you spot a gap larger than your vehicle's own length, an idea that doesn't match how vehicle works
4. Match your speed to the flow of traffic and find a gap with enough space before merging

Question 10Not answered

What must a driver generally do if their electronic logging device (ELD) malfunctions during a trip?

1. Reconstruct records manually on paper and report the malfunction as required
2. Continue driving indefinitely with no log at all
3. Switch immediately to a paper log only for the remainder of that same day
4. Switch permanently to paper logs without ever repairing the ELD

Question 11Not answered

Why do you need extra space on the sides of your vehicle when passing parked cars?

1. Parked cars pose no added risk as long as no one is visibly inside them, an assumption that doesn't hold up with cars
2. It only matters if the parked cars are commercial vehicles
3. A door could open or a pedestrian could step out unexpectedly from between parked cars
4. Passing parked cars closely actually improves fuel economy

Question 12Not answered

As a general-knowledge driver without a hazmat endorsement, what should you know about placards on other vehicles?

1. A diamond-shaped placard signals a hazardous material and calls for extra caution around that vehicle
2. Placards are decorative and carry no safety meaning
3. Placards only appear on trailers, never on tank vehicles
4. Only law enforcement needs to notice placards on other trucks, not other drivers, something that trips up drivers unfamiliar with vehicles

Question 13Not answered

How should you communicate to traffic behind you that you are about to make a wide turn that swings the trailer out of its expected path?

1. Wide turns only need a signal if another vehicle is already visible nearby, something that trips up drivers unfamiliar with path
2. Signal well in advance and, if safe, position the vehicle to make the wide swing visible before turning
3. There is no way to communicate a wide turn to following traffic
4. Only use the horn as you begin the turn

Question 14Not answered

On a highway with a posted speed limit, when might driving at the speed limit still be too fast?

1. Only when driving an empty vehicle with no cargo at all
2. Only on weekends when traffic is lighter than usual
3. Never, since the posted limit already accounts for rain, wind, and heavy loads, which most training glosses over about fast
4. In poor conditions like heavy rain, fog, or high winds, where safe speed can be lower than the posted limit

Question 15Not answered

What problem can result from missing a gear while upshifting on an uphill grade?

1. The engine may briefly rev higher but the truck otherwise handles the same
2. It only affects fuel economy and nothing else
3. The vehicle can lose momentum and roll backward or stall on the grade
4. The parking brake automatically engages to compensate

Question 16Not answered

Why should you plan an alternate route or contingency in case your primary route is blocked?

1. Alternate routes are only useful for drivers unfamiliar with the area, a habit that's hard to unlearn around blocked
2. It matters only for hazardous materials shipments
3. Unexpected closures, such as from a crash or construction, can otherwise leave you without a safe way to proceed
4. A backup route only matters on trips longer than a full day's drive

Question 17Not answered

During the whole vehicle air brake check, why do you apply the brakes and hold them for about a minute?

1. To verify the fuel gauge reading is accurate
2. To test the horn and lights at the same time
3. To let the compressor catch up and top off the tanks before the trip, though it only feels that way with minute
4. To check that air pressure does not drop excessively while the brakes are held, which would signal a leak

Question 18Not answered

What is the safest way to communicate with another driver when you believe they made a mistake, such as cutting you off?

1. Avoid horn use or gestures meant to express anger, and instead focus on maintaining safe following distance
2. Use the horn in a long continuous blast
3. Tap your horn firmly a few times to make sure they know their mistake, a habit that's hard to unlearn around off
4. Tailgate them briefly to communicate your displeasure

Question 19Not answered

Why should you be especially cautious driving a tall, lightly loaded trailer through an open area known for strong winds?

1. Wind has no measurable effect on a vehicle that heavy
2. Wind mainly affects fuel economy for a tall trailer, not how it handles
3. Strong crosswinds can push a tall, light vehicle sideways or even affect its stability
4. Caution is only needed if the trailer is fully loaded, not lightly loaded, which isn't obvious without real winds experience

Question 20Not answered

After steering around an obstacle in an emergency, what should you do next?

1. Immediately release the steering wheel entirely
2. Be ready to steer back into your lane in a controlled way, avoiding an overcorrection
3. Continue steering in the same direction until the vehicle comes to a full stop, though the reality of next says otherwise
4. Apply the parking brake to stop the vehicle right away

Question 21Not answered

Why does driving at night reduce your ability to judge the speed and distance of other vehicles?

1. Headlights and taillights give fewer visual reference points than a fully visible vehicle in daylight
2. It only affects judgment of your own speed, not other vehicles
3. Speed and distance judgment is unaffected by lighting conditions
4. Judging distance at night only gets harder in the rain, not on a clear night, an easy mistake to make with vehicles

Question 22Not answered

Why should low beams be used instead of high beams when driving in fog or falling snow at night?

1. High beams reflect off the fog or snow and bounce the glare back at the driver, making it harder to see
2. Low beams actually reach farther than high beams in fog
3. High beams are illegal to use at any time in any weather
4. There's no real difference between low and high beams in fog or falling snow, though that is not correct

Question 23Not answered

In reduced visibility from fog, what speed adjustment is generally appropriate?

1. Slow down until your stopping distance fits inside how far ahead you can actually see
2. Maintain highway speed but turn on high beams for better visibility
3. Speed up slightly to get through the foggy area faster
4. Speed only needs to drop once visibility falls below about a quarter mile, though the reality of appropriate says otherwise

Question 24Not answered

On a wet road, how should you adjust your speed compared to dry conditions?

1. Increase speed slightly to clear standing water faster
2. Keep the same speed, since modern tires are designed to handle wet roads fine, which most training glosses over about conditions
3. Speed adjustments are only necessary below freezing
4. Reduce speed, since wet pavement increases stopping distance and reduces tire grip

Question 25Not answered

Why should heavier cargo generally be loaded low and toward the center of a trailer rather than high or to one side?

1. It is only a concern for liquid cargo, not solid freight
2. Loading position mainly affects fuel efficiency, not how the vehicle handles a turn, though it only feels that way with side
3. Weight position has no measurable effect on a trailer's stability
4. A low, centered load keeps the vehicle's center of gravity more stable, reducing rollover risk

Question 26Not answered

If someone is injured in a crash you are involved in, and you have no medical training, what should you generally do?

1. Wait for them to ask for help before doing anything
2. Give them water to help them stay calm
3. Call for emergency medical help and avoid moving the injured person unless there is an immediate danger like fire
4. Try to sit the injured person upright to help them breathe more easily, an assumption that doesn't hold up with generally

Question 27Not answered

If you are involved in or witness a crash involving a placarded vehicle, what is a key general-awareness safety step?

1. Placards do not change how you should respond to any crash
2. Keep a safe distance and let responders with proper training handle the material
3. Try to identify the exact chemical yourself before help arrives
4. Approach the vehicle immediately to check on the driver, regardless of the load

Question 28Not answered

What is the general awareness a driver should have about small quantities of hazardous materials that do not require placarding?

1. Some hazardous materials in small enough quantities may not need placards but can still require special handling
2. Any material not requiring a placard is not actually hazardous
3. Placarding thresholds only apply to liquids, never to solids or gases, which some drivers pick up wrong about placarding
4. Non-placarded loads never require any special paperwork

Question 29Not answered

Why might a non-hazmat driver be asked to move away from a stalled placarded vehicle rather than try to help push or tow it?

1. The placarded load may present a risk that requires trained personnel to manage safely
2. There is never a reason to keep distance from a placarded vehicle
3. Only the driver of the placarded vehicle is ever at any risk
4. Placarded vehicles are always safe to approach and assist without training, though that is not correct

Question 30Not answered

What should you do with your mirrors while backing to keep track of both sides of the trailer?

1. Check only the mirror on the side the trailer is turning toward, though the reality of trailer says otherwise
2. Only watch the mirror on the side you are turning toward
3. Mirrors are not useful while backing and should be ignored
4. Check both side mirrors regularly and stop if the trailer position no longer matches what you expect