General Knowledge · Practice test 9

Question 1Not answered

When stopped behind another vehicle on an upgrade, why should you be able to see that vehicle's rear tires touch the pavement?

1. It has no real purpose, it is just a rule of thumb from driving school
2. It confirms the other vehicle's tires are not flat
3. It is only relevant when driving a passenger car, not a commercial vehicle
4. It leaves you enough space to move around it if it rolls back or stalls

Question 2Not answered

You see brake lights suddenly come on for several vehicles ahead of you in traffic. What should you do?

1. Begin easing off the accelerator and cover the brake, even before you know the exact cause
2. Change lanes immediately without checking your mirrors
3. Wait until the vehicle directly in front of you brakes before reacting at all yourself
4. Accelerate to get past the slowdown quickly

Question 3Not answered

You need to pass a slower vehicle on a two-lane road. How should you communicate this safely?

1. Flash your headlights rapidly until the other driver moves aside
2. Flash your headlights rapidly first so the other driver notices you want to pass, a detail that's easy to miss with safely
3. Signal your intention, make sure the way is clear well ahead, and only then move into the passing lane
4. Pass without signaling to avoid alerting oncoming traffic

Question 4Not answered

Why should cargo securement be re-checked after the first hour of driving, not just before departure?

1. Vibration and movement during the initial part of a trip can loosen straps or shift cargo that seemed secure at the start
2. Re-checking is only necessary for hazardous materials loads
3. Securement never changes once checked at departure
4. This step is only relevant for loads stacked higher than the trailer's sides, which most training glosses over about departure

Question 5Not answered

Why should you back up slowly rather than at normal driving speed?

1. Slow speed uses less fuel than any other part of a trip
2. It is only slower because reverse gear is mechanically weaker
3. It gives you time to stop or correct if something unexpected appears, since backing is inherently harder to see clearly
4. Backing speed mainly affects fuel use during the maneuver, not how much time you have to react, something few drivers think about with speed

Question 6Not answered

Why does uneven front-to-back weight distribution in a trailer cause handling problems?

1. Uneven distribution only matters at highway speed, not in slow city traffic, which only seems true until you deal with problems
2. Front-to-back distribution only affects fuel economy, not handling
3. As long as total weight is legal, front-to-back placement doesn't matter
4. It can overload one axle group while underloading another, hurting braking and steering balance

Question 7Not answered

Before backing a trailer into a space, what should you do first?

1. Turn on the hazard lights, then start backing without checking the space first
2. Sound the horn twice and begin backing immediately
3. Ask a bystander to guide you instead of checking yourself
4. Get out and walk around the area to check for obstacles, people, and clearance

Question 8Not answered

On a long downgrade in hot weather, why should you monitor your brake temperature in addition to your speed?

1. Only engine temperature matters on a downgrade, not the temperature of the brakes, though the reality of speed says otherwise
2. Hot weather actually improves brake performance on long grades
3. Brake temperature has no connection to how well the brakes work
4. Brakes used continuously to control speed on a long grade can overheat and lose stopping power, known as brake fade

Question 9Not answered

You notice your cargo has shifted to one side after a sharp turn. What should you do?

1. Speed up to reach your destination sooner
2. Continue driving normally since the tie-downs will hold regardless of how far it shifted
3. Stop as soon as safely possible and check or resecure the load before continuing
4. Ignore it unless the trailer starts to visibly tip

Question 10Not answered

You must pull onto the shoulder because of a mechanical problem. How should you alert other traffic that you are stopped?

1. Rely on your brake lights alone, since they're visible from a good distance behind you, which isn't obvious without real stopped experience
2. Turn on your hazard warning flashers and use reflective triangles if you'll be stopped for a while
3. Leave your turn signal on instead of your hazard flashers
4. Wave at approaching traffic from inside the vehicle

Question 11Not answered

If a vehicle suddenly pulls out in front of you and a crash seems unavoidable, what is generally the safer choice?

1. Take your foot off the brake so the vehicle can regain traction
2. Stay in your lane and brake as hard as possible rather than swerving unpredictably
3. Brake as hard as possible and hold your lane no matter what happens next, which isn't obvious without real choice experience
4. Swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid the vehicle

Question 12Not answered

A vehicle ahead just changed into your lane a bit too closely. What should this tell you to do?

1. Ease off the accelerator to rebuild a safe following distance behind them
2. Maintain your exact current speed and distance regardless of the lane change
3. Flash your headlights and close the gap to discourage similar behavior
4. Change lanes yourself immediately without checking your mirrors

Question 13Not answered

Why can even legal, prescribed medication create a problem for a commercial driver?

1. Only illegal drugs are ever a concern for driving safety
2. Prescription medications never have any side effects relevant to driving, which only seems true until you deal with driver
3. Some prescriptions can impair alertness or reaction time even when taken as directed
4. It only matters during the first week a new prescription is started

Question 14Not answered

As part of the air brake check, what should you verify about the parking (spring) brakes when air pressure drops to a low level?

1. That they stay released no matter how low the pressure drops
2. That they release smoothly once air pressure is restored to a normal level, something few drivers think about with level
3. That they apply automatically at the specified pressure to prevent driving with unsafe braking capacity
4. That they are disconnected during the test to avoid damage

Question 15Not answered

Why should you tap your brakes lightly to flash your brake lights when slowing for a hazard drivers behind you might not expect?

1. It is meant only for use at night, not useful during the day, which some drivers pick up wrong about expect
2. It warns following traffic that you are slowing, which matters because trucks take longer to stop
3. It has no effect on how following drivers react
4. It is required only in construction zones

Question 16Not answered

What does GOAL stand for as a reminder before backing a commercial vehicle?

1. Go Only After Looking, meaning check your mirrors twice before you start moving, though that is not correct
2. Gauge Objects At Length, a way to estimate distance using mirrors
3. Guide Others Around Loading, a term used only at loading docks
4. Get Out And Look, meaning physically walk around and check behind the vehicle before backing

Question 17Not answered

Why do you need more space above your vehicle, overhead clearance, than a car driver typically thinks about?

1. Overhead clearance is only a concern for oversized permit loads, never standard ones, though that is not correct
2. Height has no bearing on space management, only length and width do
3. A taller commercial vehicle can strike overhangs, signs, or branches that a car would pass under safely
4. Overhead space only matters when driving through tunnels, nowhere else

Question 18Not answered

Why should the general public, not just CDL holders, be aware that hazardous materials placards exist on some trucks?

1. Placards have no meaning to anyone outside a shipping company
2. Placards are purely decorative and carry no safety information
3. Placards are meant only for emergency responders to read, not for the general public, a habit that's hard to unlearn around trucks
4. Recognizing a placard can help a bystander know to stay back and inform responders during a roadside incident

Question 19Not answered

Why should you avoid staring directly at the headlights of an oncoming vehicle at night?

1. It has no effect on your ability to see the road
2. Looking at oncoming headlights actually improves your night vision over time
3. It is only a concern for drivers wearing glasses
4. It can cause temporary glare blindness that makes it harder to see the road

Question 20Not answered

Why is it important not to admit fault or discuss blame with the other driver at the scene of a crash?

1. It is only a concern for crashes involving a fatality
2. Discussing fault has no effect on any later investigation or insurance claim, though that is not correct
3. Drivers are legally required to state who was at fault immediately
4. The actual cause is best determined by investigation, not statements made in the heat of the moment

Question 21Not answered

Why is backing slowly considered safer than backing at a normal driving speed?

1. Backing speed has no effect on safety, only on how long the maneuver takes
2. Slow backing is only required in parking lots, not on the road
3. Backing quickly actually gives better visibility through the mirrors
4. It gives you more time to react if something unexpected appears in your path

Question 22Not answered

Why is turning off your turn signal promptly after completing a lane change or turn important?

1. It has no effect on other drivers' understanding of your intentions
2. A signal left on can confuse other drivers about your actual intentions
3. Turn signals automatically cancel on all commercial vehicles
4. It only matters on divided highways

Question 23Not answered

How does tailgating, or following too closely, interact with speed management?

1. It only becomes a speed management issue above highway speed, not below it, which some drivers pick up wrong about management
2. Tailgating is only risky at speeds below 30 mph
3. Following closely improves your reaction time
4. It removes the extra distance you need to react and stop safely, especially at higher speeds

Question 24Not answered

A driver behind you is following far too closely, a tailgater. What is a reasonable response?

1. Speed up until the tailgater falls back on their own without any signal from you, though that is not correct
2. Change lanes repeatedly to lose the tailgater
3. Brake hard to send a message to the tailgater
4. Increase your own following distance from the vehicle ahead, giving yourself more room to slow down gradually

Question 25Not answered

What information should you be prepared to exchange with another driver after a minor accident?

1. Only your name and phone number, since insurance handles the rest later
2. Only your employer's advertising information
3. Only the cargo manifest for your vehicle
4. License, registration, and insurance information for both vehicles involved

Question 26Not answered

During a pre-trip inspection, what should you do with the steering wheel to check for excessive play?

1. Turn it gently and note how far it moves before the front wheels start to respond
2. Check only that it spins freely with no resistance at all
3. Turn it as hard as possible in both directions to test the power steering pump's maximum output
4. Leave it alone since steering play can only be measured with special shop equipment

Question 27Not answered

Why should you back slowly and use small steering adjustments whenever possible?

1. Slow backing is required only in tight spaces, not in open parking lots, something few drivers think about with possible
2. Small, slow corrections give you time to stop before a mistake becomes a collision
3. Backing quickly always gives better trailer control
4. It is only a concern for drivers backing at night

Question 28Not answered

What is hydroplaning?

1. A layer of water builds up between the tires and the road, causing a loss of traction
2. A vehicle bouncing on rough pavement at highway speed
3. A buildup of water in the fuel line caused by driving through deep puddles, which isn't obvious without real hydroplaning experience
4. A tire losing air pressure gradually over a long trip

Question 29Not answered

How should you adjust your speed when driving through fog, even if the posted speed limit has not changed?

1. Reduce speed enough to stop within the distance you can actually see ahead
2. Speed adjustment is unnecessary if your headlights are working
3. Increase speed slightly to get through the fog more quickly
4. Maintain the posted limit since it already accounts for weather conditions

Question 30Not answered

As a general knowledge topic, why do all CDL holders need basic hazmat awareness even if they never haul placarded loads?

1. Basic awareness is only tested for drivers who already hold the hazmat endorsement, which sounds right but isn't, at least for loads
2. It has no practical use for drivers without the hazmat endorsement
3. It is only tested for legal reasons, with no real-world relevance
4. They may still encounter hazmat vehicles or incidents on the road and need to know how to react safely