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CDL GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (SECS. 1, 2, 3, 12, 13)
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 100% CORRECT
1. Who must have a CDL?
ANS 1. Operate a vehicle with a GVWR more than 26,000lbs
2. Trailers with a GVWR more than 10,000lbs if the gross comb weight rating is
more than 26,000lbs
3. More than 15 persons including driver
4. Vehicles with hazardous materials placards
2. Can you have more than one license?
ANS No. You can be fined up to $5,000 or put in jail.
3. How long do you have to notify employer of conviction of a traffic viola-
tion? ANS 30 days (except parking).
4. How long do you have to notify your vehicle licensing agency of convic-
tions in another jurisdiction? ANS 30 days (except parking)
5. How much driving history must you give your employer?
ANS All driving jobs held for the past 10 years. Do this when you apply.
6. What is the fine for driving without a CDL?
ANS Up to $5,000 or jail
7. How first-time offenses will cause the loss of CDL?
ANS All one year
- Driving a CMV under the influence
- Leaving the scene of an accident of your CMV
- Using your CMV to commit a felony
- Refusing sobriety test while driving CMV
- Causing death of other negligent or criminal operation of CMV
- Driving a CMV while CDL is revoked, suspended, canceled or disqualified
- If offense occurs while driving placarded for hazard material it is 3 years
8. When will you lose CDL for life?
ANS Second offense Using CMV to commit a felony involving controlled substances
9. What offenses result in 60-day loss of CDL?
ANS - 2 serious traffic violations or 1 violation of a law regulating rr crossing within a 3-year period involving a CMV
10. What offenses result in a 120-day loss of CDL?
ANS 3 serious traffic violations or 2 violations at rr crossing within a 3-year period
11. What results in 1-year loss of CDL?
ANS 3 violations of a law at rr crossing within a 3-year period
12. What are considered serious traffic violations?
ANS excessive speeding (+15mph), reckless driving, improper or erratic lane changes, following too closely, fatal traffic accidents, driving CMV without a CDL, driving CMV without CDL in possession.
21. What are signs of exhaust system defects?
ANS exhaust pipes, mufflers, tailpipes, vertical stacks,
22. What is your responsibility if cargo contains hazardous materials?
ANS In- spect for proper papers and placarding. Make sure cargo is balanced and secure.
23. What are the seven steps in a pre-trip inspection?
ANS 1. Vehicle overview
2. Check engine compartment (parking brake on and wheels chocked)
3. Start engine and inspect inside cab
4. Turn off engine and check lights (parking brake on, turn off engine, take key)
5. Do walk-around inspection
6. Check signal lights
7. Start engine and check brake system
24. How do you check hydraulic brakes?
ANS Pump brake pedal 3x, then apply firm pressure to the pedal and hold for 5 secs. The pedal should not move. If it does there is a leak or problem that needs to be fixed.
25. How often does an in trip check need to occur?
ANS Within the first 25-miles of the trip and every 150 miles or every three hours (whichever comes first)
26. How do I turn when backing with a trailer?
ANS With a bus, car, or straight truck you turn the top of the wheel toward the direction you want to go. With a trailer, you turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction.
27. How do you correct drift when backing?
ANS When the trailer drifts, correct it by turning the top of the steering wheel in the direction of the drift.
28. How do you shift up in a manual transmission?
ANS Requires double clutching to change gears ANS
1. Release accelerator, push in clutch and shift to neutral
2. Release clutch
3. Let engine and gears slow down to rpm required for next gear
4. Push in clutch and shift to higher gear
5. Release clutch and push accelerator at same time
- When do you shift up? ANS 1. Use engine speed (rpm)
- Use road speed (mph)
- How do you shift down in a manual transmission? ANS 1. Release accelerator, push in clutch and shift to neutral
2. Release clutch
3. Press accelerator, increase engine and gear speed to rpm required in lower gear
37. How long do you have to put out emergency warning devices if stopped on
the road? ANS 10 minutes.
38. Where do you place warnings if stopped on a two-lane road carrying
traffic in both directions or on an undivided highway? ANS Within 10' of the front or rear corners to mark location, and 100' behind and ahead.
39. Where do you place warnings if stopped beyond any hill, curve, or other
obstruction that prevents seeing within 500'? ANS 10' of the rear corner, 100' ahead, 100'-500' behind
40. Where do you place warning if you stop on a one-way or divided high-
way? ANS Within 10', 100' and 200' toward the approaching traffic.
41. What three things add up to total stopping distance?
ANS Perception distance
- Reaction distance + braking distance. At 55mph it takes 290 feet or 6 seconds.
42. What is the effect of speed on stopping distance?
ANS When you double your speed, it takes about 4x as much distance to stop and vehicle will have 4x the destructive power.
43. What is the effect of weight on stopping distance?
ANS The heavier the more work the brakes do, but heavy vehicles are designed to work best when fully loaded. Empty trucks require greater stopping distance b/c there is less traction. (not usually the case with buses though)
44. What is traction?
ANS Friction between the tires and the road.
45. How much space should you keep in front of you?
ANS One second for each 10' of vehicle length at speeds below 40mph. At greater speeds, add one second. (e.g. 40-ft vehicles needs 4 seconds under 40mph, and 5 seconds over 40mph)
46. What is glare blindness?
ANS Blinded by bright lights. 2 seconds of glare blind- ness at 55mph is more than half the distance of a football field.
47. How far ahead can you see with low beams?
ANS 250'
48. How far ahead can you see with high beams?
ANS 350'-500'
49. How close must another vechicle be before you dim your brights?
ANS 500' of an oncoming and when you are following another.
50. How often should you check the tires in hot weather?
ANS Every two hours or 100-miles. Air pressure increases with temperature. Do not let air out or the tires will be low when they cool off. If the tire is hot to the touch, remain stopped until it cools off or it may blow out or catch fire.
- Stay on the shoulder until you come to a stop.
59. How should I return to the road from the shoulder?
ANS Turn sharply enough to get right back on the road safely, don't try to edge on gradually b/c the tires might grab and you can lose control. When both front tires are on the paved surface, countersteer immediately.
60. What causes hydraulic brake failure?
ANS 1. loss of hydraulic pressure
- brake fade on long hills
- What can you do in case of hydraulic brake failure? ANS If the system won't build up pressure, the brake pedal will feel spongy or go to the floor. Then ANS
1. downshift
2. pump the brakes because this will sometimes generate enough hydraulic pres-
sure
3. use the parking brake. The parking brake is seperate from the hydraulic system.
Be sure to press the release button at the same time so you can adjust the pressure.
- What are the major signs of tire failure? ANS 1. Sound of a bang
2. Vibration (sign rear tire is out)
3. The steering wheel feels heavy (sign front tire is out)
- What are the four causes of skids? ANS 1. Over-braking
2. Over-steering
3. Over-acceleration
4. Driving too fast
64. What is over-braking?
ANS Braking too hard and locking up the wheels. Can also occur with the speed retarder when the road is slippery.
65. What are drive-wheel skids?
ANS The most common type of skid where the rear wheels lose traction through excessive braking or acceleration.
66. What happens in a rear-wheel skid?
ANS The rear wheels lose traction and usually slide sideways in an attempt to "catch-up" to the front wheels. This can cause a "spin-out" or a jackknife with a trailer.
67. How do you correct a rear-wheel skid?
ANS 1. Stop braking - let the wheels roll again. On ice, push in the clutch to let the wheels turn.
2. Turn quickly - Steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go down the road.
3. Countersteer - As it gets back on course it wants to keep turning. Turning the
other way prevents that skid.
68. Where is the best place to practice a rear-wheel skid?
76. What fire shouldn't you use water on?
ANS Electrical (you could get shocked) and gasoline (spreads the flames)
77. How do you extinguish the fire?
ANS 1. only do it if you know what you are doing
2. when using an extinguisher stay as far away as possible
3. Aim at the source or base of the fire
4. Position yourself upwind
- What drinks are comparable? ANS 1. a 12-oz glass of 5% beer
2. a 5-oz glass of 12% wine
3. a 1.5oz. shot of 80 proof liquor
79. What determines BAC?
ANS The amount you drink, how fast you drink, and your weight
80. How many hazard classes are there?
ANS Nine.
81. What is the purpose of the transportation rules for hazardouse materi-
als? ANS 1. to contain the product
2. to communicate the risk
3. to ensure safe drivers and equipment
- How do you communicate the risk of hazardous materials? ANS 1. a shipping paper that describes the materials (e.g. shipping orders, bills of lading, manifests).
2. Putting the diamond label on the container or a tag if it won't fit on the container.
88. Define Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
ANS The total weight of a single vehicle + load
89. Define Gross Combination Weight (GCW)
ANS The total weight of a powered unit + trailers + cargo
90. Define Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
ANS The max GVW supplied by the manufacturer for a specific combination of vehicles + its load
91. Define Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR)
ANS The max GCW speci- fied by the manufacturer
92. Define Axle weight
ANS The weight transmitted to the ground by one axle or one set of axles
93. Define tire load
ANS The max safe weight a tire can carry at a specified pressure. Stated on the side of each tire.
94. Define coupling device capacity
ANS Rated for the max weight they can pull or carry
95. What is a bridge formula?
ANS Permits less maximum axle weight for axles that are closer together. This prevents overloading bridges and roadways.
96. What is blocking?
ANS Used in the front, back, and/or sides of a piece of cargo to keep it from sliding. Shaped to fit snugly against the cargo.
97. What is bracing?
ANS Used to prevent movement of cargo. Goes from the upper part of the cargo to the floor and/or walls of the cargo compartment.
98. What are the rules for cargo tiedowns?
ANS - Combined strength must be strong enough to lift one and one half times the weight of the piece of cargo tied down.
- There should be at least one tiedown for each 10' of cargo.
- No matter how small the cargo it should have at least two tiedowns holding it.
99. What are special forms of cargo requiring attention?
ANS 1. Dry bulk - often have a high center of gravity and can shift.
2. Hanging meat - high center of gravity
3. Livestock - with less of a full load use false bulkheads to keep livestock bunched
together.
4. Oversized loads - special transit permits, limited to certain times, special equip-
ment.
- What is unsafe coasting? ANS When approaching a turn you take your vehicle out of gear clutch depressed or gearshift in neutral for more than the length of the vehicle.
