Colorado CDL: Passenger Vehicles Practice Test

Not quite. The answer is It depends on the state.

There is no national requirement for coach buses to stop at permanent weigh station locations. Instead, each state can set its own rules. As of March 2021, there are 24 states in which coach buses must stop at weigh stations, at least under certain circumstances.

Source: Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, March 2021

Not quite. The answer is Never

During your pre-trip inspection, make sure that the emergency exit doors and windows are closed. Never drive with them open. However, you are allowed to lock some emergency roof hatches in a partly open position for fresh air. Keep in mind that doing so adds to the height of the bus.

Not quite. The answer is The driver must engage in a conversation with the riders while driving.

Avoid fueling your bus with riders on board unless it is absolutely necessary. Never refuel in a closed building with riders on board. Don’t talk with riders, or engage in any other distracting activity, while driving.

Not quite. The answer is Tornado

In most extreme situations, it is safer for the passengers to remain inside the bus – but not in the case of a tornado. First, you can't hope to outrun a tornado. The tornado can skip from one point and touch down at another point unpredictably. Second, the tornado can destroy much of what lies in its path. Therefore, when a tornado is around, evacuate the bus, and get everyone to shelter in the basement or other safe room of a nearby building. If no such shelter is available, get the passengers into a ditch or ravine (but not underneath a bridge or overpass), and instruct them to lie face down with their hands over their head. In the extremely unlikely event that lightning hits your bus, it should pass around the metal exterior of the bus. However, stay off the radio. Lightning can travel down antennas and through electronic gear. Have your passengers stay inside the bus, and stay away from the sides of the bus.

Not quite. The answer is If you turn on your headlights, you don't need to turn on the red emergency door light.

If an emergency door has a red emergency exit light, it must work properly. However, you only need to turn it on when visibility is poor enough that you have switched on your headlights (such as at night or in poor weather).

Not quite. The answer is 500 pounds

Buses may carry small amounts of certain hazardous materials, such as small-arms ammunition labeled "Limited Quantity," emergency hospital supplies, and drugs. Buses may not carry more than 100 pounds of any hazard class or more than 500 pounds total.

Not quite. The answer is latch

If you are performing your vehicle inspection test on a coach or transit bus, you will have to inspect the baggage compartments. Check that the baggage compartment doors are undamaged, operate properly, and latch securely.

Not quite. The answer is may be locked in a partially open position.

You may lock roof hatches into a partially open position to provide fresh air. However, don't leave them open all the time. When open, they add to the bus's height, which can pose problems when driving through an underpass with low vertical clearance.

Not quite. The answer is No.

Never drive with an open emergency exit door or window. As part of your pre-trip inspection of the interior of the bus, check that all emergency exit doors and windows are securely closed.

Not quite. The answer is Swaying your body to see around obstructions

A vehicle's pillars help hold up the roof and maintain structural integrity of the vehicle. The pillars on a bus can be quite wide. Together with the side mirrors, they create obstructions to your vision that can be at least a foot wide, resulting in blind spots. A pedestrian (or even a small vehicle) can seem to disappear completely behind a pillar, which can be especially dangerous if you turn into the pedestrian's path. For this reason, your bus driving instructor may teach you to "rock and roll" when turning your bus: sway your body forward and backward and from side to side to help you see around the pillars and mirrors.

Not quite. The answer is don't talk with riders.

While driving, stay focused on the driving task. Keep an eye on your riders, but don't talk with them or engage in any other distracting activities.

Not quite. The answer is it must be secured while the bus is being driven.

Emergency exit doors and windows must be securely closed whenever the bus is moving. Signage must be visible. If there is a red emergency door light above the emergency exit, it must work properly and be turned on whenever you use your headlights.

Not quite. The answer is slow down and make sure it's safe to proceed.

You don't have to stop at a drawbridge if you have a green light or there is an attendant or traffic officer present. However, you should still slow down and make sure that the drawbridge is closed and safe to drive on before you proceed across it. The Rio Vista Bridge shown in the image is a vertical-lift bridge that crosses the Sacramento River along California State Route 12.

Not quite. The answer is Both of the above are true.

Don't tow a disabled bus with passengers aboard unless it would be unsafe to discharge them first. In that case, tow or push the bus to the nearest safe location to discharge the passengers.

Not quite. The answer is on any wheels except the front wheels.

Federal regulations prohibit the use of recapped, regrooved, or retreaded tires on the front wheels. A tire failure on the steering axle is more likely to result in loss of control than a tire failure elsewhere.

Source: 49 CFR 393.75

Not quite. The answer is watch for poles and tree branches.

School and mass transit buses sometimes scrape off mirrors or hit passing vehicles when pulling out from a bus stop. Remember the clearance your bus needs, and watch for poles and tree limbs at stops. Know the size of the gap your bus needs to accelerate and merge with traffic. Wait for the gap to open before you leave the stop. Never assume that other drivers will brake to leave you room when you signal or start to pull out.

Not quite. The answer is 100 pounds of any one class of allowed hazardous materials.

Passenger buses can carry up to 100 pounds of each class of hazardous materials and up to 500 pounds total. However, there are some exceptions. Division 2.3 (poison gases) and liquid Class 6 (poisons) cannot be carried in any amounts. Class 1 (explosives) and Class 7 (labeled radioactives) cannot be carried in the passenger area.

Not quite. The answer is Passenger safety

As a bus driver, always remember that when you drive a passenger vehicle, your first responsibility is to ensure the safety of the passengers you're transporting. Passenger comfort and prompt arrival at the destination are important but secondary concerns.

Not quite. The answer is A line on the floor that all passengers must stay behind

Buses that allow passengers to stand must have some way to show passengers that they must stand behind the driver. This can be a two-inch-wide line (called the standee line) on the floor behind the driver's seat.

Not quite. The answer is driving safely and transporting passengers safely.

You must have a Passenger (P) endorsement on your CDL to drive a vehicle with 16 or more occupants including yourself. To obtain this endorsement, you must meet several requirements including passing a knowledge test and a skills test in a vehicle that is representative of the class of vehicle you will be driving professionally. The knowledge test covers safe commercial driving and safe transportation of passengers. These subjects are covered in chapters 2 and 4 of the Colorado Commercial Driver License Manual. Note: If you plan to drive buses with air brakes, you must also pass a separate knowledge test and the vehicle for the skills test must have air brakes. Otherwise your Colorado CDL will include restriction L, which will limit you to driving vehicles without air brakes.