How would you expect a truck with a cargo tank that has baffles to handle on the road?

There will be less front-to-back surge than there is in a tanker without baffles.

The truck will seem heavier than it really is.

The truck will handle the same way as a tanker without baffles.

Manhole covers should be

closed before you drive the vehicle.

opened and reclosed before you drive the vehicle.

left partially open to prevent a buildup of fumes.

How do bulkheads affect the handling of a tanker vehicle?

There will be less front-to-back surge than in a smooth bore tank.

There will be less side-to-side surge than in a smooth bore tank.

The surge will be greater than in a smooth bore tank.

The surge will be the same as in a smooth bore tank.

You are driving a tanker truck. The front wheels begin to skid. Which of these is most likely to occur?

You will continue in a straight line and keep moving forward no matter how you steer.

Liquid surge will pull the tank from the truck.

You need to steer quickly to avoid a hazard. Which of the following is true?

You should not apply the brakes while turning.

You should never leave the roadway.

You will find that tankers are easier to countersteer than most vehicles.

Baffled tanks have bulkheads

with holes that let liquid flow through.

that decrease the amount of side-to-side surge.

that separate the liquids in different sections of the tank.

If you must make an emergency stop, brake so that

your vehicle will stay in a straight line.

you can use the parking brake before the brake pedal.

you'll definitely lock the brakes.

Which of these is the best way to take a curve?

Slow to a safe speed before entering, then accelerate slightly through the curve.

Maintain speed until you enter, then downshift to slow down while you are in the curve.

Slow to a slow safe speed before entering, then coast through the curve.

If you do not have an automatic tank drain, when should you drain your air tanks?

After every four hours of service

You are driving on a clear night. You must dim your headlights from high to low. You should adjust your speed so you can stop within

the distance you can see ahead.

the distance you will travel in the next 15 seconds.

Which of these statements is true about backing heavy vehicles?

You should avoid backing whenever you can.

Helpers should be out of sight and use only spoken signals to communicate with the driver.

It's safer to back toward the right side of the vehicle.

Which of these is true?

You should not load a cargo tank completely full.

Half-full cargo tanks are more stable than empty tanks.

All liquids expand by the same amount as they warm.

the temperatures that your vehicle will be subjected to.

When loading the individual tanks of a tanker that is equipped with bulkheads, you should make sure that

there is an even distribution of weight.

most of the weight is toward the front of the vehicle.

the middle tank contains the largest amount of liquid.

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Michigan CDL: Tanker Vehicles Practice Test

20 tanker vehicles questions for the Michigan CDL Knowledge Test, out of 96 in the app. Answer each to see whether you got it right and why. The real Michigan Tanker Vehicles test has 20 questions and you need 16 correct (80%) to pass.

Facts updated Oct 26, 2026
Official source: law.cornell.edu
Independent, not affiliated with the SOS. How we write our questions

How it works

1Pick an answer20 questions, one tap each.
2See the ruleRight or wrong, every answer is explained.
3Get your scoreCompared with the real 80% pass mark.

Start the test

0/20 answered0 correctPass mark 80%

1Question 1 of 20
Which of these types of cargo tanks is commonly used to carry gasoline?
Not quite. The answer is MC-306 (DOT-406)
MC-306 (DOT-406) cargo tanks carry liquids under very low or no pressure (maximum allowable pressure of 3 psi for MC-306 and 4 psi for DOT-406). The cargo tank has an oval or elliptical cross section and is usually compartmented. These tanks are commonly used to carry gasoline, diesel fuel or fuel oil, and other flammable liquids.
2Question 2 of 20
The movement of the liquid in partially filled tanks is called
Not quite. The answer is surging.
When a tank is not completely filled, the liquid has room to move around. It can slosh back and forth or side to side. This is called surging.
3Question 3 of 20
How would you expect a truck with a cargo tank that has baffles to handle on the road?
Not quite. The answer is There will be less front-to-back surge than there is in a tanker without baffles.
Baffled tanks have bulkheads with holes to reduce forward-and-backward surge. This will reduce the chance that forward surge will push your vehicle dangerously forward when you're slowing or stopping. However, these bulkheads don't significantly reduce side-to-side surge, so rollovers can still occur.
4Question 4 of 20
Which of these is NOT included in the acronym "S.T.A.M.P.E.D." for hoses?
Not quite. The answer is Environment
The S.T.A.M.P.E.D. acronym is widely used to assist you in obtaining the correct hoses and fittings for your needs. S: the required size of the hose; T: the temperatures to which the hose will be subjected; A: the application (use) to which the hose will be put; M: the types of material (liquid, gas, etc.) that will have to flow through the hose; P: the maximum working pressure of the hose; E: the required fittings at the ends of the hose; D: the date at which the hose must be delivered to you.
5Question 5 of 20
Manhole covers should be
Not quite. The answer is closed before you drive the vehicle.
To help prevent leaks, close all manhole covers before you drive the vehicle.
6Question 6 of 20
How do bulkheads affect the handling of a tanker vehicle?
Not quite. The answer is There will be less front-to-back surge than in a smooth bore tank.
Bulkheads divide a tank into several smaller tanks. This will reduce forward-and-backward surge, making it less likely that surge will push your vehicle forward when you try to stop. However, when loading and unloading the smaller tanks, be sure to pay attention to weight distribution.
7Question 7 of 20
Hauling liquids in tankers requires special care for which of the following reasons?
Not quite. The answer is Both of the above
It takes special skills to drive a tanker carrying liquid cargo because of the vehicle's high center of gravity and the possibility that the liquid cargo may surge forward and backward or from side to side. The high center of gravity increases the risk of a rollover. And the liquid surge can push the vehicle dangerously forward or sideways, which can also cause a rollover.
8Question 8 of 20
Side-to-side surge can cause
Not quite. The answer is a rollover.
A side-to-side surge exerts lateral (sideways) forces on the tank. Once a side-to-side surge begins, unless the driver takes action, the tank will keep swaying more and more until the vehicle rolls over.
9Question 9 of 20
You are driving a tanker truck. The front wheels begin to skid. Which of these is most likely to occur?
Not quite. The answer is You will continue in a straight line and keep moving forward no matter how you steer.
In a front-wheel skid, the front end of your vehicle tends to travel in a straight line regardless of how you turn the steering wheel. This type of skid is most often caused by driving too fast for the current driving conditions. Therefore, the best way to recover from this type of skid is to just let the vehicle slow down. Steer and brake only gently.
10Question 10 of 20
You need to steer quickly to avoid a hazard. Which of the following is true?
Not quite. The answer is You should not apply the brakes while turning.
To avoid a crash or other hazard, keep both hands on the steering wheel so you can turn as quickly as possible. However, turn just enough to avoid the hazard. A too-sharp turn risks a skid or rollover. While turning quickly, avoid braking. Braking in a turn can easily lock the wheels and cause a skid.
11Question 11 of 20
Baffled tanks have bulkheads
Not quite. The answer is with holes that let liquid flow through.
Tank baffles are bulkheads with holes through which the liquid can flow, but with less force than in tanks without such baffles. These baffles significantly reduce forward-and-backward surge but not side-to-side surge, so the risk of surge causing a rollover remains.
12Question 12 of 20
If you must make an emergency stop, brake so that
Not quite. The answer is your vehicle will stay in a straight line.
If you must brake in an emergency, brake in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line while still letting you turn if necessary. You can use the "controlled braking" method or (in a vehicle without antilock brakes) the "stab braking" method.
13Question 13 of 20
Which of these is the best way to take a curve?
Not quite. The answer is Slow to a safe speed before entering, then accelerate slightly through the curve.
The posted speed for a curve may be safe for cars but not for tankers because of their relatively high center of gravity. Tests have shown that a tanker can roll over on a curve when traveling at the posted speed. The safest way to take a curve in a tanker is to slow down before the curve and then accelerate slightly through the curve. Braking in a curve risks a skid.
14Question 14 of 20
The qualified person watching the loading or unloading of the tank must
Not quite. The answer is be within 25 feet of the tank.
The person in charge of loading and unloading a cargo tank must be sure a qualified person is always watching. This person watching the loading or unloading must be alert, have a clear view of the cargo tank, be within 25 feet of the tank, know of the hazards of the materials involved, know the procedures to follow in an emergency, be authorized to move the cargo tank and able to do so.
15Question 15 of 20
If you do not have an automatic tank drain, when should you drain your air tanks?
Not quite. The answer is At the end of each working day
Oil and water can start to collect in the bottom of an air tank and can cause brake failure if it's not drained. Unless your vehicle automatically drains the air tanks, you should drain them at the end of each working day so the moisture and oil will not freeze or coagulate and cause your brakes to fail.
16Question 16 of 20
You are driving on a clear night. You must dim your headlights from high to low. You should adjust your speed so you can stop within
Not quite. The answer is the distance you can see ahead.
No matter what type of motor vehicle you are driving at night (even a passenger car), you must drive at a speed that lets you stop within the range of your headlights. (In the dark, you have no way of knowing what lies beyond the reach of your headlights.) With low beams, you can see ahead only about 250 feet. Yet if you're driving a vehicle with air brakes at 45 mph, your vehicle's stopping distance may be as long as 346 feet. Hence, with low beams at 45 mph, you will not be able to brake in time to avoid a hazard that you see.
17Question 17 of 20
Which of these statements is true about backing heavy vehicles?
Not quite. The answer is You should avoid backing whenever you can.
Backing up a large vehicle is always dangerous, even with a helper. Try to avoid backing up as much as possible.
18Question 18 of 20
Which of these is true?
Not quite. The answer is You should not load a cargo tank completely full.
Some liquids expand significantly when they warm up. To fill a tank with such a liquid, you must leave some room in the tank (called "outage") to take the expansion. Different liquids expand at different rates as the temperature increases. In science, the percentage increase of expansion for a given change in temperature is called the coefficient of thermal expansion. This value depends on the type of liquid. You need to find out how much outage you will need to allow for the type of liquid you'll be hauling.
19Question 19 of 20
Outage depends on
Not quite. The answer is the type of liquid.
Different liquids expand at different rates as the temperature increases. In science, the percentage increase of expansion for a given change in temperature is called the coefficient of thermal expansion. This value depends on the type of liquid. You need to find out the likely percentage increase for the type of liquid you'll be hauling, and allow enough room (called outage) for the expansion to take place.
20Question 20 of 20
When loading the individual tanks of a tanker that is equipped with bulkheads, you should make sure that
Not quite. The answer is there is an even distribution of weight.
Some liquid tanks are divided into several smaller tanks by bulkheads. When loading and unloading the smaller tanks, pay attention to weight distribution. Don’t put too much weight on the front or rear of the trailer.

Questions people ask

Is this Michigan CDL: Tanker Vehicles Practice Test like the real Michigan CDL Knowledge Test?

The questions are written in the same style as the real test, from official sources, with an explanation for each answer. The real test has 20 questions; this free test has 20.

How many questions are on the Michigan CDL Knowledge Test?

The General Knowledge test has 20 questions. Each class and endorsement adds its own test.

What score do you need to pass the Michigan CDL Knowledge Test?

You need 16 out of 20 correct (80%).

How old do you have to be to take the Michigan CDL Knowledge Test?

You can take it from age 18.

Where can I practice more questions?

The Driving Exam Prep app has the full question bank for your test, a step-by-step roadmap, a mistakes review and a readiness score against the real pass mark.

Official sources

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Which of these types of cargo tanks is commonly used to carry gasoline?

The movement of the liquid in partially filled tanks is called