Minnesota CDL: General Knowledge Practice Test

Not quite. The answer is grayish white.

In the wintertime, road salt used to clear snow and ice makes a road look grayish white. Therefore, if the road ahead looks black and shiny, be suspicious. It may be covered with a thin layer of ice known as black ice, which can be very slippery.

Not quite. The answer is 4

As stated in your official CDL manual, the basic rule for tiedowns is one tiedown for every 10 feet of cargo length rounded up to the nearest 10 feet. Thus under this rule, you need at least 3 tiedowns for a 22-foot-long piece of cargo. However, federal regulation 49 CFR 393.110 imposes an additional rule not stated in the manual: if the cargo is not blocked from moving forward by bulkheads, other devices, or other cargo, you must use one additional tiedown (which used to be called a "penalty strap") for the first 10 feet of cargo length. Hence, for a 22-foot-long piece of cargo that's not blocked from moving forward, you must use at least 4 tiedowns.

Not quite. The answer is Allow injured persons to become chilled or overheated.

If qualified medical personnel are at the accident scene, stay out of their way unless they ask for help. If they haven't arrived yet, try to keep injured persons warm (but not overheated) or cool (but not chilled). Don't move them unless there is a danger of fire or another accident from passing traffic.

Not quite. The answer is shift into a lower gear.

Trucks with heavy loads are often slower when going uphill. In this situation, keep right and shift into a lower gear for more torque if possible.

Not quite. The answer is how much the person weighs.

Your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is affected by how much alcohol you drink, how quickly you drink it, and how much you weigh. The larger your body, the larger the volume through which the alcohol has to spread.

Not quite. The answer is They can be used by any vehicle whose brakes have failed.

Escape ramps are located on many steep mountain grades. Escape ramps are built to stop runaway vehicles safely without injuring drivers or passengers. Escape ramps use a long bed of loose, soft material such as gravel to slow a runaway vehicle, sometimes in combination with an upgrade. Regardless of the type of vehicle you're driving, always look for one of these escape ramps. They can save lives, equipment, and cargo.

Not quite. The answer is you will have more control over the vehicle than if the tractor lacked ABS.

Having ABS on only the tractor, only the trailer, or even only one axle, still gives you more control over the vehicle during braking than you would have without ABS at all. Brake normally. If only the tractor has ABS, you should be able to maintain steering control, and there is less chance of jackknifing. But keep your eye on the trailer and let up on the brakes (if you can safely do so) if it starts to swing out.

Not quite. The answer is 66,000 pounds

To avoid overloading bridges, a bridge formula is used to specify a lower maximum axle weight for axles that are closer together. The Federal Gross Bridge Weight formula is W = 500 ( L N / (N - 1) + 12 N + 36 ) where W is the maximum allowed weight of a group of axles (rounded off to the nearest 500 pounds), L is the distance between the outer axles of the group, and N is the number of axles in the group. "L N" means L multiplied by N, and "12 N" means 12 multiplied by N. In this case, we consider the drive axles and trailer axles as one group of 4 axles. Therefore, N equals 4. The distance between the outer axles of this group is 36 feet. Therefore, L = 36. L × N = 144. N - 1 = 3. 144 divided by 3 = 48. 12 × N = 48 also. 48 + 48 + 36 = 132. Multiply this figure by 500 to get 66,000 pounds. Finally, round off the result to the nearest 500 pounds, which in this case is still 66,000 pounds.

Source: 23 CFR 658.17

Not quite. The answer is Warning devices for stopped vehicles

Federal regulations require every commercial motor vehicle (CMV) to carry one of the following types of warning devices in case the vehicle must be stopped on the road: three reflective triangles and six fusees. Federal regulations also require every CMV to carry a fire extinguisher. Your state may also require extra emergency equipment (such as a first-aid kit) on certain vehicles.

Source: 49 CFR 393.95

Not quite. The answer is throw it as hard as you can.

Take several precautions for safety. Throwing straps can strain your arm or shoulder muscles. Consider doing some limbering-up exercises before starting this activity. Wear a safety helmet (hard hat) in case the strap rebounds unexpectedly (say from a sudden gust of wind). Make sure there is no one on the opposite side who could be hit, but shout a warning anyway, just in case. Toss the strap over the load with a firm but smooth and controlled motion. Avoid excessive force, which could cause the strap to rebound, unravel or whip erratically, or strike someone.

Not quite. The answer is adjust to conditions while driving.

To prevent a skid or a rollover, adjust your speed and driving style to fit current driving conditions. On slippery roads, avoid sudden moves.

Not quite. The answer is use a lower gear than you would use to climb the hill.

With older trucks, you typically use the same gear for driving uphill and driving downhill. Today's trucks tend to have more powerful engines and be more efficient than older trucks. Hence, you can drive such a truck uphill in higher gears than you would use to drive downhill with engine braking.

Not quite. The answer is Unstable loads such as hanging meat or livestock require extra caution on curves.

If you're carrying a cargo of livestock or hanging meat, slow down on curves and proceed with extreme caution. A cargo of hanging meat typically has a high center of gravity. Plus, hanging meat sways significantly when you're driving on a curve, making for a very unstable load. Livestock can move around or lean on curves, adversely affecting your vehicle's stability and making a rollover more likely.

Not quite. The answer is 38,000 pounds

Federal regulations impose maximum weight limits on CMVs traveling on interstate highways. The maximum allowable Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is 80,000 pounds. The single axle weight rating is 20,000 pounds, and the tandem axle weight rating is 34,000 pounds for typical tandem axles that are spaced 40 to 96 inches apart, from center to center. For tandem axles spaced 97 inches apart, the axle weight rating is 38,000 pounds. The tridem axle, or three-axle, weight rating is 42,000 pounds if the outermost two axles are 97 inches apart.

Not quite. The answer is All of the above

In your logbook, you must record each change of duty status, accurate to the nearest quarter hour (15 minutes). For each change, enter the location of the change and the reason for it in the Remarks section. Federal regulations refer to this information as an annotation, and electronic logging devices (ELDs) should have a way to enter such annotations electronically. Another use for the Remarks section is to record and annotate short-duration changes of duty status (those lasting less than 15 minutes), such as stopping for a few minutes to check the cargo securement. If you're temporarily exempt from some hours of service regulations because of an emergency or adverse condition, you should note that in the Remarks section, too. Finally, in the Remarks section, you should also identify the loads you picked up. One way (but not the only way) to identify a load is to enter the bill of lading number in the Remarks section.

Not quite. The answer is use your high beams when legal and keep your interior lights off.

If the lights from your instrument panel or other interior lights are too bright, it will take time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness outside. Help your eyes adjust to the outside darkness by dimming your instrument panel lights as much as possible and turning off all other interior lights. Use your high-beam headlights whenever possible. However, dim your headlights whenever you're within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or within 500 feet of a vehicle you are following.

Not quite. The answer is Stop driving as soon as you can safely do so.

When traveling on ice, your vehicle's braking distance can increase tremendously. On ice, slow down to a crawl and stop driving as soon as you can do so safely.

Not quite. The answer is When you're going down steep grades

If you keep applying the brakes to control your speed on a steep downgrade, the brakes will fade (lose their effectiveness). Instead, release the gas pedal and shift into a lower gear (even with an automatic transmission). This will generate a braking effect to slow the vehicle, known as engine braking. The lower the gear, the greater the engine braking effect. Apply the brakes only when engine braking is insufficient or you want to stop.

Not quite. The answer is ask the doctor if the medication will affect your ability to drive.

Some prescription drugs can impair your driving abilities. If your doctor prescribes a medication for you, be sure to ask him or her if the medication can impair your driving abilities.

Not quite. The answer is Drive slowly enough to stop within the range of your headlights.

In the dark, you have no way of knowing what lies beyond the reach of your headlights. At night, you should slow to a speed that allows you to stop safely within the range of your headlights. Otherwise, if there is a hazard just beyond the range of your headlights, you may not be able to take action in time to avoid it.