Mississippi CDL Practice Test

Not quite. The answer is adjust your speed to keep your stopping distance within your sight distance.

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.

Not quite. The answer is do all of the above.

When an aggressive driver is trying to confront you, do not give the person the confrontation that he or she seeks. Instead, seek police, peace, and safety.

Not quite. The answer is release the parking brake as you apply engine power.

If you start to move your vehicle when facing uphill, you need to take steps to keep from rolling back. If your vehicle has a manual transmission, partly engage the clutch before you take your right foot off the brake. Put on the parking brake whenever necessary to keep from rolling back. Release the parking brake only when you have applied enough engine power to keep from rolling back. On a tractor-trailer equipped with a trailer brake hand valve, the hand valve can be applied to keep from rolling back until you've built up engine power.

Not quite. The answer is Gravity

The force of gravity slows your vehicle down on an upgrade and speeds it up on a downgrade. When driving down a long, steep downgrade, you must select an appropriate safe speed, then use a low gear and proper braking techniques.

Not quite. The answer is Signal other drivers when it is safe for them to pass you.

If you must drive slowly, keep right and (if state laws allow it) use your four-way flashers to warn other drivers. Don't try to signal other drivers when you believe it's safe for them to pass you. If something were to go wrong, resulting in an accident, you could be held legally liable.

Not quite. The answer is It can help prevent distracted driving.

Anything that takes your eyes off the road constitutes a distraction. This can include fiddling with vehicle controls, such as mirrors, radio controls, or climate controls; reading maps or programming GPS navigators; or talking or texting on a hand-held cell phone. Try to get these activities done before you start your trip.

Not quite. The answer is on-time performance.

FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program includes the following seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs): Unsafe driving, crash indicator, Hours of Service compliance, vehicle maintenance, controlled substances/alcohol, hazardous materials compliance, and driver fitness. Carriers who fail to correct unsafe behaviors can be taken off the road. Your performance as a truck driver is an important part of your company's record.

Source: "CSA: Compliance, Safety, Accountability," FMCSA, https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/

Not quite. The answer is The use of alcohol or drugs can lead to a collision or an arrest.

Some prescription drugs can impair your driving abilities. Some drugs can make you drowsy or impair your coordination. Stimulants can impair your concentration and affect your vision. And once the stimulant wears off, you may "crash" (feel even more drowsy and tired than you did before). Take a prescription drug only if your doctor assures you that the drug won't impair your driving abilities.

Not quite. The answer is Steer to the right.

If you are approaching a hazard and are unable to stop in time, the safest maneuver is usually to bypass it on the right, even if it means moving onto the shoulder. If you steer to the left in heavy traffic, you could collide with another vehicle or force it into oncoming traffic.

Not quite. The answer is Start in the inside lane and swing right as you turn.

To make a left turn, don't start the turn until you have reached the center of the intersection. If you turn sooner, off-tracking may cause the left side of your vehicle to hit another vehicle. If there are two left-turn lanes, use the one on the right. If you use the lane on the left, you may be forced to swing right to make the turn, which can cause a collision with a vehicle to your right.

Not quite. The answer is 34,000 pounds.

Under federal regulations, the maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) of a truck on the interstate system of highways is 80,000 pounds. The maximum gross weight upon any one axle is 20,000 pounds. The maximum gross weight on tandem axles is 34,000 pounds. This figure applies to both the tandem axles (drive axles) of the tractor and the tandem axles of the trailer.

Source: 23 CFR 658.17

Not quite. The answer is 2 hours.

According to the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, if you encounter adverse driving conditions during your trip that prevent you from completing your trip within the allowed driving time, you may extend your allowed driving time by an additional two hours. "Adverse driving conditions" include bad weather and unusual road or traffic conditions that were not known about in advance.

Source: "Summary of Hours of Service Regulations," FMCSA, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations

Not quite. The answer is Pump the brake pedal three times; then apply firm pressure to the pedal and hold it for five seconds. The pedal should not move.

To test a vehicle equipped with hydraulic brakes for leaks in the brakes, first pump the brake pedal three times. Next, apply firm pressure to the brake pedal for five seconds. If it moves, the brakes may have a leak or some other problem.

Not quite. The answer is Firmly, with your hands on opposite sides of the wheel

Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands. Your hands should be on opposite sides of the steering wheel. If you hold the steering wheel with just one hand, it could pull out of your grasp if you hit a pothole or the curb.

Not quite. The answer is the shipper and the carrier.

A bill of lading is a required document when shipping products by carrier. The bill of lading is issued by the carrier to the shipper, detailing the cargo that the carrier will transport for the shipper. It is a legally binding document. It includes the number of packages, a description of what is in each package, the weight of the packages, and the shipping rate. The bill of lading also lists the name and address of the shipper (consignor), and the name and address of the receiver (consignee). If there will be any Collect on Delivery (C.O.D.) charges, the bill of lading provides the necessary information, including who will pay the charges: the shipper or the receiver.

Not quite. The answer is Type of tire tread

To determine which low gear to use to begin a descent, consider the weather, the length and steepness of the downgrade, the weight of your cargo, and the road conditions.

Not quite. The answer is Both of the above

If the force applied to the wheels overcomes the tires' grip of the road, the tires will lose traction, which may lead to a skid. Two ways that this can happen are the following: (1) a sharp turn when the front wheels have insufficient traction because of insufficient weight on those wheels; (2) overacceleration supplying too much power to the drive wheels.

Not quite. The answer is 11 hours

According to the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, the driver of a cargo-carrying vehicle must not drive after a period of 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty. The driver may not drive for more than 11 hours during this on-duty period.

Source: "Summary of Hours of Service Regulations," FMCSA, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations

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

On glare ice, your vehicle's stopping distance can be ten times as long as on dry pavement. When driving on glare ice, slow down to a crawl, maintain a long following distance behind the vehicle in front of you, and stop driving as soon as you can do so safely.

Not quite. The answer is Empty trucks can take longer to stop than loaded trucks, but this is not normally the case for buses.

The brakes and suspension of a truck are designed to handle heavy cargo. Trucks that are empty or only lightly loaded take longer to stop because the stiff suspension springs and strong brakes give poor traction and make it easier to lock the wheels. This is not usually the case for buses, however.