Mississippi CDL: General Knowledge Practice Test

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

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. Some modern automated manual transmissions (AMT) have a Hill Start or Hill Assist feature. When the vehicle is in gear on an incline and the driver releases the service brakes, the AMT will prevent the vehicle from rolling back for about three seconds, giving you time to apply the accelerator.

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 Bobtail tractor

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.) Likewise, "bobtail" tractors (tractors without semitrailers) can take even longer to stop than an unloaded tractor-trailer. Be very careful when driving a "bobtail" tractor.

Not quite. The answer is at all times.

Regardless of whether you're a passenger or the driver, you should wear your seatbelt at all times while the vehicle is moving. Seatbelts are proven to save lives and reduce injuries. Federal regulations require the driver and all passengers who are seated in a moving commercial motor vehicle (CMV) to wear seatbelts (unless, of course, the seats aren't equipped with them).

Source: 49 CFR 392.16

Not quite. The answer is Someone might try to pass you on your right.

If you swing wide to the left, a driver may try to pass you on your right while you are turning. Instead, make the right turn with the rear of your vehicle as close to the curb as possible and turn wide as you complete the turn. This will deny drivers room on the right to try to pass you.

Not quite. The answer is Axles

All of a vehicle's axles should be aligned perpendicular (a 90-degree angle) to the centerline of the vehicle. If the trailer axles are not properly aligned, the trailer may drift to one side, a condition commonly known as dog-legging or dog-tracking. At a roadside inspection, your trailer can be placed out of service for misaligned axles (49 CFR 393.207(a)). Another possible cause of dog-tracking is incorrectly adjusted tandems (if the trailer is so equipped).

Not quite. The answer is Your home terminal

According to federal regulation 49 CFR 395.8 and FMCSA Guidance FMCSA-HOS-ELD-TECH-395-FAQ26, you must record your duty status according to the time zone at your home terminal, including daylight savings time if it is in effect at your home terminal. Your "home terminal" is the place designated by your carrier, where you report for work at the start of your workday. Note that your carrier's main office may not be in the same time zone as your carrier's home terminal. Consider keeping a watch or smartphone app always set to your home terminal's local time so you can more easily log those times.

Not quite. The answer is In the front, back, or sides of the cargo

Two ways to secure cargo are blocking and bracing. Blocking is used in the front, back, or sides of a piece of cargo to keep it from sliding. Blocking is shaped to fit snugly against cargo. It is secured to the cargo deck to prevent cargo movement. Bracing is another way to prevent movement of cargo. Bracing goes from the upper part of the cargo to the floor or walls of the cargo compartment.

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 3 years.

When you apply for a CMV driver's job with a prospective DOT-regulated employer, that employer is required to query the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse to find out whether you failed any DOT-regulated employer's test for drugs or alcohol within the past three years. ("DOT-regulated" employers include all employers that are subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.) You must give the prospective employer written authorization to perform this background check on you. If the employer finds that you were guilty of a drug or alcohol violation within the past three years for which you have not successfully completed a return-to-duty (RTD) process, they are prohibited from employing you to drive CMVs or perform any other safety-sensitive functions. [49 CFR §382.501],

Source: 49 CFR § 382.701

Not quite. The answer is keep your wheels from locking when you brake hard.

ABS kicks in only to keep the wheels from locking, which can cause a skid. ABS does not change the way you normally brake the rest of the time. It is not a substitute for careful braking, defensive driving, good brakes, or regular maintenance.

Not quite. The answer is are often wider than other vehicles.

You need to keep your vehicle centered in the lane to keep safe clearance on either side. If your vehicle is wide, you have little room to spare. Large commercial vehicles are wide and take up most of a lane. Many tractor-trailers are 8½ feet wide.

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

In Step 4 (Turn Off Engine and Check Lights) of the Seven-Step Inspection Method, set the parking brake and turn off the engine. Turn on the low-beam headlights and four-way flashers. In Step 5 (Walk-Around Inspection), leave the cab, walk to the front of your vehicle, and make sure that these lights are working.

Not quite. The answer is 50

Drivers of trucks transporting cargo must inspect the securement of the cargo within the first 50 miles of a trip and every three hours or 150 miles (whichever comes first) from then on.

Not quite. The answer is One block

While driving, you should scan the road 12–15 seconds ahead. At typical speeds in urban areas, your vehicle will travel about one block in 12–15 seconds. At 60 mph, your vehicle will travel a quarter of a mile in 15 seconds.

Not quite. The answer is When you upshift, the engine speed should decrease to the rpm required for the next gear.

In double clutching, you apply the clutch twice: once to shift out of the current gear into neutral and again to shift out of neutral into the next gear. After you shift out of the current gear into neutral, adjust your engine speed to match the rpm required for the next gear. For a higher gear, allow your engine to slow down; for a lower gear, use the gas pedal to speed up the engine. Then shift out of neutral into the next gear.

Not quite. The answer is 6.

According to the Federal Highway Administration's truck classifications, there are three classes of medium-duty trucks: 4, 5, and 6. Class 6 trucks are the heaviest of these, each with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 19,501–26,000 pounds. Classes 7 and 8 are heavy-duty trucks. Class 7 trucks have a GVWR of 26,001–33,000 pounds. They include heavy-duty single-unit trucks. Class 8 trucks, which include the big combination tractor-trailers, have a GVWR of over 33,000 pounds.

Not quite. The answer is one-half.

On a slippery road surface, your vehicle's wheels will have less traction, and the vehicle's braking distance will increase significantly. On wet roads, reduce your speed by about one-third. On snow, reduce your speed by about one-half. On ice, slow down to a crawl and stop driving altogether if possible. (On ice, your vehicle's braking distance may increase tremendously.)

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 Choose a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see ahead.

Always drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance that you can see ahead. Otherwise, by the time you notice a hazard, you won't have enough time to stop to avoid it. When you increase your speed, your braking distance increases as the square of the speed increase. For example, if you double your speed, your braking distance will be four times as great. Empty trucks require greater stopping distances than loaded trucks because an empty vehicle has less traction.