Montana CDL: Tanker Vehicles Practice Test

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.

Not quite. The answer is Slow down gradually.

Braking on a slippery surface can lock the wheels and cause a skid. Brake gently and slow down very gradually.

Not quite. The answer is 20 feet long.

An ISO standard portable tank is a metal tank enclosed in a steel frame. The frame is 19.8556 feet (6.05 meters) long, 7.874 feet (2.40 meters) wide, and either 7.874 feet (2.40 meters) high or 8.374 feet (2.55 meters) high.

Not quite. The answer is Keep a steady foot on the brake and don't release the brake too soon.

To control the effects of surge, brake far in advance of a stop. Maintain steady pressure on the brakes and don't release them too soon.

Not quite. The answer is Wet roads can double the stopping distance at any speed.

To control surge, know the stopping distance of your vehicle and brake far in advance of a stop whenever possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle's stopping distance on wet roads will be about double its stopping distance on dry roads.

Not quite. The answer is stop braking, turn quickly, and countersteer.

To recover from a drive-wheel braking skid, first stop braking. The rear wheels will unlock and roll again so there will be no more tendency to slide sideways. Then quickly steer your vehicle back on course. You may find that your vehicle will overshoot and keep on turning, possibly skidding in the opposite direction. Countersteer to counteract this. Note: This maneuver takes some practice. You should become proficient in it before you actually need to use it.

Not quite. The answer is your vehicle may jackknife.

If your drive wheels are skidding, it's likely because you applied the brakes too hard and locked the drive wheels. A drive-wheel skid can let the trailer push the tractor sideways, causing a sudden jackknife. To recover from this type of skid, the first thing to do is stop braking. The drive wheels will unlock and start to roll again.

Not quite. The answer is side-to-side surge.

Some tanks have baffles: bulkheads with holes through which the liquid can flow forward or backward. These baffles significantly reduce forward-and-backward surge but not side-to-side surge, so the risk of surge causing a rollover remains.

Not quite. The answer is baffles.

Baffles are devices that regulate the flow of liquid. In a tank vehicle, baffles are a type of bulkhead with holes through which liquid may flow but with reduced force.

Not quite. The answer is roll over.

Baffled tanks can control back-and-forth surge but not side-to-side surge. During sudden steering changes, side-to-side surge can cause your tanker to roll over. Avoid such sudden moves when possible.

Not quite. The answer is both of the above.

When deciding how much liquid you can load on your tank vehicle, you must consider the weight of the liquid, the amount of space to allocate for the liquid to expand as it heats up (called outage), and all legal weight limits on your vehicle. A full tank of a dense liquid may exceed the legal weight limits, so you can only fill the tanks partially with such a liquid.

Not quite. The answer is may exceed legal weight limits.

A full tank of dense liquid (such as some acids) may exceed legal weight limits. For this reason, you may not be able to completely fill the tank with a dense liquid.

Not quite. The answer is can have strong forward-and-backward surge.

Baffles are often used in tanks to reduce forward-and-backward surge. Nevertheless, certain cargoes, such as milk and other liquid food products, must be transported in smooth bore, unbaffled tanks. (Sanitation regulations forbid the use of baffles because they are hard to keep sufficiently clean.) These tanks are liable to have very strong forward-and-backward surge. Be very careful when driving vehicles with such tanks.

Not quite. The answer is an unbaffled tank.

A smooth bore tank is another name for an unbaffled tank. Without baffles, there is likely to be strong forward-and-backward surge. Nevertheless, certain cargoes such as milk and other liquid food products must be transported in smooth bore, unbaffled tanks. Sanitation regulations forbid the use of baffles because they are hard to keep sufficiently clean.

Not quite. The answer is Surge can move the truck in the direction the liquid waves move.

One of the reasons you must drive a tanker vehicle carefully is that liquid surge can push the vehicle in the same direction as the surge. This can be especially hazardous on icy roads, where a truck may be pushed forward a dangerous amount, maybe past a red light into an intersection.

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.

Not quite. The answer is speed up slightly

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.

Not quite. The answer is closed before you drive the vehicle.

To help prevent leaks, close all manhole covers before you drive the vehicle.

Not quite. The answer is starting or stopping.

Smooth bore tanks lack baffles or bulkheads to reduce forward-and-backward surge. When you start from a stopped position, the liquid will surge backward, pushing your vehicle backward. When you try to stop, the liquid will surge forward, pushing your vehicle farther forward. Perform such actions slowly and carefully.

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.