New Hampshire CDL: General Knowledge Practice Test

Not quite. The answer is countersteer.

To correct a drive-wheel braking skid, stop braking so the drive wheels will unlock. However, as your vehicle turns back on course, it may overshoot and start to skid in the opposite direction. Quickly countersteer to counteract this tendency.

Not quite. The answer is slow down to a safe speed before taking the curve.

On curves, the posted speed may be safe for cars but not for CMVs, especially CMVs that are more prone to rollovers. Slow down to a safe speed before you enter the curve. Taking a curve too fast can cause a rollover. Braking in a curve can cause a skid (or even a jackknife if you're pulling a trailer).

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 You should remove ice from the radiator shutters.

In extremely cold weather, very cold air flowing onto the radiator and through the engine compartment can prevent the engine from warming up (and also keep your heater from working well). Radiator shutters or a winterfront restrict this air flow to let the engine warm up. However, don't overdo it. Keep the winterfront partially open or keep the radiator shutters free of ice. If the shutters freeze shut or the winterfront is closed too tightly, the engine may overheat from a lack of sufficient air.

Not quite. The answer is (b) and (c)

A CMV's diesel particulate filter traps particulate emissions from the engine. Eventually, enough particulates build up in the filter that they must be removed by burning them off at a relatively high temperature. This process is called regeneration. Passive regeneration and active regeneration both take place while the vehicle is moving. In passive regeneration, just the normally high temperature of the exhaust is used for regeneration. If this is not sufficient to burn off all the particulates, active regeneration takes place. The CMV's engine control unit (ECU) will inject fuel into the exhaust to raise its temperature. If even this is not sufficient, you'll have to park your vehicle and perform a regeneration manuallly, again by injecting fuel into the exhaust. Parked regeneration can take from 30 minutes to one hour. (Note: This topic is not usually found in the official state CDL handbook.)

Not quite. The answer is Rental truck drivers are often not used to the limited vision and pose a hazard.

A car driver who has never driven a truck before will be unused to a rental truck's size and limited view toward its sides and rear. This lack of truck driving experience makes a rental truck a hazard on the road.

Not quite. The answer is Pull off the road into a rest area or truck stop

You should watch for foggy conditions and be ready to reduce your speed. Do not assume that the fog will thin out after you enter it. The best advice for driving in fog is: don’t. It is preferable that you pull off the road into a rest area or truck stop until visibility is better. Watch for vehicles on the side of the roadway. Seeing taillights or headlights in front of you may not be a true indication of where the road is ahead of you. The vehicle may not be on the road at all.

Not quite. The answer is 34,000 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 stop often and take short breaks before you feel really drowsy or tired.

To maintain your alertness during a long drive, especially at night, plan to take frequent rest breaks – about every two hours or 100 miles.

Not quite. The answer is 3

Your truck's emergency equipment must include warning devices such as three reflective red triangles, three liquid burning flares, or six fusees.

Not quite. The answer is plus or minus 5 mph.

According to federal regulation 49 CFR 393.82, the speedometer of a CMV traveling at 50 mph must be accurate to within plus or minus 5 mph, which would be a relative error of plus or minus 10%. This requirement applies to buses, trucks, and truck tractors.

Not quite. The answer is There are “blind spots” that your mirrors cannot show.

"Blind spots" are areas around your vehicle that your mirrors cannot show you. Large CMVs have large blind spots to the front, the rear, and both sides of the vehicle. Convex mirrors can show a wider area than flat mirrors, but at the expense of making objects appear smaller and farther away than they would in a flat mirror.

Not quite. The answer is quarter hours.

In your duty log, time is normally calculated in quarter hours or 15-minute intervals. However, for a short-duration status change (i.e., one lasting less than 15 minutes), draw a line from the status line, down to the Remarks section. You enter the location of the change, what the short change was, and how long it lasted.

Not quite. The answer is at the front, back, or sides of a piece of cargo.

Blocking and bracing can prevent cargo from shifting. Use blocking and bracing to keep cargo from shifting in whichever directions it might move. Blocking fits snugly against cargo; bracing runs from the upper part of the cargo to the floor or walls of the cargo compartment.

Not quite. The answer is All of the above

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a medical condition in which a sleeping person repeatedly stops breathing for 10 seconds or more, caused by repeated closures of the upper airway. Physical effects of OSA include daytime sleepiness and reduced performance. OSA is quite common; 3 million Americans suffer from it. Risk factors for developing OSA include the male gender; ages 40 and older; obesity or overweight; a large neck size; and a family history of OSA. Many CMV drivers have several of these risk factors. Fortunately, the condition is treatable.

Not quite. The answer is You should never remove the radiator cap on a pressurized system until the unit has cooled.

Never remove the radiator cap or any part of the pressurized system until the system has cooled. Steam and boiling water can spray under pressure and cause severe burns. Antifreeze has both a relatively low freezing point and a relatively high boiling point, so it can keep your engine from overheating in warm weather.

Not quite. The answer is park in an open area.

If your vehicle catches fire, pull off the road and park in an open area away from anything that might catch fire, such as buildings or trees. Especially avoid parking your burning vehicle near a gas station!

Not quite. The answer is Yes, but only a hands-free phone.

Under FMCSA regulations, a CMV driver is not allowed to hold a mobile device to make a call, or dial by pressing more than a single button. While driving, a CMV driver can only use a hands-free device in close proximity. Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving a CMV can result in driver disqualification, as well as stiff fines levied against both the driver and the driver's employer.

Source: "Mobile Phone Restrictions Fact Sheet," Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, May 2012

Not quite. The answer is October 20, 1994

Under federal regulations, every CMV with air brakes that was manufactured since October 20, 1994, must have automatic slack adjusters. Antilock brakes (ABS) have been required on all buses with air brakes that were built since March 1, 1998. ABS has also been required on all tractors with air brakes that were built after March 1, 1997, and all trailers with air brakes that were built after March 1, 1998.

Source: 49 CFR § 393.53

Not quite. The answer is Clear

Fresh Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) looks like clear water. If the DEF fluid in a vehicle's DEF tank looks cloudy, is any other color but clear, or has contaminants floating in it, the fluid has gone bad and must be replaced.