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1. There are three types of vehicle inspections: pre-trip, enroute,

and after-trip (also called post-trip).

2. Items inspected enroute should include tires, brakes and cargo

securement.

3. Mismatched tire size should not be used on the same vehicle.

4. Radial and bias ply tires should not be used on the same

vehicle.

5. Brake shoes, pads, or drums should not have oil, grease or

brake uid on them.

6. If one fourth of a leaf spring is missing or broken it’s illegal to

drive the vehicle.

7. One leaf of a spring, broken or missing is enough to make a

vehicle dangerous.

8. Steering wheels are not allowed to have more than ten degrees

of play.

9. If there are exhaust leaks or steering uid leaks they should be

xed before driving.

10. Required emergency equipment includes a re extinguisher,

warning devices, and spare electrical fuses.

11. Inspection under the hood includes oil level, the condition of

the belts and hoses and damaged electrical wiring.

12. Rough acceleration causes mechanical damage.

13. When starting out on an uphill grade, keep the vehicle from

rolling back by using the parking brake.

14. Backing is always dangerous. It should be done towards the

drivers side and use a helper, if possible.

15. Keep both hands on the steering wheel on opposite sides.

16. Use mirrors to check on tires, other trafc when merging and

the trailer in turns.

17. Remember there are blind spots that a mirror can’t show.

18. Tachometers can be used to help with shifting and double

clutching.

19. Turn signals should be used early.

20. Down shift before entering curves.

21. Retarders are to slow the vehicle and reduce brake wear.

22. If traction is poor, a retarder can cause skidding.

23. A driver should be looking 12-15 seconds or about a quarte

mile ahead.

24. When passing, tap your horn, assume the other driver doesn’

see you and drive to avoid a crash.

25. Headlights should be on whenever visibility is reduced.

26. Drivers should ash their brake lights to warn others when

you must slow down or stop for something ahead.

27. Warning devices are placed 10 feet, 100 feet and 200 feet to

the rear on a four lane divided highway.

28. When you are broken down, if a hill or curve prevents othe

drivers from being able to see you, move the rearmost triangle

500 feet back.

29. When setting out warning devices, keep them between you

and trafc.

30. Use the air horn only when necessary, it startles othe

drivers.

31. A heavy vehicle going 55 mph on dry pavement needs the

length of a football eld, or 300 feet, to stop.

32. The heavier a vehicle and the faster it is going, the greate

the stopping distance.

33. Hydroplaning can occur at any speed. It is more likely with

thin tire tread or low air pressure.

34. On slippery roads, slow down gradually. If on ice, stop as

soon as it is safe.

35. On wet roads reduce speed by one third or snow by one

half.

36. On slippery roads it takes longer to stop and is harder to turn

without skidding, therefore turn and slow down as gently as

possible.

37. When in trafc, driving the same speed as trafc is the safest

if not an illegal speed.

38. At 35 mph a 40 foot vehicle needs 4 seconds space between

it and the vehicle ahead, under good conditions.

39. A vehicle’s height changes with the weight of its load.

40. When being tailgated you should increase your following

distance.

41. When turning right from a two-lane street to another two-lane

street, turn wide as you complete the turn.

42. When turning left from one two-lane street to another two

lane street, begin turning half way though the intersection.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

KEY FACTS

There is a federal requirement that each state must have minimum standards for the licensing of commercial drivers

You will have to take 1 or more knowledge test depending on what class of license and endorsements you need.

All applicants take a general knowledge test. This section contains information on safe driving and general informationthat all commercial drivers should know. Subjects include inspections of equipment, safety, and driving skills whileon the road.

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43. If there are two left turn lanes use the one on the right, to

keep trafc on your left side.

44. When entering crossing trafc, remember how large a gap is

needed for a heavy vehicle.

45. High beams should be used when safe and legal to do so.

46. Drive slowly enough at night to stop within range or your

headlights.

47. When driving in cold weather check tires every two hours or

100 miles.

48. When driving in hot weather check tires every two hours or

100 miles.

49. Never remove a hot radiator cap.

50. In hot weather be extra careful of oil level, fan belt tightness,

and avoid high speeds.

51. To dry out wet brakes, apply gentle brake pressure for a short

distance while driving.

52. Brake fade is usually generally caused by hot brakes.

53. When going down long downhill grades, use a light steady

pressure on the brakes.

54. Newer trucks should go down long downhill grades in a gear

lower than they came up.

55. Escape ramps are designed to prevent damage to the

vehicle.

56. When driving in work zones, slow down, use your ashers,

and warn drivers behind you with your brake lights.

57. When using a curved downhill exit ramp slow down before the

curve.

58. A red triangle with an orange center marks a slow moving

vehicle.

59. In an emergency, you can almost always turn quicker than

you can stop.

60. If you leave the road, avoid braking until your speed is under

20 mph.

61. When steering to avoid a crash, turn no more than is needed

to clear what is in your way and do not apply the brakes when

turning.

62. If an on-coming driver drifts into your lane steer to the

right.

63. Controlled braking is used to keep a vehicle in a straight

line.

64. If you run onto the shoulder, try to stop before coming back

on the highway.

65. If the wheels are skidding when braking, you can not contro

the vehicle.

66. Counter steering is turning the wheel back in the othe

direction after steering to avoid an emergency.

67. If the brake pedal goes to the oor with hydraulic brakes

pump the pedal to try and bring the pressure back up.

68. If a tire blows out, stay off the brake, until you have slowed

down.

69. If a rear wheel slips during acceleration let off the throttle.

70. A vehicle can skid if turned too sharply, over accelerated, o

there is not enough weight on the front axle.

71. A drive-wheel braking skid can be corrected by stopping the

braking, turning quickly, and counter steering if needed.

72. In a front wheel skid a vehicle tends to move in a straigh

direction even if the wheels are turned.

73. At an accident scene keep the injured warm, stop heavy

bleeding, move them if there is danger of re or passing trafc

Don’t give rst aid that you are not qualied to give.

74. Truck res can be started by under inated tires, loose fue

connections or electrical shorts.

75. Water won’t put out an electrical re or gasoline re.

76. A:B:C re extinguishers can be used on electrical res, burning

liquids, and burning cloth.

77. All CDL drivers should be able to recognize hazardous cargo

and whether a HazMat endorsement is required to haul any

one of the nine classes of HazMat.

78. As part of a pre-trip inspection, drivers must check all gauges

including: oil pressure, water temperature, alternator/

voltmeter, air pressure, and oil temperature (if equipped).

79. Most vehicles with manual transmissions require double

clutching to change gears. Do this by slightly pushing the

clutch in 2 quick times while moving the shift lever into and

out of gear.

80. Anti-lock Braking Systems sense when the wheels are about to

lock up during hard brake applications. They are an addition

to your normal brakes. If you have ABS, DO NOT pump youbrake pedal when skidding - let the system do the work fo

you and simply apply and hold the pedal down.

81. When a driver doubles their speed in a heavy vehicle, the truck

will take four times as much distance to stop and can cause

four times the destruction.

82. Remember that it takes a typical tractor-trailer unit at least 14

seconds to clear a single railroad track. Never shift gears while

crossing railroad tracks.44. When entering crossing trafc

remember how large a gap is needed for a heavy vehicle.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE KEY FACTS con’t