Kansas DOV CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 3
Test 3 of 5. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 40 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Kansas test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age18 years
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1. How do you get more engine braking from an automatic transmission on a downgrade?
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Answer B: Select a lower range before starting down
Locking the transmission into a lower range keeps engine speed high enough to hold the vehicle back and spares the service brakes.
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2. What should you do with the previous driver vehicle inspection report before starting your trip?
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Answer B: Review it and confirm that listed defects were certified as repaired or as not needing repair
Reviewing the last report and the carrier certification tells you whether reported defects have been corrected before you take the vehicle out.
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3. What do the U-bolts on a leaf spring suspension do?
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Answer A: They clamp the spring assembly to the axle so it cannot move
U-bolts hold the spring pack tight against the axle, and a loose or broken U-bolt lets the axle slide out of place under load.
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4. Where is a dunnage bag used and how does it work?
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Answer D: Between pieces of cargo inside a van, where it is inflated to take up the gap
A dunnage bag is placed in the void between loads and inflated so the cargo is wedged and cannot move as the vehicle rolls and brakes.
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5. You normally pull an empty trailer, but today the same tractor is loaded to its legal maximum. What changes about getting under way?
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Answer A: You may need to start in a lower gear, since the load takes more pulling power
The heavier the load, the lower the gear needed to get the vehicle rolling without lugging or stalling the engine.
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6. Using the snub braking method on a downgrade, when does the driver release the brakes?
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Answer A: After speed has dropped about 5 mph below the safe speed
The driver brakes firmly to about 5 mph under the chosen safe speed, releases to let the brakes cool, then repeats when the safe speed returns.
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7. Besides staying secure, cargo carried inside a vehicle must not do what?
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Answer C: Block the driver view or access to emergency equipment and exits
Cargo may not obstruct the view to the front or sides or prevent the driver from reaching emergency equipment and exits.
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8. In the seven-step method, what comes immediately after starting the engine and inspecting inside the cab?
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Answer D: Turn off the engine and check the lights
Step four shuts the engine down and switches on the lamps needed for driving so the driver can leave the cab and confirm they actually work.
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9. A fire starts in the cargo area of a van trailer. Why should you keep the doors closed until firefighters arrive?
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Answer D: Opening the doors lets in air that feeds the fire
A fire in a closed van is starved of oxygen; opening the doors gives it the air it needs to flare up.
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10. An unblocked crate 4 feet long and weighing 1,500 pounds needs at least how many tiedowns?
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Answer A: Two
A short article that weighs more than 1,100 pounds requires at least two tiedowns even though it is under 5 feet long.
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11. You stop to check the load. Which set of things are you looking at?
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Answer C: Tight tiedowns, cargo that has not moved, secure doors and tarps still fastened
A cargo check covers the load and everything holding it: whether it has shifted, whether the devices are still tight, and whether doors and covers are still closed and fastened.
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12. Where is the yellow antilock brake malfunction lamp on a trailer, and what does it mean if it stays lit?
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Answer D: On the left side, at the front or rear corner, and it means the antilock function may not be working
Trailers carry the yellow lamp on the left side, and a lamp that stays on after the bulb check means the antilock function may be lost even though the normal brakes still work.
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13. How do you test for leaks in a hydraulic brake system during the pre-trip inspection?
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Answer A: Pump the pedal three times, then hold firm pressure for five seconds and make sure the pedal does not move
If the pedal sinks while you hold pressure, fluid is escaping or air is in the lines, and the vehicle must not be driven until the problem is repaired.
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14. You need to pull off onto the shoulder because of a problem with the load. How should you communicate that to other drivers?
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Answer D: Signal the move, then switch on the four-way flashers once stopped
Other drivers need a signal before you leave the lane and a clear warning once the vehicle is stopped near the traffic lanes.
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15. What does it mean to overdrive your headlights at night?
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Answer D: Driving so fast that you cannot stop within the distance lit by your headlights
You must be able to stop inside the distance you can see; at night that distance is limited by the headlights, so speed must be lowered to match.
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16. What is generally the safest speed in dense but freely moving highway traffic?
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Answer D: The speed of the traffic around you, up to the posted limit
Crashes rise with the difference between your speed and the traffic around you, so moving with the flow within the legal limit is safest.
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17. What happens to braking distance when speed is doubled?
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Answer C: It becomes about four times longer
Braking distance grows with the square of speed, so doubling the speed multiplies both the braking distance and the force of an impact by about four.
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18. Federal rules require a power unit that is not carrying placarded hazardous materials to have a fire extinguisher with which minimum rating?
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Answer A: One rated 5 B:C or more, or two rated 4 B:C or more each
The minimum is a single unit rated 5 B:C or more, or two units of at least 4 B:C each, which is enough to attack a fuel or electrical fire.
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19. Your speedometer stops working during the pre-trip check. How should it be treated?
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Answer D: As a defect, because the driver cannot judge and control speed without it
A working speedometer is required equipment, because judging speed by feel in a heavy vehicle is unreliable and speed governs stopping distance.
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20. Besides the Division of Vehicles, who does Kansas law require the secretary to authorize to administer the CDL skills test on request?
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Answer A: Any community college or technical college that asks
K.S.A. 8-2,133 directs the secretary to authorize any community college or technical college, upon its request, to administer the CDL skills test under an agreement meeting 49 C.F.R. part 383.
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21. What is the danger of letting engine speed climb past the top of the rated rpm range before you shift?
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Answer B: You can damage the engine, so the shift should be made before that point
Every engine has a rated operating range; running above it can cause serious engine damage, so the upshift belongs at the top of that range, not beyond it.
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22. What should you check about the tire valve stems during the walkaround?
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Answer D: That the stems are not cut, cracked or leaking and the caps are in place
A split stem or a missing cap lets air escape or lets dirt into the valve, and either one can flatten a tire between stops.
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23. During the vehicle overview, what should the driver look for on the ground under the vehicle?
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Answer B: Fresh puddles of oil, coolant, grease or fuel
New stains on the ground are the earliest sign of a leak, so the overview includes a look underneath before anything is opened or started.
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24. You are stopped in a line of traffic behind a car. How much space should you leave in front of you?
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Answer C: Enough to see where the rear tires of that car meet the road
That amount of space lets you pull around the vehicle ahead if it stalls and absorbs some of the shock if you are struck from behind.
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25. You pick up a sealed trailer at a shipper. What should you check before leaving the dock?
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Answer B: That the seal number matches the paperwork and that the doors are properly closed
You cannot look at a sealed load, but you can confirm that the seal is intact, that its number matches the documents and that the doors are secure.
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26. Which items belong to the trailer part of the walkaround inspection?
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Answer D: Landing gear, doors, tires, wheels, lights, reflectors, frame and cargo securement
The trailer has its own running gear, lighting, structure and load, and all of it is the responsibility of the driver pulling it.
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27. What does the gross vehicle weight rating of a vehicle describe?
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Answer A: The maximum loaded weight of that single vehicle, as specified by the manufacturer
The rating is the manufacturer figure for the loaded weight of one vehicle, so it is a limit fixed in advance rather than a measurement of the load on board today.
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28. Your truck has a backup alarm that sounds whenever reverse is selected. What may a driver rely on it for?
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Answer D: Very little; it warns some people but cannot show you what is behind the vehicle
An alarm may not be heard over yard noise or by someone wearing hearing protection, so it never replaces looking at the path yourself.
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29. Which vehicle is most likely to be pushed around by a strong crosswind?
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Answer B: An empty van trailer
A large flat side with very little weight behind it gives the wind the most surface and the least resistance, which is the empty van trailer.
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30. Why must the steering wheel be moved only a small amount at a time while backing?
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Answer B: Because a small turn of the wheel produces a large change at the rear of the vehicle
In reverse, the effect of the steering is greatly magnified at the back of the vehicle, so a small correction is usually all that is needed.
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31. Federal rules say a commercial vehicle may not be driven unless what is true of its cargo?
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Answer B: It is properly distributed and adequately secured
The basic federal requirement is that the load be distributed properly and secured well enough that it cannot move, whatever the paperwork says.
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32. You are hauling a sealed trailer and have been told in writing not to open it. How does that affect the en route cargo checks?
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Answer C: You do not have to inspect the cargo itself, but the vehicle and weight are still yours
The en route cargo inspection rule does not apply to a driver of a sealed vehicle who has been ordered not to open it, but every other responsibility, including legal weight, remains.
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33. How can a driver tell that a shipment includes hazardous materials?
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Answer B: The shipping paper describes them and the packages carry hazard warning labels
Hazardous materials are identified on the shipping paper with their shipping name and hazard class, and the packages themselves carry labels showing the hazard.
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34. What does the commercial driver manual tell you to do with the parking brake when you leave your vehicle?
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Answer B: Apply the parking brake every time you leave the vehicle
The manual is explicit that the parking brake goes on whenever the driver leaves the vehicle, because once nobody is at the controls it is the only thing holding it.
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35. Before starting a trip, what must the driver confirm about the weight of the loaded vehicle?
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Answer A: That it is within the legal gross and axle limits for the route being driven
Overweight vehicles brake poorly, damage tires and suspension components, and can be put out of service at a scale, so weight is checked before the wheels turn.
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36. A company mechanic serviced your truck this morning and signed the work order. Do you still have to inspect the vehicle?
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Answer B: Yes, the driver is still responsible for being satisfied the vehicle is safe
Shop work does not transfer the duty; the driver who takes the vehicle out remains responsible for being satisfied it is in safe operating condition.
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37. You are stopped in traffic on a steep upgrade behind another truck. How much space should you leave in front?
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Answer A: Enough that you can pull away without rolling back into the vehicle behind you
Room ahead lets you get moving smoothly on a grade instead of having to hold the vehicle perfectly still or roll back toward the traffic behind.
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38. How should a commercial driver treat the speed posted for a curve?
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Answer B: As a limit set for cars in good conditions, so a heavy or tall load calls for a lower speed
Posted curve speeds are based on passenger vehicles in good conditions, and a tall or heavy load can roll over well below that speed.
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39. What is the general minimum age for a Kansas license to drive a commercial or class A or class B motor vehicle?
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Answer C: 18 years
K.S.A. 8-237 bars the Division of Vehicles from issuing a license for a commercial or class A or B motor vehicle to a person under 18, apart from the farm custom harvesting exception.
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40. A fire has started in the vehicle. How should the extinguisher be used?
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Answer B: Stay as far back as the reach of the extinguisher allows, stand upwind, and aim at the base of the fire
Aiming at the base attacks what is actually burning, and staying upwind and well back protects the driver from heat, smoke and the flames themselves.
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41. The engine oil pressure gauge falls toward zero while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop as soon as it is safe to do so and shut the engine down
Loss of oil pressure destroys an engine in a very short time, so the correct response is to stop and shut down rather than to drive on.
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42. The paperwork shows a weight, but the load looks heavier than you expected. What should you do?
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Answer C: Weigh the vehicle, since you are the one answerable for driving it overweight
The driver is the one who can be cited for an overweight vehicle, so a doubtful weight is settled on a scale before the trip continues.
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43. Cargo securement must be strong enough to hold the load under which conditions?
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Answer A: Hard braking, hard acceleration and hard turning, as well as the bouncing of the road
The securement standard is written around the forces of a hard stop, a hard start, a hard turn and vertical movement on a rough surface, all of which occur in ordinary driving.
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44. How is a shipping container normally secured when it is carried on a special container chassis?
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Answer B: With its own locking devices that attach the container directly to the chassis frame
Containers built for rail or ship transport have locking corners that fasten to a matching chassis; a container carried on a plain flatbed must be secured like any other cargo.
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45. Why does a driver use pull-ups while backing into a tight space?
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Answer C: To pull forward and start the approach again when the angle is going wrong
Stopping, pulling ahead and repositioning fixes a bad angle safely, and there is nothing wrong with needing more than one attempt.
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46. Why should both outside mirrors be checked over and over while backing?
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Answer B: Each mirror covers only part of the path and neither covers the blind spots, so people and objects can appear without warning
Working both mirrors in turn is the only way to follow the whole path of a vehicle you cannot see behind.
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47. On packed snow, how much should a commercial driver reduce speed?
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Answer D: By about one half or more
Packed snow costs far more traction than rain, so speed should be cut by half or more.
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48. You must leave the vehicle parked on a slight grade. What adds security beyond setting the parking brake?
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Answer D: Chocking the wheels so the vehicle cannot roll if the brake bleeds off
Chocks hold the vehicle mechanically and are the standard backup whenever a parked vehicle could roll.
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49. How are the extra gears of a multi-speed rear axle or auxiliary transmission usually controlled?
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Answer D: With a selector knob or switch on the gearshift lever of the main transmission
A range selector on the shift lever lets the driver choose the extra gear range while shifting the main transmission.
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50. Why is a quick lane change particularly risky with a load of hanging meat or of livestock?
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Answer A: The load swings or leans and can keep pushing the trailer after you straighten out
A swinging or leaning load keeps moving after the vehicle has finished the maneuver, so its momentum acts on the trailer at the worst moment.