CDL School

When driving a loud bang, vibrations, or heavy steering can indicate that a tire has failed.

You will lose your CDL for at least one year for a first offense for: Driving a CMV if your blood alcohol concentration is .04% or higher or driving a CMV under the influence of alcohol.

A stale green light is a traffic light that is green when you first see it, thus you do not know how long it has been green - so we have to assume it will change at any moment.

Cargo should have at least one tie-down for each ten feet of cargo. You will need two tie downs for a 20-foot load.

Do not try to downshift after your speed has already built up. You will not be able to shift into a lower gear. You may not even be able to get back into any gear and all engine braking effect will be lost.

Blocking is used in the front, back, and/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.

Most good drivers look at least 12 to 15 seconds ahead. That means looking ahead at the distance you will travel in 12 to 15 seconds. At lower speeds, that's about one block. At highway speeds it's about a quarter of a mile.

You must review the inspection report made by the previous driver. Only if defects reported earlier have been certified as repaired or not needed to be repaired, should you sign the previous driver's report.

If an oncoming driver has drifted into your lane, a move to your right is best. If that driver realizes what has happened, the natural response will be to return to their own lane. No one is likely to be driving on the shoulder, but someone may be passing you on the left.

Whether or not you load and secure the cargo yourself, you are responsible for inspecting your cargo, recognizing overloads and poorly balanced weight, knowing your cargo is properly secured and does not obscure your view ahead or to the sides, knowing your cargo does not restrict your access to emergency equipment.

A hazard is any road condition or other road user (driver, bicyclist, pedestrian) that is a possible danger.

Remember that when the road is slippery, you need much more space to stop, and should keep more space in front of your vehicle.

In some vehicles, a control handle on the dashboard may be used to apply the spring brakes gradually. This is called a modulating valve. It is spring loaded, so you have a feel for the braking action. The more you move the control lever, the harder the spring brakes become on. They work this way, so you can control the spring brakes if the service brakes fail.

Because you cannot see everything behind your vehicle, backing is always dangerous. Avoid backing whenever you can. When you must back, here are a few simple safety rules: Start in the proper position, look at your path, use mirrors on both sides, back slowly, back and turn toward the driver's side whenever possible, and use a helper with clear hand signals whenever possible.

Use either the tachometer or the speedometer and upshift/downshift at the right rpm or road speed.

Short breaks can keep your alert. But the time to take them is before you feel really drowsy or tired. Stop often. Walk around and inspect your vehicle. It may help to do some physical exercise.

Inspect the tires more often than usual, or every two hours or every 100 miles when driving in very hot weather.

No matter how small the cargo, it should have at least two tie-downs.

Preventing drowsiness before a trip: Get adequate sleep (8 to 9 hours), prepare route, schedule trips for the hours you are normally awake, drive with a passenger, avoid medications that cause drowsiness.

ABS helps you avoid wheel lock up and maintain control. You will not be able to use stab braking on a vehicle equipped with ABS.

Explanation: Warn following drivers by flashing your brake lights, don't stop suddenly. If you see a hazard that will require slowing down, warn the drivers behind by flashing your brake lights. At dawn, dusk, in rain, or snow, you need to make yourself easier to see so turn on your lights. 

It will take longer to stop, and it will be harder to turn without skidding, when the road is slippery. Wet roads can double stopping distance at any speed, reduce speed, and slow down gradually on a wet road. 

Use windshield washer antifreeze to prevent freezing of the washer liquid.

When the low air pressure warning light and buzzer first come on, bring the vehicle to a safe stop right away, while you can still control the brakes.

Heavy vehicles are often tailgated when they can't keep up with the speed of traffic. This often happens when you're going uphill. If a heavy load is slowing you down, stay in the right lane if you can. Going uphill, you should not pass another slow vehicle unless you can get around quickly and safely.

Rear wheel braking skids occur when the rear drive wheels lock. Because locked wheels have less traction than rolling wheels, the rear wheels usually slide sideways in an attempt to "catch up" with the front wheels. With vehicles towing trailers, a drive-wheel skid can let the trailer push the towing vehicle sideways, causing a sudden jackknife.

While you are at the front of the vehicle, check the following items: headlight, low and high beam; windshield wiper arms for proper spring tension; wiper blades for damage; reflectors.

You need at least 4/32-inch tread depth in every major groove on front tires. No fabric should show through the tread or sidewall. There should be no cuts or other damage.

In some weather, water or slush collects on the road. When this happens, your vehicle can hydroplane. The tires lose contact with the road and have little or no traction. You may not be able to steer or brake. Hydroplaning can occur at speeds as low as 30 mph. Hydroplaning is more likely if tire pressure is low, or the tread is worn.

When people are working on the road, it is a hazard. There may be narrower lanes, sharp turns, or uneven surfaces.

Slow down to a safe speed, and downshift to the right gear before entering the curve. This lets you use some power through the curve to help the vehicle be more stable while turning. It also allows you to speed up as soon as you are out of the curve.

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle.

Empty trucks actually require greater stopping distances because an empty vehicle has less traction. It can bounce and lock up its wheels, giving much poorer braking.

Protect the accident area: if your vehicle is involved in the accident, try to get it to the side of the road, if you're stopping to help, park away from the accident, put on your flashers, and set out reflective triangles to warn other traffic.

Explanation: Use high beams when it is safe and legal to do so. Use them when you are not within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle. 

¾ second to 1 second.

If the load is more than two feet wide and extends more than four feet behind the rear of the vehicle, two square red flags must be placed at the end of the load.

The total stopping distance is the total minimum distance your vehicle has traveled, in ideal conditions; with everything considered, including perception distance, reaction distance and braking distance, until you can bring your vehicle to a complete stop. At 55 mph, your vehicle will travel a minimum of 450 feet.

Before you change lanes, you must first make sure that no vehicles are hiding in your blind spots.

To test the parking brake: fasten safety belt, set parking brake, place vehicle into a low gear, and gently pull forward against parking brake to make sure the parking brake holds.

If the surface is icy, reduce speed to a crawl and stop driving as soon as you can safely do so.

Accident statistics show that the chance of a crash is much greater for drivers who have been drinking than for drivers who have not.

Don't over steer, over accelerate, or over brake by adjusting to conditions while driving. These include traction, curves, visibility, traffic and hills.

You need at least one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length at speeds below 40 mph. At greater speeds, you must add 1 second for safety. If your vehicle is 40 feet long and you are traveling at 50 mph, your following distance should be 5 seconds or more.

Too much weight on the steering axle can cause hard steering. It can damage the steering axle and tires.

The gross combination weight (GCW” is the total weight of the GCWs of each unit of a combination vehicle – truck/tractor and trailer(s) added together.

The B:C type fire extinguisher is designed to work on electrical fires and burning liquids. These are usually the following types of fire extinguishers: Regular Dry Chemical, KCl Dry Chemical, Carbon Dioxide (Dry), Halogenated Agent (Gas).

Explanation: The gear box is part of the steering system, and other choices are parts of the suspension system.

What you should do is make a lane change or slow down to prevent a crash if the car suddenly cuts in front of you, and you should not honk or stay close behind the car.