CDL School

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. 

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.

In a front-wheel skid, the front end tends to go in a straight line regardless of how much you turn the steering wheel. On a very slippery surface, you may not be able to steer around a curve or turn.

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.

Your CDL will be disqualified after two or more convictions of any state law on texting while operating a CMV. No motor carrier shall allow or require its drivers to engage in texting while driving.

Explanation: If you stop on a two-lane road carrying traffic in both directions or on an undivided highway, place warning devices within 10 feet of the front or rear corners to mark the location of the vehicle and 100 feet behind and ahead of the vehicle, on the shoulder or in the lane you stopped in.

Explanation: A skid happens whenever the tires lose their grip on the road. Most serious skids result from driving too fast for road conditions. Drivers who adjust their driving to conditions don't over-accelerate and don't have to over-brake or oversteer from too much speed. 

Strong winds make it difficult to stay in your lane. The problem is usually worse for lighter vehicles. This problem can be especially bad coming out of tunnels.

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

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

Shut off the engine and take the key with you so someone else won't move the truck while you are under it.

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.

In a front-wheel skid, the front end tends to go in a straight line regardless of how much you turn the steering wheel.

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.

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

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.

Driving too fast is a major cause of fatal crashes. You must adjust your speed depending on driving conditions. These include traction, curves, visibility, traffic, and hills.

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.

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.

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.

Without ABS you still have normal brake functions. Drive and brake as you always have.

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.

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. 

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

Explanation - For an e-route inspection: check the tires, wheels, and truck body for signs of heat whenever you stop during a trip.

Wedge brakes and disc brakes are less common than s-cam brakes.

Commercial vehicle must be equipped with 3 red reflective triangles, 6 fuses or 3 liquid burning flares.

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.

Most vehicles now have an ABS light on the instrument panel that will light up briefly when the vehicle is started to alert you that the vehicle has ABS, you can check to see if the vehicle was built on or after March 1, 1998, or you can check for wires from your brakes.

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.

Poor weight balance can make vehicle handling unsafe. The cargo should be loaded so that it is balanced in the cargo area.

Braking when a tire has failed could cause loss of control. Unless you're about to run into something, stay off the brakes until the vehicle has slowed down. Then brake very gently, pull off the road, and stop.

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.

It takes a typical tractor trailer unit at least 14 seconds to clear a single track and more than 15 seconds to clear a double track.

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.

The tire load is the maximum safe weight a tire can carry at a specified pressure. This rating is stated on the side of each tire.

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.

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.

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

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

With the stab braking method, you apply your brakes all the way and release brakes when wheels lock up. 

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.

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.

Stopping is not always the safest thing to do in an emergency. When you don't have enough room to stop, you may have to steer away from what's ahead. Remember, you can almost always turn to miss an obstacle more quickly than you can stop.

When you're in an accident and not seriously hurt, you need to act to prevent further damage or injury. The basic steps to be taken in any accident are to: protect the area, notify authorities, and care for the injured.

Never leave your vehicle unattended without applying the parking brakes or chocking the wheels. Your vehicle might roll away and cause injury and damage.

To know how much space you have, wait until the vehicle ahead passes a shadow on the road, a pavement marking, or some other clear landmark. Then count off the seconds like this: "one thousand-and-one, one thousand-and-two" and so on, until you reach the same spot.

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.