Ohio BMV CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 9
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age18 years
-
1. You pick up a trailer that another driver dropped in the yard. What must you do before pulling it?
Show answer
Answer B: Inspect it yourself, because you are responsible for the whole vehicle you drive
Responsibility follows the driver who moves the vehicle, and a trailer that has stood in a yard may have lost air, developed a flat tire or been damaged.
-
2. What is the driver responsible for when a load is covered with a tarp?
Show answer
Answer C: Fastening it so it cannot flap free, block a mirror, or come off in the wind
A tarp that works loose can tear away, block the driver view or the view of others, and become a hazard for the traffic behind.
-
3. A chain rated at 6,600 pounds is fitted with a hook rated at 4,700 pounds. What is the working load limit of that assembly?
Show answer
Answer A: 4,700 pounds, the rating of the weakest part
An assembly is only as strong as its weakest component, so hooks, binders and links all count and the lowest rating governs.
-
4. What should you do before backing into a space you have not used before?
Show answer
Answer A: Get out and walk around to check the path, the clearance and any obstacles
Walking the area first reveals low obstructions, soft ground and objects that never appear in the mirrors.
-
5. Which situations call for a mirror check in a commercial vehicle?
Show answer
Answer A: Every lane change, turn, merge and tight maneuver
Mirrors must be checked regularly and always before, during and after any movement that changes the path of the vehicle.
-
6. Why is cargo often covered with a tarp?
Show answer
Answer C: To protect people from spilled cargo and to protect the cargo from weather
A cover keeps material from blowing or spilling onto the road and shields the load from rain and sun; it does not replace securement.
-
7. Before starting a trip, what must the driver confirm about the weight of the loaded vehicle?
Show answer
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.
-
8. How should a driver use brakes fitted with an antilock system during an emergency stop?
Show answer
Answer C: Brake as usual and keep enough pressure to stay in control while steering around the hazard
The system only works when the brakes are applied hard enough for it to act, so the driver keeps pressure on and steers while the system prevents lockup.
-
9. On a scale, your loaded truck is well under the gross weight limit, but one axle is above the limit for that axle. What does this mean?
Show answer
Answer D: The vehicle is overloaded and the load must be shifted or reduced before you drive on
Each axle and axle group has its own limit and each must be respected; being under the gross limit does not excuse an overloaded axle.
-
10. Which vehicle condition makes hydroplaning more likely?
Show answer
Answer C: Tires that are worn or underinflated
Tread depth and correct pressure are what let a tire push water aside, so worn or soft tires lift onto the water film at lower speeds.
-
11. What is a bulkhead in a cargo body used for?
Show answer
Answer D: To divide the space and stop cargo from moving into another part of the body
A bulkhead is a solid partition that separates one part of the load space from another and blocks the cargo from moving past it.
-
12. Your brakes have failed and you decide to use the parking brake to slow down. Why should you hold the release button or lever while doing so?
Show answer
Answer D: So you can release the brake at once if the wheels lock and the vehicle starts to skid
The parking brake can lock the wheels; keeping your hand on the release lets you let go the moment a skid starts and regain control.
-
13. On the Interstate System, what is the federal maximum weight allowed on a single axle?
Show answer
Answer A: 20,000 pounds
Federal limits for the Interstate System cap one single axle at 20,000 pounds.
-
14. Which of these is NOT on the federal list of parts and accessories the driver must be satisfied are in good working order before driving?
Show answer
Answer D: The seat cushion upholstery
The federal pre-trip rule names brakes, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment; seat upholstery is not on that list.
-
15. How far ahead can a driver see with low beams and with high beams?
Show answer
Answer C: About 250 feet with low beams and about 350 to 500 feet with high beams
Low beams reach roughly 250 feet and high beams roughly 350 to 500 feet, and speed at night has to stay inside the distance the lights really show.
-
16. Why should you avoid using your lights to tell a following driver that it is safe to pass you?
Show answer
Answer B: You may misjudge the gap and the driver will act on your signal
The manual warns against signaling others to pass, because the responsibility for a head-on crash then rests on a judgment you could easily get wrong.
-
17. Part of looking well ahead is planning an out. What does that mean?
Show answer
Answer B: Keeping an escape path in mind in case traffic stops suddenly
Because a heavy vehicle often cannot stop in time, good drivers continuously note where they could steer if the space ahead closes.
-
18. Besides being uncomfortable, what can a series of hard, jerky brake applications do to a loaded combination?
Show answer
Answer A: Shift the load and push the trailer out of line behind the tractor
Sudden, uneven braking can move cargo forward and upset the alignment of a trailer, which is why stops should be made smoothly.
-
19. What does the tachometer on the dashboard of a heavy truck show?
Show answer
Answer D: How fast the engine is turning, in revolutions per minute
The tachometer reads engine speed in rpm, which is what a driver uses to judge shift points in a vehicle with a manual transmission.
-
20. What happens to braking distance when speed is doubled?
Show answer
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.
-
21. Federal rules forbid operating a commercial vehicle in which condition?
Show answer
Answer C: In a condition likely to cause a crash or a breakdown
A defect that makes a crash or a breakdown likely has to be corrected before the vehicle is driven, not reported at the end of the trip.
-
22. Which items belong to the trailer part of the walkaround inspection?
Show answer
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.
-
23. Where on the road are you most likely to find ice in cold weather?
Show answer
Answer B: On bridges, overpasses and shaded stretches, which freeze before the rest of the road
Bridges and overpasses lose heat from above and below, and shaded areas get no sun, so they ice over first and stay icy longest.
-
24. Federal rules keep recapped and retreaded tires off the front wheels of which vehicle?
Show answer
Answer B: Any bus carrying passengers
The federal rule names buses: a bus may not run with regrooved, recapped or retreaded tires on its front wheels, because a steer tire failure with passengers aboard takes away steering control.
-
25. Under federal safety rules, what must the driver of a commercial vehicle do before starting a trip?
Show answer
Answer A: Be satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition
The driver is responsible for inspecting the vehicle and must be satisfied it is in safe operating condition before the trip begins.
-
26. On a one way street or a divided highway, where are the warning devices placed?
Show answer
Answer B: About 10 feet, 100 feet and 200 feet back toward the approaching traffic
When traffic can only come from one side, all three devices are spread out behind the vehicle to give approaching drivers a longer warning.
-
27. What is the most common cause of a front-wheel skid, where the vehicle keeps going straight even though you turn the wheel?
Show answer
Answer B: Driving too fast for the conditions
A front-wheel skid usually comes from too much speed for the traction available; the only cure is to let the vehicle slow down and stop turning or braking so hard.
-
28. The car in the next lane still has snow covering most of its windows. What should you assume?
Show answer
Answer C: That driver cannot see you and may move into your lane
A driver whose view is blocked cannot see the vehicles around, so you should assume you are invisible and stay out of that vehicle path.
-
29. What does the working load limit stamped on a chain or strap describe?
Show answer
Answer B: The maximum load the device is rated to hold in normal use
The working load limit is the rated safe capacity for everyday use, deliberately set well below the force that would break the device.
-
30. Some commodities have their own detailed securement rules on top of the general ones. Which list is made up of such commodities?
Show answer
Answer C: Logs, metal coils, paper rolls, concrete pipe and crushed vehicles
The cargo securement rules add specific requirements for particular commodities, including logs, dressed lumber, metal coils, paper rolls, concrete pipe, intermodal containers, vehicles, crushed cars, roll on containers and large boulders.
-
31. Apart from the legal duty, what is the main practical reason for a thorough pre-trip inspection?
Show answer
Answer A: It finds problems that could cause a breakdown or a crash before the vehicle is on the road
A defect found in the yard is an inconvenience, while the same defect found at highway speed can be a crash, so the inspection is where problems are cheapest to fix.
-
32. What is the driver looking for when the exhaust system is inspected?
Show answer
Answer B: Loose, broken or missing pipes, brackets or clamps, and signs that exhaust is leaking
A loose or leaking exhaust system can send carbon monoxide into the cab and can put hot gas against parts that will burn.
-
33. A fire has started in the vehicle. How should the extinguisher be used?
Show answer
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.
-
34. An oncoming vehicle drifts across the center line into your lane. What is usually the safest move?
Show answer
Answer C: Steer to the right, toward the shoulder if necessary
Moving right keeps you away from the drifting vehicle and off the oncoming side; the other driver may swerve back and hit you if you go left.
-
35. Under the federal hours of service rules, how long may a property-carrying driver drive after 10 consecutive hours off duty?
Show answer
Answer D: Up to 11 hours, and only within a 14 hour window that starts when the driver comes on duty
The federal limit is 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and all of that driving has to fall inside a 14 hour window.
-
36. An unblocked crate 4 feet long and weighing 900 pounds needs at least how many tiedowns?
Show answer
Answer D: One
An article 5 feet or less in length and 1,100 pounds or less in weight is covered by a minimum of one tiedown.
-
37. What are you checking on the mud flaps during the walkaround?
Show answer
Answer C: That they are securely attached, not torn and not dragging on the ground
A flap that is torn or hanging loose stops shielding following traffic from spray and stones, and a dragging flap can catch and tear away on the road.
-
38. What should you check about the fuel tank during the walkaround?
Show answer
Answer A: That it is securely mounted, the cap is on tight and there are no leaks
A loose tank or a missing cap can spill fuel, and any fuel leak is a fire hazard that makes the vehicle unsafe to drive.
-
39. How much free play in the steering wheel is enough to make a vehicle hard to steer and should be reported?
Show answer
Answer B: More than 10 degrees, roughly 2 inches of movement at the rim of a 20 inch wheel
Excess play means steering input is lost before the wheels respond, and more than about 10 degrees is treated as a defect.
-
40. On a tractor with a sliding fifth wheel, what does moving the fifth wheel forward do?
Show answer
Answer A: Puts more of the trailer weight onto the steering axle
Moving the coupling point forward transfers weight from the drive axles to the steering axle, which is how a driver corrects a drive axle that is over the limit.
-
41. What is the correct way to test the parking brake before a trip?
Show answer
Answer C: With the parking brake set, put the vehicle in a low gear and gently try to move forward
A parking brake that holds against a gentle pull in low gear is working; if the vehicle moves, the brake needs adjustment or repair.
-
42. A company mechanic serviced your truck this morning and signed the work order. Do you still have to inspect the vehicle?
Show answer
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.
-
43. What condition should the fifth wheel be in before you back under a trailer?
Show answer
Answer C: Jaws open, plate greased, and the fifth wheel tilted down toward the rear
The jaws have to be open to take the kingpin, the plate must be lubricated to prevent hard steering, and the fifth wheel is tilted down at the rear so the trailer apron can ride up onto it.
-
44. For an unblocked article longer than 10 feet, the minimum is two tiedowns plus how many more?
Show answer
Answer B: One more for every additional 10 feet of length or any part of 10 feet
Past the first 10 feet, one more tiedown is added for each additional 10 feet of length or any fraction of that distance.
-
45. What is the coupling device weight rating on a vehicle?
Show answer
Answer A: The most weight that the coupling on the vehicle is rated to pull
The coupling device rating is a limit on how much weight the coupling may tow, and it is one of the ratings that has to be respected when a combination is loaded.
-
46. How does overloading affect the way a vehicle drives?
Show answer
Answer C: It slows the vehicle on upgrades, makes stopping take longer and can overheat the brakes on downgrades
Extra weight demands more from the engine and the brakes, so the vehicle climbs slowly and needs much more distance to stop.
-
47. Why are the windshield wipers on the pre-trip list even before a trip in fine weather?
Show answer
Answer C: Because weather can change and a wiper failure leaves the driver without a clear view
Rain, spray or mud can arrive at any point in a long trip, and a wiper that fails then leaves the driver with no way to clear the windshield.
-
48. Which Ohio drivers are required to file proof that they carry high-risk insurance with the BMV?
Show answer
Answer B: Drivers who commit serious traffic offenses, reach 12 or more points in two years, or crash while uninsured
Ohio requires drivers who commit serious traffic offenses, accumulate 12 or more points within two years, or crash without insurance coverage to file proof of high-risk insurance with the Bureau.
-
49. Why does the manual insist on a firm grip with both hands on opposite sides of the steering wheel?
Show answer
Answer A: A hard bump can pull the wheel out of a loose grip
Hitting a curb or a deep pothole can jerk the wheel violently, and only a firm two-handed grip keeps the vehicle under control when that happens.
-
50. What is wrong with resting your foot on the clutch pedal between shifts?
Show answer
Answer B: It slowly wears the clutch out, because the pressure plate is never fully engaged
Any weight on the pedal partly disengages the clutch, so it slips and wears; the foot belongs off the pedal once the shift is finished.