Indiana BMV CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 4
Test 4 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 Indiana test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age18 years
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1. 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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2. An oncoming vehicle at night has bright headlights that are making it hard to see. What should you do?
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Answer B: Look toward the right edge of your lane and avoid looking directly at the lights
Looking at the right edge of the road keeps your eyes off the glare while you stay in your lane; glare can leave you nearly blind for several seconds.
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3. What actually lowers the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream?
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Answer B: Time
The liver removes alcohol at a fixed rate, so nothing but the passage of time reduces blood alcohol concentration.
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4. A commercial driver is convicted of two serious traffic violations within three years. What is the result?
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Answer D: Disqualification for 60 days
Two serious traffic violations in a three year period bring a 60 day disqualification, and a third in the same period raises it to 120 days.
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5. What tells you that an air suspension bag has a problem?
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Answer B: The bag is leaking or damaged, or the vehicle sits unevenly on that side
An air bag that leaks or is cut lets that corner of the vehicle settle, which throws the load onto the other suspension parts and changes the ride height.
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6. What can repeated violations of the federal phone and texting rules cost a commercial driver?
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Answer D: Disqualification of the commercial driver license
Multiple convictions for using a hand-held phone or texting while driving a commercial vehicle lead to disqualification, on top of fines for driver and carrier.
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7. 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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8. Besides the hours when the law requires them, when should headlights be switched on?
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Answer A: Any time visibility is poor, such as in rain, fog or at dusk
Headlights are used to be seen as much as to see, so they belong on whenever light or weather makes the vehicle harder to spot.
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9. A vehicle carries placards on its front, rear and both sides. What is the main purpose of those placards?
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Answer C: To tell emergency responders and other people what hazard the cargo presents
Placards warn everyone around the vehicle, especially emergency responders, about the kind of hazard the cargo presents.
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10. What does mountain driving demand that flat country driving does not?
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Answer D: Lower gears and constant allowance for gravity
In the mountains gravity works for you on the climb and against you on the descent, so gear selection and speed control matter far more than on level road.
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11. You miss a gear while double clutching and the transmission is stuck in neutral. What should you do?
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Answer B: Return to neutral, release the clutch, bring engine speed to match road speed and try again
Forcing the lever damages the gears; matching the engine speed to the road speed lets the gear engage cleanly on the next try.
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12. At 55 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, total stopping distance for a loaded heavy vehicle is roughly what?
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Answer B: About 400 feet or more
Perception, reaction, and braking together add up to roughly 400 feet or more, farther than the length of a football field.
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13. How long is an Indiana commercial learner's permit valid, and how often may one be issued?
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Answer A: 180 days, and no more than three in a 24 month period
A commercial learner's permit expires 180 days after issuance, and the bureau may not issue more than three to one individual within 24 months.
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14. Which of these is a major cause of skids in heavy vehicles?
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Answer C: Over-braking, over-steering, over-acceleration or driving too fast for conditions
Skids happen when the tires are asked for more grip than the road can give, which happens through braking, steering or accelerating too hard or simply too much speed.
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15. When should a lower gear be selected for a long downgrade?
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Answer D: Before you start down the hill
The gear is chosen at the top, while speed is still low, because a heavy vehicle already rolling fast may not go into a lower gear at all.
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16. What should a driver assume about the height posted at a bridge or an overpass?
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Answer B: That it may be wrong, because repaving or packed snow can leave less clearance than the sign shows
Resurfacing and packed snow raise the road under the structure, so the real clearance can be lower than the posted figure.
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17. The engine has overheated and you need to check the coolant. What is the safe procedure with a pressurized radiator cap?
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Answer A: Shut the engine off, let the system cool, protect your hands, turn the cap slowly to its first stop so pressure escapes, step back, then remove it
A hot pressurized system throws steam and boiling coolant out of the opening, so the pressure is released slowly and only after the engine has cooled.
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18. You must drive well below the speed of surrounding traffic, for example when climbing a steep grade with a heavy load. What should you do?
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Answer B: Turn on the four-way flashers to warn following traffic, where state law allows it
Flashers warn faster traffic that a slow-moving vehicle is ahead, which helps prevent rear-end crashes; some states restrict their use while moving, so check the local rule.
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19. What does safe practice require of a commercial driver who wants to eat, drink or read a delivery note?
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Answer B: Handle it before or after driving, not while moving
Anything that takes hands, eyes or attention away from the task belongs outside the driving time, not inside it.
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20. 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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21. Why should a retarder be switched off when the road is wet, icy or snowy?
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Answer C: It can make the drive wheels skid when traction is poor
A retarder slows the drive wheels only, and on a slippery surface that braking force can break their traction and start a skid.
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22. How far ahead can a driver see with low beams and with high beams?
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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.
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23. Dry bulk tanks call for extra caution mainly because of what?
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Answer C: A high center of gravity combined with a load that can shift
Dry bulk loads ride high and can move inside the tank, which makes the vehicle easier to tip in a curve.
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24. A hard frost has left your vehicle covered in ice. What must be cleared before you drive?
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Answer D: The windshield, mirrors, lights and reflectors
You must be able to see out and other drivers must be able to see your lights and reflectors, so all of those surfaces have to be cleared.
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25. At the end of the day you find no defects on a property carrying vehicle. What does the federal rule require?
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Answer B: No written report is required, although the carrier may still ask for one
For property carrying vehicles the report is required only when a defect or deficiency is found or reported, although a carrier may impose a stricter policy.
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26. Which situations call for a mirror check in a commercial vehicle?
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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.
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27. Which vehicle condition makes hydroplaning more likely?
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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.
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28. How does a driver keep a vehicle with a manual transmission from rolling back when starting on an upgrade?
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Answer D: Partly engage the clutch before the right foot leaves the brake, or hold the vehicle with the parking brake until the engine pulls
Something has to hold the vehicle during the instant the foot moves from the brake to the accelerator, and that is either the clutch at its engagement point or the parking brake.
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29. After starting the engine, how quickly should the oil pressure gauge come up to its normal range?
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Answer B: Within a few seconds
Oil pressure should build within seconds of starting; if it stays low, the engine is not being lubricated and should be shut down.
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30. Part of looking well ahead is planning an out. What does that mean?
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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.
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31. 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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32. What is normally required in order to move an over-width or over-length load?
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Answer B: A special permit along with warning devices such as flags and signs
Oversize movements need a permit plus marking devices, and travel is often limited to certain hours or routes.
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33. Besides allowing the move at all, what does an oversize load permit usually set out?
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Answer C: The route to be followed, the hours of travel allowed and the warning equipment needed
Permits for oversize movements normally name the roads that may be used, restrict the times of travel, and list the flags, signs and escorts required.
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34. Why should you avoid using your lights to tell a following driver that it is safe to pass you?
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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.
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35. What happens to braking performance if oil or grease reaches a brake lining?
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Answer B: That brake loses much of its effect and the vehicle can pull to one side
A contaminated lining cannot grip the drum, so that wheel contributes little braking and the vehicle pulls toward the side that is still working.
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36. You are told a posted bridge ahead has a weight limit lower than your gross weight. What must you do?
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Answer C: Take a route that avoids it, because a posted limit is a legal limit
A posted structure limit must be obeyed exactly as any other weight limit, so a heavier vehicle has to be routed around it.
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37. Why should you never shift gears while crossing railroad tracks?
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Answer A: You could miss the gear or stall and be stuck on the tracks
A stalled or coasting vehicle on the tracks has no way to clear quickly, so choose the gear before the crossing and do not shift until you are across.
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38. 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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39. Why must the downshift be finished before you reach a steep downgrade or a sharp curve rather than during it?
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Answer D: Because once your speed is too high you may not get into any gear at all
If you wait until speed has built up, the lower gear may refuse to engage and you can be left in neutral with no engine braking at all.
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40. A commercial vehicle stops on the shoulder of a one-way or divided highway. Where do the three warning devices go?
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Answer A: At 10 feet, 100 feet, and 200 feet back toward approaching traffic
Traffic arrives from one direction only, so all three devices are set back toward it at 10, 100, and 200 feet, and they must be out within ten minutes.
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41. You drop your phone on the floor of the cab while driving. What do federal rules require?
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Answer A: Leave it, because reaching for it while driving is banned
Federal rules forbid reaching for a mobile device in any way that takes the driver out of a seated, belted driving position.
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42. At a stop on a hot day you find a tire that is too hot to touch. What should you do?
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Answer C: Wait until the tire cools before driving on, and do not let air out of it
A tire that is too hot to touch may be about to fail or catch fire; releasing air only leaves it underinflated once it cools, which makes things worse.
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43. On a two lane road carrying traffic in both directions, where do the three warning devices go?
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Answer C: About 10 feet from the vehicle on the traffic side, 100 feet behind and 100 feet ahead
Traffic can approach from either direction, so one device goes close to the vehicle and one is placed about 100 feet away in each direction.
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44. 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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45. Why does extra weight make a long downgrade more dangerous even when the brakes are in good order?
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Answer B: Gravity adds to the momentum and the brakes heat up faster
The heavier the vehicle, the more energy the brakes must turn into heat, and heat is exactly what makes brakes fade on a long descent.
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46. You are given a ratchet strap with a deep cut along one edge. What should you do?
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Answer C: Do not use it; a damaged tiedown cannot be relied on to hold its rated load
Cuts, burns, knots and broken stitching weaken a strap far below its marked working load limit, so it must be taken out of service.
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47. What must be true of the person who performs the annual periodic inspection?
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Answer D: They must meet the federal qualification requirements for an inspector
The inspection has to be done by someone who meets the federal training and experience requirements for inspectors, whoever employs them.
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48. You are hauling a load of steel plate that is well within every weight limit but is stacked five feet high on a flatbed. What is the main concern?
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Answer A: The center of gravity is high, so the rig will roll more easily in a curve
Legal weight does not make a load safe; height raises the center of gravity and it is height, not weight alone, that decides how readily the vehicle rolls over.
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49. What is the coupling device weight rating on a vehicle?
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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.
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50. How should the headlamps be checked during the pre-trip inspection?
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Answer A: By switching on both low beam and high beam and confirming each one works outside
Both beams are separate circuits, so each is switched on in turn and confirmed from outside the vehicle where the lamps can actually be seen.