Montana MVD CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 2
Test 2 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 Montana test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age18 years
-
1. 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.
-
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. 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.
-
4. The shipper hands you the placards for a load that needs them. Who puts them on the vehicle?
Show answer
Answer C: The driver, who must also make sure they are the correct ones and are readable
The shipper supplies the placards, but it is the driver who must place them on the vehicle and confirm that they match the load and can be read.
-
5. A vehicle carries placards on its front, rear and both sides. What is the main purpose of those placards?
Show answer
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.
-
6. Your drive wheels start to spin and the rear begins to slide while you accelerate on a slick surface. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Stop accelerating and, if the vehicle has a manual transmission, push in the clutch
An acceleration skid ends when the drive wheels stop pushing, so easing off the throttle and disengaging the clutch lets them regain grip.
-
7. What is the purpose of an escape ramp on a mountain grade?
Show answer
Answer C: To stop a runaway vehicle without injuring the driver
Escape ramps use soft material or a steep upgrade to bring a vehicle with failed brakes to a controlled stop.
-
8. You are backing with a helper guiding you and the helper drops out of sight in your mirror. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Stop until you can see the helper again
If you cannot see the helper you cannot receive a signal to stop, so the only safe action is to halt until visual contact is restored.
-
9. Under federal rules, what happens to a commercial driver found with any detectable amount of alcohol while operating a commercial vehicle?
Show answer
Answer D: The driver is placed out of service for 24 hours
Any measurable alcohol takes a commercial driver off the road for 24 hours, and a concentration of 0.04 percent or more brings a disqualification.
-
10. A brake light lens is cracked and the lamp still lights. How should that be treated?
Show answer
Answer B: As a defect, because water can enter and the lamp can dim or fail
A cracked lens lets in water and dirt, which corrodes the socket and dulls the lamp, so it is reported before it becomes a dead brake light.
-
11. Below 40 mph, what following distance does the standard commercial rule of thumb call for?
Show answer
Answer C: One second for every 10 feet of vehicle length
The base rule allows one second of space for each 10 feet of vehicle length while speed stays under 40 mph.
-
12. What tells a driver when to shift up in a vehicle with a manual transmission?
Show answer
Answer C: Engine speed in rpm together with road speed
Shift points are judged from engine rpm and road speed, using the operating range the manufacturer specifies for that engine.
-
13. After the first inspection of a trip, how often must cargo securement be checked again?
Show answer
Answer D: Every 3 hours or 150 miles or at each change of duty status, whichever happens first
The load must be re-checked at whichever of those points arrives first, so a loosening tiedown is found long before it fails.
-
14. How does the working load limit of a tiedown relate to the force that would break it?
Show answer
Answer B: The working load limit is a fraction of the breaking strength and is the figure you use
The working load limit is set well below the point at which the device would fail, and securement is always calculated from the working load limit, never from breaking strength.
-
15. You hear air escaping from a trailer tire during the pre-trip. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Have it repaired or replaced before the vehicle is driven
An audible leak means the tire is failing now, and federal rules do not allow a vehicle to be operated on a flat or leaking tire.
-
16. The engine oil pressure gauge falls toward zero while you are driving. What should you do?
Show answer
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.
-
17. How can a driver tell that a shipment includes hazardous materials?
Show answer
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.
-
18. How long must a Montana commercial learner permit be held before the driving demonstration?
Show answer
Answer B: A minimum of 14 days, with testing possible on the 15th day
Montana requires the CLP to be held a minimum of 14 days before the driving demonstration, so the test may be taken on the 15th day.
-
19. What should you look for on the electrical wiring in the engine compartment?
Show answer
Answer A: Worn, frayed or cracked insulation and loose or corroded connections
Damaged insulation can short a circuit against the frame or engine, which can kill a lamp you depend on or start a fire.
-
20. What must be true of the trailer landing gear before you move off?
Show answer
Answer B: Fully raised, with the crank handle secured and no missing or damaged parts
Landing gear left part way down can strike a railway crossing or a ramp, and a loose crank handle can swing out into a passing vehicle.
-
21. Within total stopping distance, what exactly is perception distance?
Show answer
Answer D: The distance traveled from the moment your eyes see a hazard until your brain identifies it
Perception distance covers only the time between seeing a hazard and recognizing it as a hazard, before any physical reaction begins.
-
22. You need to check your route on a navigation device. What is the correct approach?
Show answer
Answer D: Set it before the trip or after you have parked
Route programming is planning work, and it belongs to the time before the wheels turn or after the vehicle is safely parked off the roadway.
-
23. After starting a trip, when must a driver first re-inspect the cargo and the devices holding it?
Show answer
Answer A: Within the first 50 miles
Federal rules require a check of the load and its securement within the first 50 miles, because settling and vibration loosen straps and chains early in a trip.
-
24. How does a driver keep a vehicle with a manual transmission from rolling back when starting on an upgrade?
Show answer
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.
-
25. You are entering a freeway from a short ramp with a fully loaded trailer. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Begin building speed early and wait for a large gap
A loaded vehicle accelerates slowly, so it needs both a running start and a much larger gap than a car would use.
-
26. 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.
-
27. After starting the engine, how quickly should the oil pressure gauge come up to its normal range?
Show answer
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.
-
28. An overpass you have driven under before now has a fresh layer of pavement on the road below it. Why does that matter?
Show answer
Answer B: The new layer raises the road and reduces the clearance
Repaving lifts the road surface, so the real clearance under a structure can be less than the height posted on it.
-
29. Why must you never coast down a hill in neutral or with the clutch pushed in?
Show answer
Answer C: You lose the braking effect of the engine and your brakes may overheat and fail
Engine braking is what keeps a heavy vehicle in check on a grade; coasting throws it away and leaves the service brakes to do all the work until they overheat.
-
30. How soon must warning devices be placed after a commercial vehicle stops on the traveled part or the shoulder of a highway?
Show answer
Answer D: As soon as possible and in any case within 10 minutes
The hazard warning flashers go on immediately and the warning devices must be in place as soon as possible, never later than 10 minutes after stopping.
-
31. Your brakes have failed on a downgrade and there is no escape ramp in sight. What is the best choice?
Show answer
Answer A: Steer into an open field or onto a side road that flattens out or climbs uphill
A flat or uphill escape route uses gravity and rolling resistance to stop the vehicle; take it as soon as you see it, because the longer you wait the faster you go.
-
32. Your vehicle stalls on a railroad crossing and a train is coming. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Get out at once and move toward the train, well off to one side
Leave the vehicle immediately and move at an angle toward the oncoming train, so that wreckage thrown forward by the impact travels away from you.
-
33. 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?
Show answer
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.
-
34. Why must the steering wheel be moved only a small amount at a time while backing?
Show answer
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.
-
35. You find one lug nut missing from a wheel that has ten studs. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Treat it as a defect and have it repaired before the vehicle is driven
Every missing fastener loads the others more heavily, and wheel separations usually begin with one nut that nobody replaced.
-
36. 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.
-
37. Which Montana applicants have had to complete Entry Level Driver Training since November 13, 2023?
Show answer
Answer A: First-time Class A or B applicants and first-time School Bus, Passenger or Hazardous Materials endorsement applicants
Montana requires Entry Level Driver Training for applicants seeking a first Class A or B license, upgrading a Class B to a Class A, or obtaining a School Bus, Passenger or Hazardous Materials endorsement for the first time.
-
38. During a right turn in a tractor-trailer, what are you looking for in the right hand mirror?
Show answer
Answer B: Whether the trailer will clear the curb and whether anything has moved alongside you
The right mirror is what tells you how close the trailer wheels are running to the curb and whether a vehicle or a cyclist has slipped into the space on your right.
-
39. You find a defect during the pre-trip inspection. What must happen before the vehicle is driven?
Show answer
Answer C: It must be repaired, or the vehicle must not be driven
Writing a defect down does not make the vehicle safe; a defect that affects safe operation has to be corrected before the trip starts.
-
40. A driver behind you wants to pass and you can see that the road ahead is clear. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Do not signal the other driver to pass; let that driver decide when it is safe
Directing other drivers can cause a crash if you misjudge the gap, so leave the decision to the driver who is passing.
-
41. Why is a leaking exhaust system on a commercial vehicle dangerous to the driver?
Show answer
Answer B: It can let carbon monoxide reach the cab, where it can poison the occupants
Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, which has no smell and dulls the driver judgment long before it becomes obvious that anything is wrong.
-
42. Where on a tire is tread depth measured?
Show answer
Answer C: In a major tread groove, away from any tie bar or wear indicator
Depth is taken in a major groove and away from the raised tie bars and wear indicators, which would give a shallower and misleading reading.
-
43. What is checked about the clutch and the gearshift during the in-cab inspection?
Show answer
Answer D: That the clutch free play is within the range the manufacturer specifies
Too little or too much clutch free play causes slipping or dragging, either of which can leave the driver unable to select the gear a hill demands.
-
44. 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.
-
45. Why should the radiator cap never be removed while the engine is hot?
Show answer
Answer A: The cooling system is under pressure and scalding coolant can be sprayed out
A hot cooling system holds pressurized coolant above its normal boiling point, so releasing the cap can throw boiling liquid and steam at whoever is holding it.
-
46. You are pulling a loaded pneumatic dry bulk trailer and approach an exit ramp posted at 35 mph. What is the safest approach?
Show answer
Answer C: Slow to well below the posted speed before the ramp begins
A dry bulk trailer carries its weight high and the load can move, so the ramp speed posted for a car is far too fast and the slowing must be finished before the curve.
-
47. When is tire pressure most accurately compared with the recommended figure?
Show answer
Answer B: When the tires are cold, before the vehicle has been driven
Recommended pressures are cold pressures, so a reading taken before the tires have heated up is the only one that can be compared directly.
-
48. Why must cargo also be held down against vertical movement and not only against sliding?
Show answer
Answer D: Because a load that bounces can jump the blocking and slacken its own tiedowns
Rough road makes an unrestrained article lift; every bounce lets it move a little and works the tiedowns loose until nothing is holding it.
-
49. What are the minimum ages for a Montana interstate and a Montana intrastate commercial driver license?
Show answer
Answer A: 21 for interstate and 18 for intrastate
The Montana CDL manual states that an interstate license requires the applicant to be at least 21 years old, while an intrastate license requires at least 18.
-
50. Dry bulk tanks call for extra caution mainly because of what?
Show answer
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.