Montana MVD CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 5
Test 5 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
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1. What is checked about the engine cooling system during the engine compartment inspection?
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Answer C: That the coolant level is adequate and the radiator and hoses are not leaking
A low coolant level or a leaking hose leads to overheating, which can stop the vehicle in a place where stopping is dangerous.
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2. You are moving an oversized load under a permit that requires a pilot vehicle. What is the pilot vehicle there to do?
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Answer B: Warn other traffic and check the route ahead for clearances and hazards
Escort or pilot vehicles warn approaching traffic and scout the route for low bridges, narrow spots and other hazards that a wide or long load cannot pass.
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3. An unblocked article is 8 feet long and weighs 900 pounds. How many tiedowns does the federal rule require?
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Answer B: Two
Only an article that is 5 feet or shorter and 1,100 pounds or lighter can be held with a single tiedown; anything longer than 5 feet needs at least two whatever it weighs.
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4. Which vehicles are most likely to get hung up on a raised railroad crossing?
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Answer A: Low-slung units such as car carriers and lowboys
Vehicles with low ground clearance or a long wheelbase can bottom out on a humped crossing and become stuck on the tracks.
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5. Where do you find the maximum weight a tire can safely carry?
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Answer D: Stamped on the sidewall of the tire itself
Each tire is marked with the greatest weight it can carry at a stated inflation pressure, and the load on an axle must stay within the total for its tires.
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6. Apart from the risk of stalling, why is rolling backwards when starting on an upgrade so serious in a heavy vehicle?
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Answer D: You can strike the vehicle behind you, which is often much closer than you think
You cannot see how close the vehicle behind has stopped, and even a short roll back is enough to hit it.
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7. The only way into a customer yard forces you to back toward the right, or blind, side of the vehicle. What should you do?
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Answer D: Use a helper and get out to check the path more often than you normally would
Blind side backing is allowed but far riskier, so it calls for a spotter you can see and for repeated checks of the path on foot.
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8. You have backed into the same loading bay every week for a year. How often should you still get out and walk to the rear before backing?
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Answer D: Every time, since the area can change while you are away from it
A familiar space is no guarantee; vehicles, pallets, people and overhead obstructions appear between one visit and the next, so you check on every occasion.
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9. A straight truck has a long body behind the rear axle. What happens to that overhang in a sharp left turn?
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Answer D: It swings out to the right and can strike a vehicle or an object on that side
Body that hangs behind the rear axle swings the opposite way to the turn, so the tail of the truck sweeps out into the next lane or over the curb.
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10. In very hot weather, how often should you check the tires during a trip?
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Answer D: About every two hours or every 100 miles
Heat raises tire pressure and can lead to blowouts, so tires are checked about every two hours or 100 miles when it is very hot.
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11. How long must a person live in Montana before the state requires a Montana commercial driver license?
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Answer A: More than 30 consecutive days
Montana requires a commercial driver license once a person has resided in the state for more than 30 consecutive days, half the period used for a regular license.
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12. What is the correct order for a basic double clutch upshift?
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Answer B: Release the accelerator and push the clutch, shift to neutral, release the clutch, let engine speed drop, push the clutch again and shift to the higher gear
Double clutching passes through neutral with the clutch released so engine speed can drop to match the next gear before it is engaged.
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13. You are pulling away from a curb in a 65 foot combination. Besides traffic, what must you watch?
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Answer B: The trailer wheels, which stay close to the curb and can strike it or an object on it
Because of off-tracking, the rear wheels follow a tighter path than the front, so they stay near the curb while the cab is already out in the lane.
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14. Which brake lining condition must be reported?
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Answer C: Linings that are worn thin, loose, cracked or soaked with oil or grease
Linings must have enough material left and must be securely attached and clean, because a thin, loose or contaminated lining cannot deliver its share of braking.
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15. At what time of day do drowsy driving crashes occur most often?
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Answer A: Between midnight and 6 a.m.
The body clock makes people sleepiest in the early morning hours, which is when most fatigue-related crashes happen.
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16. Which exhaust system condition must be reported as a defect?
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Answer B: A section repaired by wrapping tape or patching material around the pipe
Exhaust parts may not be patched with wrap or tape, because the repair does not contain the gas or the heat and it fails quickly in service.
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17. You can see a crack in a brake drum that runs across more than half the width of the friction surface. What does this mean?
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Answer C: The drum is defective and must be repaired before the vehicle is driven
Cracks longer than half the width of the friction area mean the drum can break apart under braking heat and must be replaced.
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18. Which of these counts as a serious traffic violation for a commercial driver license holder?
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Answer C: Speeding 15 miles per hour or more above the limit
Excessive speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely and texting while driving are all serious traffic violations.
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19. Within what distance should high beams be lowered at night?
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Answer D: Within about 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within about 500 feet of a vehicle you are following
High beams blind other drivers at close range, so they are lowered at roughly the same distance whether the other vehicle is coming toward you or is ahead of you.
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20. During the walkaround inspection, where does the driver normally start and how does the check proceed?
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Answer C: At the left front of the vehicle, working around it in a set order that returns to the cab
The walkaround follows the same route every time, starting at the left front and circling the vehicle, so that nothing is skipped when the driver is tired or rushed.
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21. Some commodities have their own detailed securement rules on top of the general ones. Which list is made up of such commodities?
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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.
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22. What is generally the safest speed in dense but freely moving highway traffic?
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Answer D: The speed of the traffic around you, up to the posted limit
Crashes rise with the difference between your speed and the traffic around you, so moving with the flow within the legal limit is safest.
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23. At a rest area you find that the load has shifted although the straps still feel tight. What should you do?
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Answer C: Correct the load before driving on, since a shifted load is no longer secure
Movement means the securement has already failed once, and a load that has shifted can shift again, so it is put right before the vehicle moves.
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24. You are backing a tractor-trailer in a straight line and the trailer starts to drift to the left. What is the standard correction?
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Answer D: Turn the top of the steering wheel a little to the left, toward the drift
Small corrections made in the direction the trailer is drifting bring it back into line; large or opposite movements make the drift worse.
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25. While checking the in-cab gauges after start-up, what should the coolant temperature gauge do?
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Answer C: Rise gradually to the normal operating range
A healthy cooling system warms the engine slowly; a gauge that shoots up or stays cold points to a problem with the thermostat, coolant or sensor.
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26. What is the purpose of the header board, or headache rack, that you inspect behind the cab?
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Answer A: It protects the driver from cargo that shifts forward during a hard stop
In a hard stop the load keeps moving forward, and the header board is the barrier between that load and the back of the cab.
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27. Which steering system findings count as defects during the inspection?
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Answer C: Bent, loose or broken column parts, arms, drag links or tie rods, and missing nuts, bolts or cotter keys
Every joint and fastener between the steering wheel and the tires carries the driver commands, so looseness or a missing retainer can end in a complete loss of steering.
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28. Which step of the seven-step inspection method comes immediately after checking the engine compartment?
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Answer D: Start the engine and inspect the inside of the cab
Once the hood is closed the driver moves to the driver seat, starts the engine and checks gauges, controls and warning devices before going any further.
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29. Where are the OVERSIZE LOAD signs normally carried on a vehicle moving under such a permit?
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Answer A: On the front and the rear of the vehicle
The warning signs face the traffic that meets the load and the traffic that comes up behind it, so they go on the front and the rear.
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30. 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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31. A tire has a cut deep enough to expose the body ply or the belt material. What does that mean?
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Answer D: The vehicle must not be driven on that tire
Once the structural plies are exposed the casing has lost its strength, and federal rules treat that tire as unfit for the road.
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32. What frame defects are you looking for during the walkaround?
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Answer A: Cracks, bends or broken cross members
The frame carries the whole load, so cracked or bent rails and broken cross members are serious structural defects.
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33. Two tires in a dual set have noticeably different diameters. Why is that a problem?
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Answer C: The larger tire carries more than its share of the load and can be overloaded
The taller tire touches the road first and takes most of the weight, so it runs overloaded and hot while the smaller one does little work.
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34. How do you get more engine braking from an automatic transmission on a downgrade?
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Answer B: Select a lower range before starting down
Locking the transmission into a lower range keeps engine speed high enough to hold the vehicle back and spares the service brakes.
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35. What is the first step of the standard seven-step vehicle inspection?
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Answer C: A general overview of the vehicle, including the last inspection report
The routine opens with a walk-up overview of the vehicle and a review of the previous inspection report so known defects are addressed first.
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36. What alcohol concentration puts a Montana driver over the limit while operating a commercial motor vehicle?
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Answer B: 0.04 or more
Montana law makes it an offense to drive or be in actual physical control of a commercial motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more.
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37. 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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38. Why can an empty truck need a longer stopping distance than a loaded one?
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Answer C: An empty vehicle has less traction, so its wheels lock up more easily
Brakes and tires are designed for a loaded vehicle, and with little weight on the axles the tires grip less and lock sooner.
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39. What is the danger of letting engine speed climb past the top of the rated rpm range before you shift?
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Answer B: You can damage the engine, so the shift should be made before that point
Every engine has a rated operating range; running above it can cause serious engine damage, so the upshift belongs at the top of that range, not beyond it.
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40. A roadside test shows a commercial driver has measurable alcohol in the system but below 0.04. What happens?
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Answer C: The driver is placed out of service for 24 hours
Any measurable alcohol while on duty results in an immediate 24 hour out of service order, even when the concentration is under the 0.04 limit.
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41. At the scale your tractor drive axles are overweight while the trailer axles have room. Sliding the trailer tandems forward will do what?
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Answer C: Move weight off the drive axles and onto the trailer axles
Sliding the trailer tandems forward brings the rear support closer to the load, so the trailer axles pick up more weight and the drive axles carry less; sliding them rearward does the opposite.
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42. Why does a load of live animals need special attention?
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Answer D: The animals move and lean, so the center of gravity shifts and the vehicle can be pushed off balance in a turn
A live load will not stay where it is put, and that movement changes the balance of the vehicle exactly when a curve is loading it most.
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43. What is the Montana speed limit for a truck of more than one ton rated capacity on an interstate highway?
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Answer A: 70 miles an hour
Montana limits a truck or truck tractor of more than one ton manufacturer's rated capacity to 70 miles an hour on an interstate highway.
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44. How are the headlights, marker lights and turn signals checked during the seven-step inspection?
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Answer A: The engine is shut off, the parking brake is set, the lights are switched on and then checked from outside the vehicle
The lights are switched on with the vehicle secured, then the driver walks around and confirms each lamp actually works and is clean.
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45. You have stopped and a pedestrian is waiting to cross in front of your truck. Why should you not wave the person across?
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Answer C: Another driver may not stop, and your wave sends the person into danger
You cannot control what drivers in the other lanes will do, so you should not invite a pedestrian into a lane you do not command.
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46. How does a typical escape ramp stop a runaway vehicle?
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Answer B: With a bed of loose gravel or sand, often on an upgrade
Escape ramps use deep loose material, usually combined with a rising grade, so the vehicle is slowed gradually instead of being stopped by impact.
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47. Which items belong to the in-cab part of the inspection?
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Answer D: Gauges, controls, mirrors, windshield, wipers, horn, heater and defroster
The in-cab step checks the instruments and controls the driver depends on, along with mirrors, glass, wipers, horn and the heater and defroster.
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48. When turning left, what should a driver of a long vehicle do before beginning the turn?
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Answer B: Reach the center of the intersection so the rear wheels clear the corner
The rear wheels follow a tighter path than the front, so the vehicle must reach the center of the intersection before the turn begins.
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49. You are not certain that your loaded vehicle will clear a low overpass. What should you do?
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Answer A: Take another route rather than risk it
There is no safe way to guess at a clearance, and striking a bridge endangers everyone on and under it, so the only correct choice is a different route.
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50. What is wrong with resting your foot on the clutch pedal between shifts?
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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.