Alabama ALEA CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 8
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age18 years
-
1. 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.
-
2. You are hauling a sealed trailer and have been told in writing not to open it. How does that affect the en route cargo checks?
Show answer
Answer C: You do not have to inspect the cargo itself, but the vehicle and weight are still yours
The en route cargo inspection rule does not apply to a driver of a sealed vehicle who has been ordered not to open it, but every other responsibility, including legal weight, remains.
-
3. What does an N endorsement on an Alabama commercial driver license cover?
Show answer
Answer C: Tank vehicles of 1,000 gallons or greater
The Alabama manual defines the N endorsement as tanks of 1,000 gallons or greater; T covers double and triple trailers and P covers passenger vehicles.
-
4. 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.
-
5. While checking the in-cab gauges after start-up, what should the coolant temperature gauge do?
Show answer
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.
-
6. Which clues warn you that a parked car may pull out or open a door?
Show answer
Answer A: Exhaust smoke, turned front wheels, a person in the seat
Signs of life in a parked vehicle, such as a running engine, turned wheels or an occupant, mean it may move or open a door into your path.
-
7. At 55 mph, about how far does a vehicle travel during a typical 3/4 second perception time plus 3/4 second reaction time, before the brakes even begin to work?
Show answer
Answer C: About 120 feet
Each 3/4 second at 55 mph covers about 60 feet, so perception and reaction together use up roughly 120 feet before braking starts.
-
8. What is the minimum tread depth required in every major groove of a steering axle tire?
Show answer
Answer D: 4/32 inch
Federal rules set a higher tread minimum for front steering tires than for other positions because a steering tire failure is far harder to control.
-
9. Who may remove an out-of-service sticker from a commercial vehicle?
Show answer
Answer B: Only an authorized person, and only after the defect that caused it has been repaired
The sticker stays on the vehicle until the repairs are made and an authorized person removes it, so nobody can simply peel it off and drive away.
-
10. You are driving past a park where children are playing close to the curb. What is the correct assumption?
Show answer
Answer A: A child may run into the street without looking
Children act on impulse and do not judge traffic well, so a driver has to expect one to enter the road and slow down in advance.
-
11. When must a post-trip inspection be made?
Show answer
Answer D: At the end of each day the driver operates the vehicle
The post-trip inspection closes out each driving day so that anything found is recorded before the vehicle is handed to the next driver.
-
12. Compared with a fully loaded one, an empty truck under hard braking will often do what?
Show answer
Answer A: Need a longer distance to stop because traction is poor
Stiff suspension and little weight over the tires reduce grip, so the wheels lock early and the vehicle can take longer to stop.
-
13. What is the risk when too little weight rests on the drive axles?
Show answer
Answer A: Poor traction, so the drive wheels spin easily on wet or slippery surfaces
Traction depends on weight pressing the driving tires onto the road, so a light drive axle spins on wet, snowy or loose surfaces.
-
14. What is the minimum tread depth for tires in positions other than the steering axle?
Show answer
Answer A: 2/32 inch
Drive and trailer tires must keep at least 2/32 inch of tread in a major groove, measured away from tie bars and fillets.
-
15. How long must the record of a periodic inspection be kept?
Show answer
Answer A: Fourteen months
The periodic inspection report is retained for fourteen months from the date of the report, which covers the full twelve month cycle plus a margin.
-
16. An intermodal container is being carried on an ordinary flatbed rather than on a container chassis. What does that mean for securement?
Show answer
Answer B: It must be secured with tiedowns that meet the container securement requirements
A container carried on a vehicle that is not fitted with integral locking devices has to be secured to the deck with tiedowns that satisfy the rules for containers.
-
17. You are about to back across a quiet street into a driveway. Which of these is good practice before you start to move?
Show answer
Answer B: Turn on the four-way flashers and sound the horn to alert anyone nearby
Warning other road users and pedestrians before a reverse maneuver gives them the chance to stop or move clear before the vehicle starts back.
-
18. Under federal rules, which commercial vehicles must stop at every railroad crossing before proceeding?
Show answer
Answer D: Passenger buses and placarded hazardous materials vehicles
Buses carrying passengers and vehicles required to display hazardous materials placards must stop at crossings, while other commercial vehicles slow and check.
-
19. How are the headlights, marker lights and turn signals checked during the seven-step inspection?
Show answer
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.
-
20. What does the federal bridge formula do?
Show answer
Answer C: It reduces the weight allowed on a group of axles as those axles get closer together
Axles bunched together concentrate the load on a short span of a bridge, so the formula lowers the allowable weight as the spacing shrinks.
-
21. Which factors determine a safe speed for a long, steep downgrade?
Show answer
Answer C: The steepness and length of the grade, the weight of the vehicle and cargo, and the road and weather conditions
Gravity, weight and traction all decide how fast a heavy vehicle can safely descend, which is why signs often post lower speeds for trucks on grades.
-
22. 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.
-
23. 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.
-
24. At the end of the day you find no defects on a property carrying vehicle. What does the federal rule require?
Show answer
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.
-
25. How does a driver measure following distance in seconds?
Show answer
Answer A: Wait for the vehicle ahead to pass a fixed roadside object, then count the seconds until the front of your vehicle reaches the same object
Counting from the moment the vehicle ahead passes a landmark until you reach it turns a gap you cannot judge in feet into a number of seconds.
-
26. 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.
-
27. Why should you never back under a trailer whose landing gear is resting on soft or muddy ground?
Show answer
Answer C: The landing gear can sink or collapse and the trailer can drop or tip over
Soft ground lets the landing gear sink under the load being transferred to it, and a trailer that drops or topples during coupling is extremely dangerous.
-
28. Why do worn tires lose grip so quickly on a wet road?
Show answer
Answer D: Shallow tread cannot move water out from under the tire
The grooves in a tire exist to channel water away so the rubber can touch the road, and a worn tire has lost that capacity.
-
29. You are pulling away from the curb after a delivery. Why is a mirror check needed first?
Show answer
Answer B: A cyclist or a vehicle may be coming up alongside you
Traffic and cyclists can arrive alongside a parked vehicle at any moment, so the mirrors must be checked immediately before pulling out.
-
30. You are hauling livestock and the trailer is only partly full. What should be done?
Show answer
Answer A: Use false bulkheads or partitions to keep the animals bunched together
Animals that can move around shift the center of gravity, so a partial load is bunched together with partitions to limit how far the weight can move.
-
31. What do you check about the fire extinguisher during the pre-trip?
Show answer
Answer C: That it is securely mounted, charged and that you know how to operate it
An extinguisher must be held in its bracket, show a charged gauge and be understood by the driver, because a fire leaves no time to learn.
-
32. 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.
-
33. You are making a right turn and cannot complete it without swinging into the oncoming lane. An oncoming car is approaching. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Wait and let the oncoming vehicle pass before completing the turn, and do not back up
The oncoming vehicle has the lane; backing up in traffic is dangerous, so hold your position and finish the turn once the way is clear.
-
34. How do you test for leaks in a hydraulic brake system during the pre-trip inspection?
Show answer
Answer A: Pump the pedal three times, then hold firm pressure for five seconds and make sure the pedal does not move
If the pedal sinks while you hold pressure, fluid is escaping or air is in the lines, and the vehicle must not be driven until the problem is repaired.
-
35. Why is a leak in the exhaust system especially dangerous in cold weather?
Show answer
Answer A: Carbon monoxide can build up inside a closed cab
In winter the windows are shut and the heater is running, so exhaust gas that escapes early can reach the driver and cause drowsiness or worse.
-
36. When must a driver first inspect the cargo and its securement devices?
Show answer
Answer C: Before starting the trip, as part of the pre-trip inspection
Cargo is part of the pre-trip inspection; the later checks within 50 miles and every three hours or 150 miles come on top of that first inspection.
-
37. What is the correct order for a double clutch downshift?
Show answer
Answer D: Release the accelerator and push the clutch to reach neutral, release the clutch and press the accelerator to raise engine speed, then push the clutch again and select the lower gear
A lower gear turns faster than the one being left, so engine speed has to be raised in neutral before that gear will engage cleanly.
-
38. 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.
-
39. Why is backing toward the driver side preferred?
Show answer
Answer C: You can watch the rear of the vehicle directly through the side window
Backing to the left lets the driver look out the window and see the rear of the vehicle directly instead of relying on a mirror alone.
-
40. 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.
-
41. In hazard perception, what counts as a hazard?
Show answer
Answer C: Any road user or condition that could become a danger
A hazard is anything with the potential to create danger, which is why drivers are taught to spot them early rather than react to emergencies.
-
42. What are you checking when you pull the engine oil dipstick during the pre-trip?
Show answer
Answer A: That the oil level is within the safe operating range marked on the stick
The dipstick shows whether there is enough oil to lubricate and cool the engine, and a level outside the safe range must be corrected before driving.
-
43. 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.
-
44. What does mountain driving demand that flat country driving does not?
Show answer
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.
-
45. 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.
-
46. You need fuel and the canopy over the pumps is low. What is the safe way to handle the clearance?
Show answer
Answer B: Stop and check the height at the entrance and at the way out before committing
Clearance can differ at the entry, under the canopy and at the exit, and a sloping approach changes the effective height, so both ends have to be checked.
-
47. Why should a driver avoid stopping partway up a snow covered hill?
Show answer
Answer D: You may not get moving again and could slide backwards
On a slippery grade the drive wheels may simply spin when you try to restart, leaving the vehicle stuck across the road or sliding back down it.
-
48. A straight truck has a long body behind the rear axle. What happens to that overhang in a sharp left turn?
Show answer
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.
-
49. A delivery van is stopped in the right lane ahead with its flashers on. What should you expect?
Show answer
Answer C: Someone may step into your lane from in front of it
A stopped delivery vehicle hides the space in front of it, and that is exactly where a person carrying a package is likely to walk out.
-
50. What is axle weight?
Show answer
Answer C: The weight carried to the ground by one axle or one set of axles
Axle weight describes how the load is shared among the axles that carry it to the road, not how much the whole vehicle weighs.