Rhode Island DMV CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 1
Test 1 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 Rhode Island test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age18 years
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1. 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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2. Your brakes are starting to fade on a mountain downgrade and a sign shows an escape ramp one mile ahead. What should you do?
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Answer B: Plan to use the ramp instead of trying to reach the bottom
Fading brakes on a grade only get worse, and the ramp exists precisely so a driver does not have to gamble on the rest of the descent.
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3. Why must you never coast down a hill in neutral or with the clutch pushed in?
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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.
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4. Why should the radio, the fan and other noisy equipment be switched off during a required stop at a railroad crossing?
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Answer C: So that an approaching train can be heard
The rules require the driver to look and listen along the track, and on a double track crossing a passing train can hide a second one, so hearing matters as much as seeing.
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5. You are asked to drive a truck loaded with enough hazardous materials to require placards. What must you have?
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Answer C: A hazardous materials endorsement on your commercial driver license
Driving a vehicle that must be placarded requires the H endorsement, which involves a separate knowledge test and a security background check.
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6. You are strapping down a load with sharp metal edges on a flatbed. What should you use?
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Answer D: Edge protection between the strap and the sharp edges so the tiedown is not cut
Sharp edges cut or wear through a strap under tension, so edge protectors are required wherever a tiedown could be damaged.
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7. How often must a Rhode Island CDL holder who is 70 or older renew, and what extra step does that renewal require?
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Answer B: Every two years, plus a skills test at renewal unless a current medical examination certificate is on file
A Rhode Island CDL holder aged 70 or older must renew every two years and pass a skills test at renewal, unless they hold a current medical examination certificate.
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8. What must be checked about the cargo doors and any tarpaulin before a trip?
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Answer B: That the doors are closed and latched and that any tarp is tied down securely
An unlatched door or a loose tarp can swing open or tear free at speed, spilling cargo or blocking the view of the traffic behind you.
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9. 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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10. You have chosen 40 miles per hour as your safe speed for a downgrade. How should the brakes be used?
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Answer A: Brake firmly to about 35, release, and repeat at 40
Proper technique is firm application to about 5 miles per hour below the safe speed, then full release so the brakes cool before the next application.
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11. What information does an inspection decal on a commercial vehicle carry?
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Answer B: The date of the inspection, where the inspection report is kept, and information identifying the vehicle
The decal shows when the inspection was done, the name and address of the entity that holds the inspection report, and which vehicle it belongs to, so an officer can confirm the inspection at a glance.
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12. Your speedometer stops working during the pre-trip check. How should it be treated?
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Answer D: As a defect, because the driver cannot judge and control speed without it
A working speedometer is required equipment, because judging speed by feel in a heavy vehicle is unreliable and speed governs stopping distance.
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13. You are stopped in a line of traffic behind a car. How much space should you leave in front of you?
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Answer C: Enough to see where the rear tires of that car meet the road
That amount of space lets you pull around the vehicle ahead if it stalls and absorbs some of the shock if you are struck from behind.
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14. Which road users are hardest to see at night?
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Answer C: Pedestrians and cyclists in dark clothing
People on foot or on a bicycle carry no lights of their own in many cases, so they appear only when the headlights reach them.
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15. How should the steering wheel be held when driving a large vehicle?
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Answer D: Firmly with both hands, placed on opposite sides of the wheel
Both hands on opposite sides give the leverage and control needed if a tire drops off the pavement or the wheel is jolted.
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16. How often must a Rhode Island vehicle over 8,500 pounds gross weight undergo its required safety inspection?
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Answer A: Every year
Vehicles exceeding 8,500 pounds gross weight require an annual safety-only inspection in Rhode Island, unlike the biennial cycle for lighter vehicles.
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17. 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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18. A delivery van is stopped in the right lane ahead with its flashers on. What should you expect?
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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.
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19. You find one lug nut missing from a wheel that has ten studs. What should you do?
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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.
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20. 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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21. What can a Rhode Island applicant do after being denied a commercial driver's license?
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Answer A: Request a hearing within 20 days of the denial notice, then appeal an unfavorable decision to district court within 10 days
A denied CDL applicant may request a hearing within 20 days of the notice, and may appeal an unfavorable hearing decision to district court within 10 days.
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22. On a one way street or a divided highway, where are the warning devices placed?
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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.
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23. As a long vehicle goes around a corner, how do the rear wheels travel compared with the front wheels?
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Answer A: They follow a tighter path, closer to the inside of the turn
The rear wheels off-track toward the inside of the turn, and the longer the vehicle the bigger the difference, which is why the front must swing wide enough to keep the rear off the curb.
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24. You are about to slow down sharply on a highway to make a turn into a narrow driveway. How can you warn the drivers behind you?
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Answer C: Tap the brake pedal a few times so the brake lights flash before you slow down
A few light taps flash the brake lights and give following drivers an early warning that you are about to slow or stop.
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25. After the first inspection of a trip, how often must cargo securement be checked again?
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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.
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26. After coupling, where should the fifth wheel release handle be?
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Answer A: In the locked position with the safety latch in place
The handle must be pushed in and latched, because a handle left out means the jaws can open and release the trailer while you are driving.
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27. A doctor prescribes you a medicine that can cause drowsiness. What should you do?
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Answer A: Tell the doctor what you drive and not drive while affected
Both prescription and over the counter medicines can make a driver unsafe, so the medical professional must know the job and the driver must stay out of the seat while affected.
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28. At highway speed, looking 12 to 15 seconds ahead means looking about how far down the road?
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Answer B: About a quarter of a mile
Twelve to fifteen seconds of travel is roughly a quarter of a mile at highway speed, while the same amount of time is about one block in slow city traffic.
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29. Which winter preparation matters most for keeping the road in view?
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Answer D: Working wipers, washer fluid and a working defroster
Slush and road spray coat the windshield within minutes in winter, so wipers, washer fluid and the defroster are what keep any view at all.
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30. Does the federal texting ban apply to a company dispatching device mounted in the cab?
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Answer B: Yes, entering or reading text on it while driving is banned
The rule is written around the act of reading or entering text on any electronic device, not around who owns the device.
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31. 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?
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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.
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32. What is a bulkhead in a cargo body used for?
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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.
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33. How does a front tire failure usually feel to the driver?
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Answer D: The steering suddenly becomes heavy and pulls to one side
A failed front tire loads the steering and makes the wheel feel heavy, while a rear tire failure shows up as the back end swaying.
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34. Which of these is a suspension defect you must look for during the walkaround?
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Answer D: Cracked or broken spring leaves, loose or broken U-bolts, or leaking air suspension bags
Broken springs, failed U-bolts and leaking air bags let the axle shift or the body drop, which can make the vehicle impossible to control.
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35. What happens to braking distance when speed is doubled?
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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.
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36. You drive a 40 foot straight truck at 50 miles per hour in good conditions. What following distance does the rule of thumb call for?
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Answer A: 5 seconds
One second for every 10 feet of vehicle length gives 4 seconds, and one extra second is added for speeds above 40 miles per hour.
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37. Where should a driver expect fog to form first?
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Answer D: In low ground, near water and in valleys
Cool moist air settles in low places, so fog patches appear in hollows, river valleys and near lakes before they appear anywhere else.
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38. Where is the yellow antilock brake malfunction lamp on a trailer, and what does it mean if it stays lit?
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Answer D: On the left side, at the front or rear corner, and it means the antilock function may not be working
Trailers carry the yellow lamp on the left side, and a lamp that stays on after the bulb check means the antilock function may be lost even though the normal brakes still work.
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39. Around a tractor-trailer, where are the blind areas that other drivers most often sit in unseen?
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Answer A: Along the right side and directly behind the trailer
The blind areas to the right of the cab and behind the trailer are the largest, which is why other drivers should never linger there.
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40. 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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41. A tire may be regrooved only when what is true?
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Answer B: It carries a marking from the manufacturer showing that it is regroovable
Only casings built with extra rubber under the tread and marked regroovable by the manufacturer may be cut, because others would be grooved into the belts.
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42. 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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43. What do the U-bolts on a leaf spring suspension do?
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Answer A: They clamp the spring assembly to the axle so it cannot move
U-bolts hold the spring pack tight against the axle, and a loose or broken U-bolt lets the axle slide out of place under load.
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44. Your vehicle is stopped just past a hill or curve that hides it from approaching traffic. How should the warning devices be adjusted?
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Answer A: Move the rearmost device farther back, up to 500 feet, so drivers are warned before the obstruction
When a hill or curve blocks the view, the farthest device is moved back beyond the obstruction so approaching drivers see the warning in time.
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45. During the walkaround you find the reflective conspicuity tape along the trailer caked with road grime. What should you do?
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Answer B: Clean it, because dirty reflective material cannot make the trailer visible at night
Reflective sheeting only works if light can reach it and bounce back, so a dirty strip leaves the trailer effectively unmarked to approaching traffic.
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46. When traction is poor, such as on packed snow, how should you speed up?
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Answer C: Very gradually, so the drive wheels do not spin
Gentle throttle keeps the drive wheels from breaking traction, because spinning wheels give up both grip and directional control.
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47. When should a driver select the gear for a long, steep downgrade?
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Answer B: Before starting down the grade
The low gear has to be chosen before the descent, because a heavy vehicle gaining speed may refuse to shift down at all.
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48. You are dropping a loaded trailer in a yard. How far should the landing gear be lowered?
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Answer A: Until the pads make firm contact and the trailer weight is just off the fifth wheel
Cranking down until the gear is firmly on the ground and just lifting the load off the fifth wheel makes the trailer stable and lets the tractor pull out cleanly.
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49. An article of cargo has been blocked so that it cannot move forward. How many tiedowns does the federal rule call for?
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Answer A: One tiedown for every 10 feet of article length, or any part of that
Blocking against forward movement lowers the requirement to one tiedown per 10 feet of length or fraction of 10 feet.
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50. A car that passed you on the right slows and stays alongside your trailer. What is the best response?
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Answer D: Ease off the accelerator so the car can move clear
A vehicle sitting beside a trailer is in a blind area and has nowhere to go if you need the lane, so the safest fix is to let it get ahead or behind.