California CDL DMV Knowledge Test Class A 2

Commercial vehicle drivers are prohibited from consuming any intoxicating beverage, regardless of its alcohol content, within four hours of going on duty.

Poorly balanced cargo can cause a vehicle to be difficult to handle. Keep weight distribution in mind when loading cargo.

Before beginning a trip, it is important to check the brake drums during your walk-around inspection. It is unsafe to drive if any brake drum has a crack more than one half of the width of the friction area.

Never remove the radiator cap or any part of the pressurized cooling system until it has cooled. Opening the cap while the system is too hot could release steam and boiling water that could severely burn you. If the radiator cap is cool to the touch, the system is likely cool enough for you to open the cap.

Without a working Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), your vehicle will still have normal brake function. Continue to drive and brake as you normally would and have your ABS serviced as soon as possible.

You must sign a vehicle inspection report only if defects were noted and either certified to have been repaired or certified as not needing to be repaired.

Poorly balanced loads can lead to unsafe handling. It is important to properly distribute the weight of cargo when loading a vehicle.

It is important to know the maximum air loss rate that is safe for your specific vehicle. A double combination vehicle should have a leakage rate no higher than 4 psi in a minute during an applied leakage test.

It is important to observe other drivers' actions and identify clues that a person could be driving impaired. Drivers who have had too much to drink, are sleepy, are on drugs, or are ill can present hazards to other drivers. One sign that a driver may be impaired is that they have their windows rolled down in cold weather.

In an air brake system, air tanks have drains to remove accumulations of water and compressor oil. Allowing water and oil to accumulate in the system could cause damage to the brakes.

A vehicle that is equipped with air brakes must also be equipped with a supply pressure gauge. This gauge tells the driver how much air pressure is in each of the vehicle's air tanks.

Containerized loads are generally used when freight is carried partway by rail or ship. Sealed materials cannot be inspected, but a driver should ensure that the containers do not exceed safe and legal weight limits.

If you are being tailgated, you should increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. This reduces the need for you to make sudden changes in speed or direction while making it easier for the tailgater to pass your vehicle.

Points for major violations that occur while driving a commercial motor vehicle, or while you are a CDL holder, will be retained on your record for 55 years.

You may be asked to complete a parallel parking maneuver into a parking space that is to the left of your vehicle. You should drive past the parking space before backing into it while bringing the rear of your vehicle as close to the rear of the space as possible. Your vehicle should be completely within the boundaries of the space.

While driving downhill, you should hold down the brake pedal until your vehicle reaches a speed 5 mph below your safe speed, then release the brake pedal. Repeat this process.

If you think the road surface may be becoming icy but you are not certain, you can open your window and feel the front of the side mirror, mirror support, or antenna. If ice has formed on any of these items, the road is likely becoming icy as well.

If your brakes are hot after coming down a steep grade, you should not use your parking brake when parking. Let your brakes cool before applying the parking brake or risk damaging the brakes.

To prevent a vehicle with manual transmission from rolling backward when you begin to move forward from a stopped position, you can partly engage the clutch before removing your foot from the brake pedal.

A driver uses a look when they open their door, leave their seated position, and walk to the back of the vehicle to check its position. During the straight line backing exercise, a driver may not exceed one look. During any other exercise, a driver may not exceed two looks.

If you have an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) equipped on only the tractor, only the trailer, or only one axle, you will still have more control over the vehicle when braking than you would without ABS. You should brake normally.

Do not use the brake pedal when the spring brakes are on. This could damage the brakes by subjecting them to the combined forces of springs and air pressure.

Aggressive driving is defined as operating a motor vehicle in a selfish, bold, or pushy manner. Road rage is defined as operating a motor vehicle with the intent of doing harm to others, or the intent of physically assaulting another driver or their vehicle.

A modulating control valve allows a driver to gradually apply spring brakes. In equipped vehicles, the valve is controlled by a lever located on the dashboard.

Vehicles with ABS have yellow malfunction lamps to alert drivers when the braking systems are not working. Be sure you know where the malfunction lamp on your vehicle is before beginning a trip.

Distracted driving is always dangerous. Talking on a cell phone takes away about 39 percent of a person's mental energy that would otherwise be devoted to driving.

You should not brake while making a quick turn to avoid a hazard. Doing so could cause your wheels to lock and make your vehicle skid out of control.

When properly adjusted, your mirrors should each display some part of your vehicle. Being able to see your own vehicle in your mirrors will give you a point of reference when judging the positions of other objects.

You should shift your vehicle's transmission into a low gear before staring a downhill grade. Be prepared for gravity to increase your vehicle's speed when traveling downhill.

Drum brakes are attached to the wheels and located on the axles of a vehicle. The braking mechanisms that cause the vehicle to stop can be found inside of a drum brake.

An operator should drive with care when transporting a cargo of hanging meat. Such a load is unstable, both because it has a high center of gravity and because the swinging of the meat can affect the driver's handling of the vehicle.

On a vehicle with one or more trailers, mirror adjustment can only be checked accurately if the trailers are straight. Mirror adjustment should be checked before the start of every trip.

At speeds below 40 mph, you should allow at least one second of following distance for every 10 feet of your vehicle. Follow the same formula when traveling at faster speeds, then add one additional second to your following distance. Remember that larger vehicles require more space to stop than smaller vehicles.

Check hydraulic brakes by pumping the brake pedal three times before applying firm pressure to the pedal for five seconds. The pedal should not move. If it does, there may be a leak or some other problem in the braking system.

For safe operation, a commercial motor vehicle needs a tread depth of 4/32 of an inch in every major groove on the front tires, and a tread depth of 2/32 of an inch on other tires.