Maine CDL DMV Knowledge Test Class B 2

Black ice is a layer of ice that is thin and clear enough for the road to be visible through it. The surface will look like a wet road. Always be alert to black ice if the road looks wet when the temperature is below freezing.

When approaching your vehicle before an inspection, make note of its general condition and ensure that it is not damaged or leaning. Look under the vehicle for fresh leaks of oil, grease, or fuel. Check around the vehicle for hazards to movement, such as people, other vehicles, or low-hanging wires or tree limbs.

If the low pressure warning signal activates while you are driving, it is important that you safely exit the roadway as soon as possible and park your vehicle. If the air pressure gets too low, the brakes will no longer work well enough for you to stop safely.

It is a driver's responsibility to make sure their vehicle is not overloaded. They must be aware of legal weight limits and the maximum weight that their vehicle is rated to carry, including the weight capacity rating of the suspension system.

Black ice is a thin layer of ice that is clear enough for the road surface to be seen through it. A road covered in black ice may look like it is merely wet. You should be very careful when temperatures are below freezing and the road looks wet.

When a brake pedal is pressed and the S-cam is turned, the S-cam presses the brake shoes against the inside of the brake drum. This causes friction and will cause the vehicle to slow.

You may have to swing right to safely make a left turn. If there are two left turn lanes available at an intersection, you should always begin your turn in the rightmost lane.

Driving with dry bulk tanks requires special care because they usually have high centers of gravity. It is also important for drivers to be prepared for the contents to shift in transit.

Some air brake systems include an evaporator that introduces alcohol into the system. The alcohol can help prevent ice from forming within the system.

Placards must be placed on the front, the rear, and both sides of a vehicle carrying hazardous cargo. They must be readable from any direction.

You should finish each exercise with your vehicle in the exact position described by the examiner. You can be penalized for failing to complete an exercise exactly in the manner described by the examiner, potentially resulting in failure of the basic control skills test.

It is essential to the safe operation of a CMV that cargo be properly loaded. Improper loading can affect handling and damage the vehicle. Additionally, improperly loaded materials can cause injury or death by falling off of the vehicle.

Being properly rested is essential to the safe operation of a CMV. To maintain alertness, most people need eight to nine hours of sleep per night.

The suspension system performs the vital functions of holding up the vehicle and its load while keeping the axles in place. Defects in the suspension are therefore extremely dangerous.

During a pre-trip inspection, you should check for emergency equipment, including spare electrical fuses; three red reflective triangles, six fuses, or three liquid burning flares; and at least one properly charged and rated fire extinguisher.

If you observe a crash involving an aggressive driver, you should stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for police to arrive, and inform them of the aggressive behavior you witnessed.

Strong winds can make it difficult to keep a vehicle in its proper lane. Strong wind can be a particular problem when a vehicle is being driven out of a tunnel.

Because you can't see everything behind you, backing is always dangerous and should be avoided whenever possible. Choose parking spaces from which you can pull forward when you leave.

The best thing to do when confronted with an aggressive driver is to get out of their way, if possible. Avoid making eye contact, which could further provoke the driver. Ignore any hand gestures made by the driver.

On long and/or steep downgrades, you should primarily use engine braking to control the speed of your vehicle. Use your brakes only as a supplement to this effect.

You should always slow to a safe speed before entering a curve. Slowing while within the curve could cause a skid.

In a dual air brake system, either the front or rear brakes will not be fully operable if one of the air systems gets too low on pressure. If the air pressure in either tank gets too low while you are driving, you should exit the road and park as soon as possible.

A vehicle's regular stopping distance increases on slippery surfaces because there is less available traction.

When driving at dawn, at dusk, or in inclement weather, you should use your headlights on their low beam setting to increase your visibility.

A pre-trip vehicle inspection should be done in the same way every time. Consistency will help a driver learn all of the proper steps and decrease the possibility of the driver forgetting to inspect something.

In the event of a vehicle fire, you should leave the road and stop in an open area. Do not pull into a service station as fuels at the service station could catch fire. Report the fire and your location to emergency services.

In general, a smaller vehicle will be able to come to a complete stop faster than a larger vehicle. Keep this in mind when determining your following distance.

If you need to make an emergency stop, you can use either the controlled braking method or the stab braking method. It's important to brake in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line but will still allow you to turn if necessary.

If you are asked to alley dock, you should first pull past the alley and stop your vehicle in a position that is parallel to the outer boundary. From there, you should back your vehicle entirely into the alley parking area. Your vehicle should be parked in a straight position within the boundaries of the parking space.

You will be asked to change lanes during the on-road driving test. When the examiner asks you to do this, you should make the necessary traffic checks and use the proper signals before changing lanes.

If you are not certain that your vehicle will fit under overhead objects, you should slow down and take a different route, if possible.

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.

As the temperature begins to rise and ice on the road begins to melt, the road surface will often become even more slippery. Water from the slight melting will sit on top of the ice, decreasing the available traction even more. Always decrease your speed and drive with caution when traveling on slippery surfaces.

Hydroplaning occurs on surfaces where water has collected. If there is enough water, vehicles can hydroplane at speeds as low as 30 mph. Hydroplaning becomes more likely if tires are under-inflated or if the tread is worn.

Eating while driving can be a dangerous distraction to the driver both because it diverts their attention away from the task at hand and requires them to remove a hand from the steering wheel.