Minnesota CDL DMV Knowledge Test Class B 1

Placards must be placed on the outside of vehicles carrying hazardous materials. They identify the specific class or classes of materials being carried and warn others of relevant hazards.

It is common for automobile drivers to follow too closely behind large trucks in bad weather, especially when it is difficult to see down the road. Safely respond to the tailgater instead of reacting by increasing your speed.

In an air brake system, the air compressor is connected to the engine through gears or a v-belt.

If you must drive so slowly that you will impede the flow of traffic, you should turn on your four-way flashers to alert drivers behind you (as long as local laws allow the use of flashers).

The brakes in an air brake system use compressed air to function properly.

There are two indicators that determine when you need to shift into a higher gear. One indicator is the engine speed (rpm). You should read your vehicle's manual to learn its rpm range and shift up when you reach the top of that range. The other indicator is road speed (mph). You should learn which speeds each gear can accommodate, then keep an eye on the speedometer and shift up as needed.

Many large vehicles have curved, convex mirrors. Convex mirrors allow drivers to see a wider area than flat mirrors. However, they also make objects seem smaller and farther away than they really are.

An encroachment during the basic vehicle control skills test is when an exercise boundary line is touched or crossed by any portion of the applicant's vehicle. Every encroachment will be counted as an error.

An encroachment during the basic vehicle control skills test is when an exercise boundary line is touched or crossed by any portion of the applicant's vehicle. Every encroachment will be counted as an error.

If the low air pressure warning signal comes on while you are driving a vehicle with air brakes, you should immediately bring the vehicle to a safe stop while you are still able to control the brakes. Inspect and repair the brakes as soon as possible.

Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle's tires lose contact with the road surface and instead glide along on a film of water above the surface of the road.

Minnesota has an Implied Consent Law, which means that by operating a vehicle in the state, you are understood to have consented to a chemical test if authorities ask you for one. If you refuse to submit to a test, you will be disqualified from operating a CMV for one year and your driver license will be revoked for one year.

If you are found to be operating a CMV with any detectable amount of alcohol in your system, but you are still below the legal limit of 0.04 percent, you will be placed out-of-service for 24 hours. It is both illegal and dangerous to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

Federal and state laws require drivers to inspect their vehicles before driving to ensure that they are safe to operate.

Front-end header boards, also known as "headache racks," protect the driver from cargo moving in the event of a crash or emergency stop.

To test hydraulic brakes, you should pump the brake pedal three times, then apply firm pressure to the brake pedal and hold for five seconds. The pedal should not move. If it does, there may be a leak.

Height warnings are often, but not always, posted on low bridges. If you are unsure if you will be able to clear an overhead object, go slowly.

Over-sized loads require special permits, may be allowed on the roads only at certain times, and may require special warning signs or equipment.

To avoid becoming fatigued on a long trip, you should take a break after every 100 miles or two hours of driving. Driving through the night, or during any other time when you would normally be asleep, raises the danger of fatigue.

Strong winds can make it difficult for a driver to maintain control of their vehicle. Usually, this is especially true for drivers of lighter CMVs.

On a vehicle with ABS, a yellow malfunction lamp on the instrument panel will illuminate to alert you if the braking system is not working.

In a vehicle with dual parking control valves, there is a separate air tank that can be used to temporarily release the spring brakes if they have been activated due to low air pressure. Pushing in the proper control will release the spring brakes for a short period of time, allowing the driver to move the vehicle in an emergency.

Stopping is not always the safest option when responding to an emergency while driving. It is usually safer to steer out of the way when attempting to avoid a crash.

When accelerating, speed up smoothly and gradually so your vehicle does not jerk. Rough acceleration can cause mechanical damage.

After starting an engine, the oil pressure should rise to a normal range within seconds. If your oil pressure is low, dropping, or fluctuating, you should immediately stop driving.

When traveling at speeds below 40 mph, you should maintain at least one second of following distance for every 10 feet of your vehicle's length. At higher speeds, add an additional second.

Hydroplaning is an effect in which a vehicle's tires lose traction with the surface of the road and instead glide along a layer of water. There does not have to be much water on the road for this to occur.

Cargo should be restrained by at least one tie-down for every 10 feet of cargo. However, all cargo should have at least two tie-downs, no matter the size of the cargo.

During the vehicle inspection test, you must use a tire gauge to check for proper tire inflation. You will not receive passing credit if you simply kick the tires.

If you are not sure which kind of extinguisher should be used on a fire in your vehicle, particularly a hazardous materials fire, you should wait for the firefighters to arrive and allow them to extinguish it.

You should always make sure that your vehicle will be able to stop within the area of the road that you are able to see. This means that you must slow down whenever conditions reduce visibility.

A steering wheel should be held firmly with both hands, positioned on opposite sides of the wheel.

If you must drive so slowly that you will impede the flow of traffic, you should turn on your four-way flashers to alert drivers behind you (as long as local laws allow the use of flashers).

There are a number of crimes that will disqualify a person from receiving a hazardous materials endorsement for seven years. Among these are kidnapping or hostage taking, smuggling, and immigration violations. More serious crimes, such as murder, will result in a lifetime disqualification.

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.