New Jersey CDL DMV Combination 1

Driving a combination vehicle usually requires more skill than driving a single vehicle. Combination vehicles are generally longer and heavier than single commercial vehicles.

On newer vehicles, the trailer air supply control is an eight-sided red knob. It's used to control the tractor protection valve.

Landing gear, or trailer supports, should always be completely raised before a vehicle is driven. When uncoupling, landing gear should be lowered to make firm contact with the ground. If a trailer is loaded when it is being uncoupled, you should lower the landing gear and turn the crank a few additional times to remove some weight from the trailer.

On trailers with air brakes, glad hands are coupling devices used to connect the air lines of the tractor to those of the trailer.

Push in the trailer air supply control to supply the trailer with air. Pull out the trailer air supply control to turn off the air supply and activate the emergency brakes.

To lower the risk of a rollover, load your cargo as closely to the ground as possible. To further reduce this risk, take curves and corners slowly.

The trailer service air line is also referred to as the control line or signal line.

The function of an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) is to prevent a vehicle's wheels from locking up during hard braking.

In a combination vehicle with air brakes, the tractor protection valve keeps air in the tractor or truck brake system in the event of the trailer breaking away or developing a leak.

The trailer hand valve should not be used for parking. This could cause all of the air to leak out of the braking system, resulting in the brakes releasing. Instead, use the parking brake.

A trailer may swing out and strike other vehicles if its wheels lock up. This is especially likely with lightly-loaded trailers.

Combination vehicles require more skill to drive than single vehicles. Combination vehicles are usually longer and heavier, and are more vulnerable to rollovers.

Before a trip, ensure that air in the air brake system reaches all trailers. Do this by waiting for air pressure to build, then sending air to both the emergency and service lines and opening the shut-off valves on the rear of the last trailer. If air escapes from the shut-off valves in the rear of the combination, the air is being supplied to the entire vehicle.

A rollover happens as a result of a driver taking a turn at too high a speed. Be sure to take turns and curves safely and slowly.

The trailer hand valve should be used only to test the trailer brakes. It should not be used while driving because it may cause the trailer to skid.

Making a sudden lane change can be dangerous when driving a combination vehicle. Avoid the need to make a sudden lane change by looking down the road for upcoming obstacles that will require you to change lanes.

If you need to back your trailer but cannot back up in a straight path, you should back on a curved path toward the driver's side of the vehicle. This will permit you the best possible visibility while backing.

When trailer air lines are color-coded, the service lines are generally blue and the emergency lines are generally red.

When coupling, make sure you couple matching glad hands. They are often color-coded to help drivers avoid mistakes. Typically, blue is used for service lines and red is used for emergency lines.

On combination vehicles with air brakes, the tractor protection valve keeps air in the tractor or truck brake system, should the trailer develop a bad leak or break away from the tractor.