New Mexico CDL DMV Knowledge Test Class B 2

If you are convicted of any traffic violations while driving any vehicle, you must notify your employer within 30 days of the conviction. This rule excludes parking violations.

Your vehicle pulling to one side or the other while you are braking can indicate trouble with the brakes.

When doing a pre-trip inspection on a vehicle with power steering, be sure to check the hoses, pumps, and fluid level. In particular, you should check the hoses for leaks.

Side mirrors should be adjusted to display part of your vehicle. This will provide a point of reference when judging the location of nearby objects.

Avoid being an aggressive driver by being realistic about your travel time, making allowance for delays, maintaining reasonable following distances, and not making hand gestures that could anger another driver.

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.

It is best not to avoid driving in fog. However, if you must drive under foggy conditions, be sure to decrease your speed.

A vehicle inspection report keeps the carrier informed about any problems that need to be fixed.

When driving under foggy conditions, lights cannot be taken as a reliable indication of where the road is. The lights may be coming from a vehicle that has pulled off the road.

If you must drive in reverse, you should first walk around your vehicle to look at the path of travel and check for obstacles. Because mirrors have blind spots, you cannot rely exclusively on them. It is recommended to use a helper whenever possible.

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, the air storage tanks hold compressed air to be used by the brakes. The number and size of air tanks varies among vehicles.

During the on-road driving test, the examiner will be scoring you on specific driving maneuvers, as well as your general driving behavior.

In an air brake system, the air tanks must be periodically drained to remove accumulations of water and compressor oil. If water is not removed, it could freeze in cold weather and cause brake failure.

Most cases of hydraulic brake failure come from one of two causes. The brakes may fail due to a loss of hydraulic pressure or due to overuse on long hills, causing the brakes to fade.

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.

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.

On flatbed trailers and trailers without sides, cargo must be tied down to prevent it from shifting or falling off in transit.

Always drive with caution through work zones. You should make a particular point of reducing your speed when workers are on or near the roadway.

It is best to avoid driving through large puddles or moving water. If there is no way to avoid driving through water, you should slow down, shift into a low gear, and gently apply the brakes. Pressing linings against the brake drums or discs will keep water, mud, silt, and sand from getting inside the brake mechanisms.

Blocking may be used on all sides of a piece of cargo to keep it from sliding while the vehicle is in motion.

Wheels or rims that have had welding repairs are never safe for use.

After changing a tire, you should stop a short distance later to recheck the tightness of the tire's lug nuts.

You must always properly signal before turning or changing lanes.

Cargo should be blocked to prevent it from sliding around in transit. The shifting of weight in transit can make steering and handling difficult for the driver.

Backing a truck is always dangerous because the driver may not be able to see everything behind them. CMV operators should avoid backing whenever possible.

If the low air pressure warning signal comes on while you are operating a vehicle with air brakes, you should stop and safely park the vehicle as soon as possible. It is essential that you are able to stop safely while you still have some braking power remaining.

When inspecting a vehicle, you should verify that your dual tires do not come into contact with one another, or with any other part of the vehicle.

Before slowing down, it is a good idea to flash your brake lights by lightly tapping your brake pedal a few times. This will warn drivers behind you of your plans to slow down.

You should be cautious when you are near people who are not paying attention to the road. Drivers and pedestrians who are talking to someone may be distracted by the conversation and not fully paying attention to the road. Workers on or near the road may not be paying attention to traffic because they are focused on their work, and can themselves also be a distraction to drivers.

You must have a hazardous materials endorsement to transport a material that requires placards.

When driving, it is important to be aware of what is happening behind and to the sides of your vehicle. Mirror checks and head checks should be a normal part of your scanning routine.

Most heavy vehicles with unsynchronized manual transmissions require double clutching to change gears.

It is critical that an engine have sufficient oil pressure. The engine can be destroyed rapidly if run without oil.

Reduce your speed when traveling on surfaces that provide reduced traction. Reduce your speed by about one-third when driving on a wet road.