Michigan SOS CDL warm-up test

  • Questions50
  • Correct to pass40
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age18 years

10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 8 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You are backing a tractor-trailer in a straight line and the trailer starts to drift to the left. What is the standard correction?

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    Answer D: Turn the top of the steering wheel a little to the left, toward the drift

    Small corrections made in the direction the trailer is drifting bring it back into line; large or opposite movements make the drift worse.

  2. 2. Where are the OVERSIZE LOAD signs normally carried on a vehicle moving under such a permit?

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    Answer A: On the front and the rear of the vehicle

    The warning signs face the traffic that meets the load and the traffic that comes up behind it, so they go on the front and the rear.

  3. 3. When should mirror adjustment be checked, and what should each mirror show?

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    Answer B: Before every trip, with each mirror adjusted to show some part of the vehicle

    Checking the mirrors before each trip and keeping a small part of the vehicle in view gives a reference point for judging distance behind and beside you.

  4. 4. A doctor prescribes you a medicine that can cause drowsiness. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Tell the doctor what you drive and not drive while affected

    Both prescription and over the counter medicines can make a driver unsafe, so the medical professional must know the job and the driver must stay out of the seat while affected.

  5. 5. What is a bulkhead in a cargo body used for?

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    Answer D: To divide the space and stop cargo from moving into another part of the body

    A bulkhead is a solid partition that separates one part of the load space from another and blocks the cargo from moving past it.

  6. 6. A hard frost has left your vehicle covered in ice. What must be cleared before you drive?

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    Answer D: The windshield, mirrors, lights and reflectors

    You must be able to see out and other drivers must be able to see your lights and reflectors, so all of those surfaces have to be cleared.

  7. 7. On a two lane road carrying traffic in both directions, where do the three warning devices go?

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    Answer C: About 10 feet from the vehicle on the traffic side, 100 feet behind and 100 feet ahead

    Traffic can approach from either direction, so one device goes close to the vehicle and one is placed about 100 feet away in each direction.

  8. 8. When speed doubles, what happens to braking distance?

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    Answer D: It becomes roughly four times as long

    Braking distance rises with the square of speed, so twice the speed needs about four times the distance to stop.

  9. 9. Regular mirror checks during a long trip can reveal which developing problem?

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    Answer D: Smoke coming from a tire or from a wheel

    Overheating tires, wheel bearings and brakes usually show as smoke long before anything appears on the dash, and mirrors are where a driver sees it.

  10. 10. Your vehicle begins to hydroplane on a wet road. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Release the accelerator and push in the clutch so the wheels can turn freely and regain grip

    Hydroplaning tires are riding on water; slowing without braking lets them settle back onto the road and grip again.