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Free CDL Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style Commercial Driver License (CDL) (CDL) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free CDL practice test to study every exam domain.

Question 1

A van is designed to seat exactly 16 people. When deciding whether operating it requires a CDL, the 16-passenger threshold is counted:

  1. Including the driver
  2. Excluding the driver
  3. Only when every seat is filled
  4. Based on the number of seatbelts
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Including the driver

Question 2

You are driving a 40-foot vehicle at 35 mph in good conditions. Using the standard CDL rule of one second per 10 feet of length, the minimum following distance is:

  1. 8 seconds
  2. 2 seconds, the same as a car
  3. Roughly 40 feet of open space
  4. 4 seconds
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - 4 seconds

Question 3

Total stopping distance for a commercial vehicle is the sum of three separate distances. They are:

  1. Speed distance, weight distance, and road distance
  2. Perception, reaction, and braking distance
  3. Following, signaling, and braking distance
  4. Lag distance, skid distance, and stopping distance
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Perception, reaction, and braking distance

Question 4

Your vehicle is stopped on the shoulder of a divided highway. Where should the three reflective warning triangles be placed?

  1. All three within 10 feet of the rear bumper
  2. At 10, 50, and 150 feet behind the vehicle
  3. At 10, 100, and 200 feet toward approaching traffic
  4. One ahead of the vehicle and two directly behind it
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - At 10, 100, and 200 feet toward approaching traffic

Question 5

It is illegal to operate a commercial motor vehicle when your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is at or above:

  1. 0.08%, the limit for a personal car
  2. 0.10%
  3. 0.02%
  4. 0.04%
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - 0.04%

Question 6

A driver is convicted of a first DUI while operating a vehicle that was displaying hazardous materials placards. The resulting CDL disqualification period is:

  1. 1 year, the standard first-offense period
  2. 3 years
  3. 60 days
  4. A lifetime ban that cannot be reinstated
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 3 years

Question 7

During a pre-trip inspection, what is the minimum allowable tread depth on the front (steering axle) tires?

  1. 2/32 of an inch, as on the other tires
  2. 1/16 of an inch
  3. 4/32 of an inch
  4. 6/32 of an inch
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - 4/32 of an inch

Question 8

You are securing a single 15-foot length of cargo on a flatbed. Regardless of weight, the securement rules require a minimum of:

  1. Two tiedowns
  2. One tiedown is enough for one piece
  3. Three tiedowns spaced evenly
  4. One tiedown for every 5 feet of length
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Two tiedowns

Question 9

On a combination vehicle, with the engine off and the foot brake firmly applied for one minute, the air pressure should drop no more than:

  1. 2 psi in one minute
  2. 3 psi in one minute
  3. 4 psi in one minute
  4. 10 psi in one minute
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - 4 psi in one minute

Question 10

As you drive, your air pressure starts to fall. The low air pressure warning signal must come on at:

  1. Exactly 20 psi
  2. 100 psi
  3. Only once the spring brakes have engaged
  4. At or above 60 psi
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - At or above 60 psi

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