Alabama CDL — General Knowledge Practice Test
50 questions · pass with 40 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
Alabama CDL — General Knowledge questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Alabama CDL — General Knowledge question bank — each with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the section of the official handbook it comes from.
1. As you pass through a work zone with a worker near the travel lane, you should:
Correct answer: Decrease your speed even further
Beyond obeying the posted limit, slow down more when workers are near the travel lane.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.6.7 (Roadway Work Zones)
2. How many people must a vehicle be designed to carry before a CDL is required on that basis?
Correct answer: 16 or more, including the driver
A vehicle built to transport 16 or more people, counting the driver, requires a commercial license.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 1 (Introduction - CMV Definitions)
3. A cross-buck sign at a railroad crossing tells drivers to:
Correct answer: Yield the right of way to any approaching train
The cross-buck marks the crossing and requires drivers to yield to trains; extra signs show the number of tracks.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.15.2 (Warning Signs and Devices)
4. Below 40 mph, how much following distance does the manual suggest for the length of your vehicle?
Correct answer: One second for every 10 feet of vehicle length
Below 40 mph, count a second for each 10 feet your vehicle measures, then add one more second above that speed.
5. In fog, which headlight setting should you generally use?
Correct answer: Low beams
High beams reflect off fog and worsen glare, so low beams give better visibility in fog.
6. Rental-truck drivers should be watched carefully because they:
Correct answer: Are frequently unaccustomed to the big blind spots around a large vehicle
People at the wheel of a rental truck are often not used to how little they can see to the sides and rear.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.8.3 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)
7. A driver certified only for intrastate operation receives which restriction on the CDL?
Correct answer: A restriction barring interstate operation
Certifying as intrastate adds the K restriction, which prohibits operating the CMV in interstate commerce.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 1 (Introduction - Restrictions)
8. A burning tire is best dealt with by:
Correct answer: Cooling it with large amounts of water
Because a tire holds heat, it must be cooled - often with lots of water - to keep it from reigniting.
9. The slow-moving vehicle emblem is described as:
Correct answer: A red triangle with an orange center
Farm and construction equipment often display a red triangle with an orange center to warn of their low speed.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.8.3 (Drivers Who Are Hazards)
10. If you become too ill to drive safely, you should:
Correct answer: Not drive, except to reach the nearest safe stopping point in an emergency
When illness makes safe operation impossible you must not drive, other than reaching a safe place to stop in a true emergency.
11. When you set out warning triangles, you should hold each triangle:
Correct answer: Between yourself and oncoming traffic so drivers can see you
Keeping the triangle between you and approaching traffic makes you visible to other drivers while you place it.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.7 (Managing Space - Stopping on the Road)
12. Why should you never try to race a train to a crossing?
Correct answer: It is extremely hard to judge a train's speed
A train's speed is very difficult to gauge, and racing one to the crossing is never worth the risk.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.15.3 (Driving Procedures)
13. A single vehicle needs a commercial driver license once its gross vehicle weight rating reaches what figure?
Correct answer: 26,001 pounds or more
Any one vehicle rated at 26,001 pounds or above falls under the commercial category, so a CDL is required to drive it.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 1 (Introduction - CMV Definitions)
14. On a trailer, a steady yellow ABS lamp on the left rear indicates:
Correct answer: The trailer's antilock braking system is not working properly
For trailers, a yellow ABS malfunction lamp on the left rear that stays on shows the antilock system needs attention.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.1.5 (Seven-step Inspection Method)
15. About how far will a vehicle travel before stopping from 55 mph under ideal conditions?
Correct answer: Roughly 419 feet
Adding perception, reaction, and braking distance, a vehicle at 55 mph needs a minimum of about 419 feet to stop.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.6.1 (Stopping Distance)
16. During the seven-step inspection, how should you begin checking the engine compartment?
Correct answer: By confirming the parking brake is on and/or the wheels are chocked
Before opening the hood you make sure the parking brake is set or the wheels are chocked so the vehicle cannot move.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.1.5 (Seven-step Inspection Method)
17. When a driver is tailgating you, one thing you should NOT do is:
Correct answer: Play tricks such as switching your taillights on or flicking your brake lights
Tricks like flashing the brake lights can confuse a tailgater; instead stay steady, leave extra room ahead, and let them pass.
18. If federal or state inspectors judge your vehicle unsafe, they will:
Correct answer: Place it out of service until repairs are made
An unsafe vehicle is ordered out of service and may not be driven until the defect has been corrected.
19. At an accident scene where you are not badly hurt, your first action should be to:
Correct answer: Protect the area so another crash does not occur
Protecting the scene - warning other traffic and preventing a second collision - comes before notifying authorities or aiding the injured.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.20.1 (Protect the Area)
20. A sign below the cross-buck at a crossing that reads a number tells you:
Correct answer: How many tracks the crossing has
When more than one track is present, a small sign under the cross-buck shows the number of tracks to expect.
Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.15.2 (Warning Signs and Devices)