Arkansas CDL — General Knowledge practice
Arkansas CDL — General Knowledge: Safe Driving Practices practice test
Following distance, scanning, blind spots, using your lights, and the habits that prevent crashes and keep you in control.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
15 questions · pass with 12 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
Study questions with answers
12 sample Safe Driving Practices questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
Show all 12 questions with answers
1. A wheel has had welding repairs. What does the manual say about it?
Correct answer: It is not safe
Wheels or rims that have been repaired by welding are listed as unsafe. On the inspection test you also check that rims show no welding repairs.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.1, Vehicle Inspection
2. You notice signs of fatigue while driving. Besides stopping for the night, what does the manual suggest?
Correct answer: Taking a 15- to 20-minute nap
When fatigue shows up, stop driving and either get a full night's sleep or nap for 15 to 20 minutes. Caffeine wears off, so don't count on it to prevent fatigue.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.11, Driving at Night
3. When you test the service brakes at about 5 mph, which sign points to brake trouble?
Correct answer: The vehicle pulls to one side as you brake
Push the brake pedal firmly at about five mph. Pulling to either side, an unusual pedal feel, or delayed stopping can all signal trouble.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.1, Vehicle Inspection
4. Why should you secure loose items in the cab before driving?
Correct answer: They could get in the way of the controls or strike you during a crash
Before starting out, secure all loose articles in the cab. Otherwise they may get in the way of the controls or strike you during a crash.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.1, Vehicle Inspection
5. How much free play in the steering wheel can make a vehicle hard to steer?
Correct answer: More than 10 degrees, about 2 inches at the rim of a 20-inch wheel
The manual flags play beyond 10 degrees, about 2 inches measured at the rim of a 20-inch wheel, as a steering defect that can make the vehicle hard to steer.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.1, Vehicle Inspection
6. Some newer vehicles use 'progressive' shifting. What does that mean?
Correct answer: The rpm at which you upshift gets higher as you move into higher gears
With progressive shifting, the shift point rises as you work up through the gears. Find out what is right for the vehicle you will drive.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.3, Shifting Gears
7. Glare from bright lights can blind you briefly. At 55 mph, about how far does a vehicle travel during two seconds of glare blindness?
Correct answer: More than half the length of a football field
Bright light can blind you for several seconds. At 55 mph, two seconds of glare blindness carries you over half a football field.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.11, Driving at Night
8. During which hours does the manual say many heavy motor vehicle crashes occur?
Correct answer: Between midnight and 6 a.m.
Sleepiness peaks at night, particularly after midnight, and the manual notes that many heavy vehicle crashes happen between midnight and 6 a.m.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.11, Driving at Night
9. While double clutching, you stay in neutral too long and can't get into the next gear. What should you do?
Correct answer: Shift back to neutral, let the clutch out, bring the rpm up to suit your road speed, then retry
Don't force the shift. Go back to neutral, let out the clutch, raise the engine rpm until it suits your road speed, and attempt the shift again.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.3, Shifting Gears
10. Which tire setup counts as a defect during an inspection?
Correct answer: Radial and bias-ply tires used together
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires is on the manual's list of tire problems, along with mismatched sizes, duals touching each other, and cut or cracked valve stems.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.1, Vehicle Inspection
11. Missing or broken leaves in a leaf spring are always a concern. At what point will they put a vehicle out of service?
Correct answer: When one-fourth or more of the leaves are missing
If a quarter or more of the leaves in any leaf spring are missing, the vehicle is put out of service, though even a smaller defect can be dangerous.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 2.1, Vehicle Inspection
12. During the CDL skills tests, how must you get in and out of a truck cab?
Correct answer: Face the vehicle and keep three points of contact at all times
Enter and exit facing the vehicle with three points of contact. On a bus, face forward and keep a firm hold on the handrail.
Source: Commercial Driver's License Manual — Section 11, Vehicle Inspection Test
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