Alaska CDL — General Knowledge practice
Alaska CDL — General Knowledge: Handling Emergencies practice test
What to do when things go wrong — brake failure, tire blowouts, skids, and stalling on railroad tracks.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
16 questions · pass with 13 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
Study questions with answers
12 sample Handling Emergencies 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. How does a vehicle behave in a front-wheel skid?
Correct answer: The front end keeps heading straight no matter how much you turn the wheel
When the front wheels skid, the front of the vehicle tends to travel straight on however far the steering wheel is turned. The cure is to let the vehicle slow down.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.19.3, Front-wheel Skids
2. Why can the parking brake still be used to slow a vehicle whose hydraulic brakes have lost pressure?
Correct answer: It is separate from the hydraulic brake system
The parking (emergency) brake does not depend on the hydraulic system, so it still works. Hold the release button or lever while using it so the wheels do not lock.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.3, Brake Failure
3. How does the manual distinguish a 'vehicle emergency' from a 'traffic emergency'?
Correct answer: A vehicle emergency is a failure of tires, brakes, or another critical part; a traffic emergency is two vehicles about to collide
The manual separates the two: traffic emergencies are near-collisions between vehicles, while vehicle emergencies come from tires, brakes, or other critical parts failing.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17, Driving Emergencies
4. After a crash you have no cell phone or CB. When does the manual say to get word to the police?
Correct answer: After the scene has been properly protected, by phoning or sending someone to phone
With a phone or CB you call before leaving the cab. Without one, you first protect the scene and then call the police or have someone else call.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.20.2, Notify Authorities
5. You have just driven out of deep standing water. Why does the manual have you ride the brakes lightly for a little way afterward?
Correct answer: To heat the brakes up and dry them out
Wet brakes can be weak, grab, or apply unevenly. Light brake pressure after leaving the water warms the brakes and dries them, and a test stop then confirms they work.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.13.2, Driving
6. Your combination has ABS on only one axle. What does the manual say about that?
Correct answer: It still gives you more control of the vehicle while braking
ABS on just the tractor, just the trailer, or even a single axle still improves your control under braking. You brake normally in each case.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.18.5, ABS on the Tractor Only or Only on the Trailer
7. A trailer was built before ABS was required. How can you tell whether it has ABS?
Correct answer: Look underneath for the electronic control unit and wheel speed sensor wires at the back of the brakes
On towed units made before the requirement, it can be hard to tell. The manual says to check under the vehicle for the ECU and for sensor wires running from the brakes.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.18.3, How to Know If Your Vehicle Is Equipped with ABS
8. Why do locked rear drive wheels tend to slide sideways during a braking skid?
Correct answer: A locked wheel grips the road less than a rolling one
A wheel that is locked has less traction than one that is turning, so the rear wheels slide out sideways as if trying to catch up with the front.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.19.1, Drive-wheel Skids
9. In an emergency you may have to drive onto the shoulder. What does the manual say about most shoulders?
Correct answer: They are strong enough to hold a large vehicle, so they offer an escape route
Leaving the road can be less risky than a collision, and the manual notes that most shoulders will bear a large vehicle's weight, which makes them a usable way out.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.1, Steering to Avoid a Crash
10. In a drive-wheel braking skid you release the brakes and the vehicle starts to swing back on course. Why must you counter-steer quickly?
Correct answer: Otherwise the vehicle keeps turning and may skid the opposite way
A vehicle coming back on course tends to keep on turning. Without a fast turn of the wheel the other way, you can end up skidding in the opposite direction.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.19.2, Correcting a Drive-wheel Braking Skid
11. As a fire-prevention step, what should you feel or look over for heat at each stop along the way?
Correct answer: The tires, wheels, and truck body
The en route inspection for fire prevention covers the tires, the wheels, and the body of the truck, checked for heat every time you stop.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.21.2, Fire Prevention
12. The manual lists four ways a skid can start. What is 'over-steering'?
Correct answer: Cranking the wheels harder than the vehicle is able to turn
Over-steering means asking for a sharper turn than the vehicle can make. The other three causes are over-braking, over-acceleration, and driving too fast.
Source: Alaska Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.19, Skid Control and Recovery
More CDL — General Knowledge topics
Practice Handling Emergencies in another state
Every Alaska question is written from the official Alaska driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free