Montana CDL — General Knowledge practice
Montana 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
14 questions · pass with 11 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. When must a driver sign the previous vehicle inspection report reviewed in Step 1 of the seven-step inspection?
Correct answer: Only if defects were noted and certified as repaired or as not needing repair
The motor carrier has to fix items that affect safety and certify that the repairs were done or were not needed. The driver signs only when defects were noted and so certified.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.1.5, Seven-step Inspection Method
2. How many missing leaves in a leaf spring will put a vehicle out of service, according to the manual?
Correct answer: One-fourth or more
The manual says that if one-fourth or more of the leaves in any leaf spring are missing, the vehicle will be put out of service, although any such defect could be dangerous.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.1.3, What to Look For
3. Research cited in the manual says that talking on a cell phone, even hands-free, drains what share of the brain energy that would ordinarily go to safe driving?
Correct answer: 39%
The manual reports that the burden of a cell phone conversation, hands-free or not, saps 39% of the energy the brain would normally devote to driving safely.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.9.1, The Distracted Driving Crash Problem
4. What does the manual say an overloaded steering axle can cause?
Correct answer: Hard steering, with possible damage to the steering axle and tires
Overloading the steering axle makes steering hard and can damage the axle and tires. Too little weight on the driving axles, by contrast, causes poor traction.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 3.2.4, Balance the Weight
5. A tire on your truck has just been changed. What does the manual tell you to do a short while later?
Correct answer: Stop and check the tightness of the wheel nuts again
The manual says to stop shortly after a tire change and re-check the nuts. It also notes that rust around wheel nuts may mean they are loose.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.1.3, What to Look For
6. In very hot weather, how often does the manual say to inspect your tires?
Correct answer: Every two hours or every 100 miles
For very hot weather the manual calls for checking tire mounting and air pressure and inspecting the tires at two-hour or 100-mile intervals.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.14.1, Vehicle Checks
7. More than 10 degrees of play in the steering wheel can make a vehicle hard to steer. On a 20-inch steering wheel, about how much movement at the rim is that?
Correct answer: About 2 inches
The manual equates 10 degrees of play with roughly 2 inches of movement measured at the rim of a 20-inch wheel.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.1.3, What to Look For
8. When a retarder is switched on, when does it apply its braking power?
Correct answer: Each time you take your foot completely off the accelerator, and only at the drive wheels
Retarders that are turned on work on the drive wheels whenever the accelerator is fully released. The manual says to turn them off on wet, icy or snow-covered roads.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.3.4, Retarders
9. How do objects appear in a convex ('fisheye') mirror compared with looking at them directly?
Correct answer: Smaller and farther away than they really are
Convex mirrors show a wider area than flat mirrors, but everything in them looks smaller and seems farther off than it is, so the driver has to allow for that.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.4.2, Seeing to the Sides and Rear
10. To keep a load from being top-heavy, where does the manual say the heaviest parts of the cargo should go?
Correct answer: Under the lightest parts, as low as possible
A high center of gravity makes a vehicle more likely to tip over, so the manual says to distribute cargo as low as possible with the heaviest parts beneath the lightest.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 3.2.3, Don't Be Top-heavy
11. According to the manual, what happens to crashes when distractions make drivers react half a second slower?
Correct answer: They double
In urging drivers to plan ahead against distractions, the manual states that crashes double when drivers react a half-second slower.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.9.6, Don't Drive Distracted
12. When can mirror adjustment be checked accurately, according to the manual?
Correct answer: Only when the trailer(s) are straight
Mirror adjustment should be checked before any trip, and the manual says it can be checked accurately only with the trailers straight. Each mirror should show part of the vehicle as a reference point.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.4.2, Seeing to the Sides and Rear
More CDL — General Knowledge topics
Practice Safe Driving Practices in another state
Every Montana question is written from the official Montana 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