New Mexico CDL — General Knowledge: Right-of-Way Practice Test

Question 1

You take the road test in a bus and stop at a railroad crossing. Besides looking and listening, what may you also be required to do before crossing?

Accepted Answer

Open the window and the door — For bus drivers, the railroad crossing procedure adds that the examiner may have you open the window and the door before you cross.

Answer

Sound the horn three times

Answer

Shift into neutral and set the parking brake

Answer

Walk ahead to check the tracks

Question 2

You are stopped at a railroad crossing with gates. The train passes and the gates begin to rise, but the red lights are still flashing. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Stay stopped until the gates are fully raised and the flashing has ended — At a gated crossing you remain stopped until both things happen: the gates go up and the flashing ends. Then you proceed when it is safe.

Answer

Go as soon as the last car of the train has cleared

Answer

Go once the gates are halfway up

Answer

Back up to give the gates more room

Question 3

How does a heavy load change the gap you need before entering or crossing traffic?

Accepted Answer

You should allow more room, because acceleration varies with the load — Large vehicles accelerate slowly and need a lot of space, and the manual adds that a heavily loaded vehicle calls for even more room.

Answer

You need less room, because a loaded truck has better traction

Answer

It makes no difference; only vehicle length matters

Answer

You need more room only on downgrades

Question 4

On the road test, what does the gear usage standard say about shifting while you are in a turn or an intersection?

Accepted Answer

Do not shift there — The gear usage standard says not to grind or clash gears, to pick a gear that neither revs nor lugs the engine, and not to shift in turns and intersections.

Answer

Shift up midway to keep traffic moving

Answer

Shift to neutral and coast through

Answer

Shift only if the examiner asks

Question 5

A heavy load keeps you from matching the speed of traffic on a multilane road. Which lane does the manual tell you to use?

Accepted Answer

The right lane, if you can — Trucks that cannot keep up tend to get tailgated, especially uphill, so the manual's advice for a load that slows you down is to keep to the right lane when possible.

Answer

The left lane, so faster traffic passes on the right

Answer

The center lane, to keep space on both sides

Answer

Whichever lane has the fewest vehicles

Question 6

Railroad-highway grade crossing disqualifications apply to violations of which laws or regulations?

Accepted Answer

Federal, state or local ones — The six listed crossing offenses count whether the law or regulation broken is federal, state or local.

Answer

Federal ones only

Answer

State ones only

Answer

Railroad company rules only

Question 7

At a crossing whose crossbuck carries flashing red lights and bells but no gates, the lights begin to flash as you approach. What must you do?

Accepted Answer

Stop, because a train is coming and it has the right-of-way — Flashing red lights mean a train is approaching: stop and let it pass, and at a multi-track crossing check that each track is clear before you go.

Answer

Slow to 15 mph and cross if you see no train

Answer

Speed up to clear the crossing before the train

Answer

Cross, because flashing lights without gates are only advisory

Question 8

The driver ahead signals a turn into a narrow driveway. What does the manual warn about such a driver?

Accepted Answer

The driver may slow more than you expect, or stop, especially if pedestrians or vehicles are in the way — A signaling driver can be a hazard: turning tightly into a driveway or alley may be done at a crawl, and a blocked path can leave the vehicle stopped in the road.

Answer

The driver will speed up to clear the lane quickly

Answer

The driver has the right to back up toward you

Answer

The driver will always wait for you to pass first

Question 9

The manual's first rule for right turns in a large vehicle is to turn slowly. What reason does it give?

Accepted Answer

Going slowly leaves you and everyone else more time to stay out of trouble — Wide turning and off-tracking put large vehicles at risk in turns, so a slow turn gives everyone time to react.

Answer

It keeps the engine from stalling

Answer

It stops the trailer brakes from locking

Answer

It lets you skip signaling

Question 10

Traffic is backed up on the far side of a railroad crossing. What does the manual say before you start across?

Accepted Answer

Wait until there is room to clear the tracks completely, so traffic cannot trap you on them — You should never be caught in a spot where you must stop on the tracks, so do not start over a crossing until you can drive completely across.

Answer

Pull onto the tracks and wait there for traffic to move

Answer

Cross halfway and stop between the rails

Answer

Sound the horn and follow the vehicle ahead closely

Question 11

On a four-lane highway you approach an emergency vehicle stopped on the right shoulder. Traffic is light and the lane to your left is open. What does the manual's move-over guidance call for?

Accepted Answer

Slow down and change into a lane that is not next to the emergency vehicle — When safety and traffic allow, you proceed with caution, slow, and yield by moving into a lane not adjacent to the stopped emergency vehicle. Only if a lane change is unsafe do you stay put and slow down.

Answer

Hold your lane and speed so you do not surprise other drivers

Answer

Stop on the shoulder behind the emergency vehicle

Answer

Speed up to clear the scene quickly

Question 12

A CMV driver with a clean record is convicted of driving onto a railroad crossing without enough space to clear it. What is the minimum CDL loss for this first violation?

Accepted Answer

60 days — A first railroad-highway grade crossing violation costs the CDL for at least 60 days; a second within three years means at least 120 days, and a third at least one year.

Answer

24 hours

Answer

30 days

Answer

One year

New Mexico CDL — General Knowledge: Right-of-Way practice test

Study questions with answers

1. You take the road test in a bus and stop at a railroad crossing. Besides looking and listening, what may you also be required to do before crossing?

2. You are stopped at a railroad crossing with gates. The train passes and the gates begin to rise, but the red lights are still flashing. What should you do?

3. How does a heavy load change the gap you need before entering or crossing traffic?

4. On the road test, what does the gear usage standard say about shifting while you are in a turn or an intersection?

5. A heavy load keeps you from matching the speed of traffic on a multilane road. Which lane does the manual tell you to use?

6. Railroad-highway grade crossing disqualifications apply to violations of which laws or regulations?

7. At a crossing whose crossbuck carries flashing red lights and bells but no gates, the lights begin to flash as you approach. What must you do?

8. The driver ahead signals a turn into a narrow driveway. What does the manual warn about such a driver?

9. The manual's first rule for right turns in a large vehicle is to turn slowly. What reason does it give?

10. Traffic is backed up on the far side of a railroad crossing. What does the manual say before you start across?

11. On a four-lane highway you approach an emergency vehicle stopped on the right shoulder. Traffic is light and the lane to your left is open. What does the manual's move-over guidance call for?

12. A CMV driver with a clean record is convicted of driving onto a railroad crossing without enough space to clear it. What is the minimum CDL loss for this first violation?

More CDL — General Knowledge topics

Practice Right-of-Way in another state