Florida FLHSMV CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 7
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age18 years
-
1. A straight truck has a long body behind the rear axle. What happens to that overhang in a sharp left turn?
Show answer
Answer D: It swings out to the right and can strike a vehicle or an object on that side
Body that hangs behind the rear axle swings the opposite way to the turn, so the tail of the truck sweeps out into the next lane or over the curb.
-
2. How is free play in the steering wheel measured during the inspection?
Show answer
Answer B: By turning the wheel until the front wheels just start to move and noting the movement
Play is the movement at the rim that produces no movement at the road wheels, so it is measured by turning until the wheels first respond.
-
3. What does the working load limit stamped on a chain or strap describe?
Show answer
Answer B: The maximum load the device is rated to hold in normal use
The working load limit is the rated safe capacity for everyday use, deliberately set well below the force that would break the device.
-
4. Which Florida driver is exempt from needing a commercial driver license?
Show answer
Answer D: The driver of a recreational vehicle
Drivers of recreational vehicles, as defined in chapter 320, are on Florida's list of persons exempt from obtaining a CDL.
-
5. The only way into a customer yard forces you to back toward the right, or blind, side of the vehicle. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Use a helper and get out to check the path more often than you normally would
Blind side backing is allowed but far riskier, so it calls for a spotter you can see and for repeated checks of the path on foot.
-
6. Since February 6, 2026, in which language does Florida administer CDL knowledge and skills tests?
Show answer
Answer A: English only, for every knowledge and skills test
Since February 6, 2026 FLHSMV gives all driver license knowledge and skills exams, including commercial learner's permit and CDL tests, in English only; before that date CDL knowledge tests could be taken orally in English or Spanish except the hazardous materials test.
-
7. You are drifting in the lane, yawning constantly and cannot remember the last few miles. What is the only reliable cure?
Show answer
Answer C: Stopping in a safe place and sleeping
Those are classic drowsiness warning signs, and nothing except sleep repays the sleep the body is missing.
-
8. What is the best practice when fog is thick enough to hide the road ahead?
Show answer
Answer B: Slow down before entering the fog, and if visibility is too poor, pull off into a rest area or truck stop until it improves
The safest choice in heavy fog is not to be driving in it, and if you are already in it your speed has to come down before your visibility does.
-
9. Most rollovers of loaded trucks on exit and entrance ramps happen for which reason?
Show answer
Answer B: The ramp was taken faster than the load could tolerate
A posted ramp speed is set for cars, and a loaded trailer with a high center of gravity can roll at a speed a car would take easily.
-
10. Where on the road are you most likely to find ice in cold weather?
Show answer
Answer B: On bridges, overpasses and shaded stretches, which freeze before the rest of the road
Bridges and overpasses lose heat from above and below, and shaded areas get no sun, so they ice over first and stay icy longest.
-
11. Which of these counts as a serious traffic violation for a commercial driver license holder?
Show answer
Answer C: Speeding 15 miles per hour or more above the limit
Excessive speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely and texting while driving are all serious traffic violations.
-
12. Under federal safety rules, what must the driver of a commercial vehicle do before starting a trip?
Show answer
Answer A: Be satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition
The driver is responsible for inspecting the vehicle and must be satisfied it is in safe operating condition before the trip begins.
-
13. What happens to braking distance when speed is doubled?
Show answer
Answer C: It becomes about four times longer
Braking distance grows with the square of speed, so doubling the speed multiplies both the braking distance and the force of an impact by about four.
-
14. Under federal rules, what happens to a commercial driver found with any detectable amount of alcohol while operating a commercial vehicle?
Show answer
Answer D: The driver is placed out of service for 24 hours
Any measurable alcohol takes a commercial driver off the road for 24 hours, and a concentration of 0.04 percent or more brings a disqualification.
-
15. Which of these is a major cause of skids in heavy vehicles?
Show answer
Answer C: Over-braking, over-steering, over-acceleration or driving too fast for conditions
Skids happen when the tires are asked for more grip than the road can give, which happens through braking, steering or accelerating too hard or simply too much speed.
-
16. Around a tractor-trailer, where are the blind areas that other drivers most often sit in unseen?
Show answer
Answer A: Along the right side and directly behind the trailer
The blind areas to the right of the cab and behind the trailer are the largest, which is why other drivers should never linger there.
-
17. Your vehicle is stopped just past a hill or curve that hides it from approaching traffic. How should the warning devices be adjusted?
Show answer
Answer A: Move the rearmost device farther back, up to 500 feet, so drivers are warned before the obstruction
When a hill or curve blocks the view, the farthest device is moved back beyond the obstruction so approaching drivers see the warning in time.
-
18. What is the basic rule about backing a large vehicle?
Show answer
Answer B: Avoid backing whenever there is another way
Backing is dangerous because you cannot see everything behind you, so the manual tells drivers to plan routes and parking that avoid it.
-
19. What makes a brake hose or air line a defect during the walkaround?
Show answer
Answer D: It is cracked, worn, kinked, or rubbing against another part
A chafed or cracked line can burst under pressure and take the braking on that circuit with it, so damage and rubbing points must be corrected.
-
20. Why are the windshield wipers on the pre-trip list even before a trip in fine weather?
Show answer
Answer C: Because weather can change and a wiper failure leaves the driver without a clear view
Rain, spray or mud can arrive at any point in a long trip, and a wiper that fails then leaves the driver with no way to clear the windshield.
-
21. What happens to a Florida commercial driver found with any alcohol at all in the body while driving a commercial vehicle?
Show answer
Answer B: The driver is placed out of service for 24 hours
Any alcohol in the body of a commercial driver results in immediate removal from service for 24 hours.
-
22. You need to pull off onto the shoulder because of a problem with the load. How should you communicate that to other drivers?
Show answer
Answer D: Signal the move, then switch on the four-way flashers once stopped
Other drivers need a signal before you leave the lane and a clear warning once the vehicle is stopped near the traffic lanes.
-
23. During uncoupling, when may the fifth wheel locking lever be released?
Show answer
Answer D: Only after the landing gear is down and taking the weight of the trailer
The landing gear has to be supporting the trailer before the lock is released; otherwise the trailer nose can drop as soon as the tractor pulls out.
-
24. You are on a freeway and see brake lights come on in several vehicles far ahead of you. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Ease off the accelerator and get ready to slow down
Brake lights well ahead are an early warning that traffic is slowing, and acting on them gives a heavy vehicle the room it needs.
-
25. Under the federal hours of service rules, how long may a property-carrying driver drive after 10 consecutive hours off duty?
Show answer
Answer D: Up to 11 hours, and only within a 14 hour window that starts when the driver comes on duty
The federal limit is 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and all of that driving has to fall inside a 14 hour window.
-
26. How should a commercial driver treat the speed posted for a curve?
Show answer
Answer B: As a limit set for cars in good conditions, so a heavy or tall load calls for a lower speed
Posted curve speeds are based on passenger vehicles in good conditions, and a tall or heavy load can roll over well below that speed.
-
27. How are the extra gears of a multi-speed rear axle or auxiliary transmission usually controlled?
Show answer
Answer D: With a selector knob or switch on the gearshift lever of the main transmission
A range selector on the shift lever lets the driver choose the extra gear range while shifting the main transmission.
-
28. At a rest area you find that the load has shifted although the straps still feel tight. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Correct the load before driving on, since a shifted load is no longer secure
Movement means the securement has already failed once, and a load that has shifted can shift again, so it is put right before the vehicle moves.
-
29. You are driving past a park where children are playing close to the curb. What is the correct assumption?
Show answer
Answer A: A child may run into the street without looking
Children act on impulse and do not judge traffic well, so a driver has to expect one to enter the road and slow down in advance.
-
30. Which of these is a suspension defect you must look for during the walkaround?
Show answer
Answer D: Cracked or broken spring leaves, loose or broken U-bolts, or leaking air suspension bags
Broken springs, failed U-bolts and leaking air bags let the axle shift or the body drop, which can make the vehicle impossible to control.
-
31. You are pulling away from the curb after a delivery. Why is a mirror check needed first?
Show answer
Answer B: A cyclist or a vehicle may be coming up alongside you
Traffic and cyclists can arrive alongside a parked vehicle at any moment, so the mirrors must be checked immediately before pulling out.
-
32. You are not certain that your loaded vehicle will clear a low overpass. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Take another route rather than risk it
There is no safe way to guess at a clearance, and striking a bridge endangers everyone on and under it, so the only correct choice is a different route.
-
33. Why must you never coast down a hill in neutral or with the clutch pushed in?
Show answer
Answer C: You lose the braking effect of the engine and your brakes may overheat and fail
Engine braking is what keeps a heavy vehicle in check on a grade; coasting throws it away and leaves the service brakes to do all the work until they overheat.
-
34. During the walkaround you notice one tire on an axle is a radial and the tire next to it is bias-ply. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Treat it as a defect, because radial and bias-ply tires must not be mixed on the same axle
Radial and bias-ply tires flex and grip differently, so mixing them on one axle makes the vehicle handle unpredictably and is not allowed.
-
35. Why should a driver avoid traveling alongside another vehicle for any length of time?
Show answer
Answer D: You lose your escape route and you may be sitting in the other driver blind spot
Running beside someone leaves nowhere to move if you have to change lanes, and the other driver may not know you are there at all.
-
36. In Florida, who must hold a commercial driver license regardless of the listed exemptions?
Show answer
Answer B: Every driver of a for-hire commercial motor vehicle
Notwithstanding the exemptions, all drivers of for-hire commercial motor vehicles must possess a valid commercial driver license.
-
37. Who must sign a driver vehicle inspection report?
Show answer
Answer D: The driver who prepared it
The report is the driver statement about the condition of the vehicle at the end of the day, so the driver signs it.
-
38. What weekly on-duty limits apply to a Florida intrastate commercial driver not hauling placarded hazardous materials?
Show answer
Answer B: 70 hours in 7 days, or 80 hours in 8 days if the carrier operates every day
Such a driver may not drive after being on duty more than 70 hours in 7 consecutive days, or 80 hours in 8 consecutive days if the motor carrier operates every day of the week.
-
39. You are asked to drive a truck loaded with enough hazardous materials to require placards. What must you have?
Show answer
Answer C: A hazardous materials endorsement on your commercial driver license
Driving a vehicle that must be placarded requires the H endorsement, which involves a separate knowledge test and a security background check.
-
40. A delivery van is stopped in the right lane ahead with its flashers on. What should you expect?
Show answer
Answer C: Someone may step into your lane from in front of it
A stopped delivery vehicle hides the space in front of it, and that is exactly where a person carrying a package is likely to walk out.
-
41. What is checked in step six of the seven-step method?
Show answer
Answer D: The turn signals and the stop lights, checked from outside the vehicle
Step six returns to the cab to switch on the signal and stop lamps, then checks each one from outside, because those lamps are not lit during the earlier light check.
-
42. Does the federal texting ban apply to a company dispatching device mounted in the cab?
Show answer
Answer B: Yes, entering or reading text on it while driving is banned
The rule is written around the act of reading or entering text on any electronic device, not around who owns the device.
-
43. You are taking a tightly curved highway exit ramp in a long combination. Where should the tractor be placed within the lane?
Show answer
Answer D: Toward the outside of the curve, leaving room for the trailer to track inside
Because the trailer wheels cut to the inside of the curve, the tractor has to be kept out toward the outer edge so the trailer does not drop a wheel off the inside edge.
-
44. Why do worn tires lose grip so quickly on a wet road?
Show answer
Answer D: Shallow tread cannot move water out from under the tire
The grooves in a tire exist to channel water away so the rubber can touch the road, and a worn tire has lost that capacity.
-
45. Federal rules require a power unit that is not carrying placarded hazardous materials to have a fire extinguisher with which minimum rating?
Show answer
Answer A: One rated 5 B:C or more, or two rated 4 B:C or more each
The minimum is a single unit rated 5 B:C or more, or two units of at least 4 B:C each, which is enough to attack a fuel or electrical fire.
-
46. When must a Florida CDL holder retake the hazardous materials test to keep the endorsement at renewal?
Show answer
Answer C: When the test has not been taken and passed within the previous 2 years
A person who seeks to retain a hazardous materials endorsement must pass the test at renewal if he or she has not taken and passed it within the 2 years before applying.
-
47. A fire starts in the cargo area of a van trailer. Why should you keep the doors closed until firefighters arrive?
Show answer
Answer D: Opening the doors lets in air that feeds the fire
A fire in a closed van is starved of oxygen; opening the doors gives it the air it needs to flare up.
-
48. Experienced commercial drivers scan the road ahead by roughly how much travel time?
Show answer
Answer B: About 12 to 15 seconds
Looking 12 to 15 seconds ahead gives a heavy vehicle enough room to slow or change lanes smoothly instead of reacting late.
-
49. What must a written driver vehicle inspection report cover at the end of the day?
Show answer
Answer C: Any defect or deficiency that would affect safety or could cause a mechanical breakdown
The report identifies the vehicle and lists defects that affect safe operation or could lead to a breakdown, so they are repaired before the next trip.
-
50. Why does a cracked frame rail or cross member make a vehicle unsafe?
Show answer
Answer B: The frame carries the whole load, and a crack can spread until the structure fails
The frame is the backbone that supports the body, the load and the running gear, so a crack in it is a structural failure that grows with every mile.