Hawaii HDOT MVSO CDL General Knowledge Practice Test 10
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age21 years
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1. You pick up a trailer that another driver dropped in the yard. What must you do before pulling it?
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Answer B: Inspect it yourself, because you are responsible for the whole vehicle you drive
Responsibility follows the driver who moves the vehicle, and a trailer that has stood in a yard may have lost air, developed a flat tire or been damaged.
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2. A car that passed you on the right slows and stays alongside your trailer. What is the best response?
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Answer D: Ease off the accelerator so the car can move clear
A vehicle sitting beside a trailer is in a blind area and has nowhere to go if you need the lane, so the safest fix is to let it get ahead or behind.
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3. What is checked about the clutch and the gearshift during the in-cab inspection?
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Answer D: That the clutch free play is within the range the manufacturer specifies
Too little or too much clutch free play causes slipping or dragging, either of which can leave the driver unable to select the gear a hill demands.
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4. Your speedometer stops working during the pre-trip check. How should it be treated?
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Answer D: As a defect, because the driver cannot judge and control speed without it
A working speedometer is required equipment, because judging speed by feel in a heavy vehicle is unreliable and speed governs stopping distance.
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5. Which lamp must make the rear registration plate legible after dark?
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Answer C: A white lamp that lights the plate
A white license plate lamp is required so the plate can be read at night, and a burned out one is a defect like any other lamp.
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6. What are you checking on the mud flaps during the walkaround?
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Answer C: That they are securely attached, not torn and not dragging on the ground
A flap that is torn or hanging loose stops shielding following traffic from spray and stones, and a dragging flap can catch and tear away on the road.
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7. You have chosen 40 miles per hour as your safe speed for a downgrade. How should the brakes be used?
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Answer A: Brake firmly to about 35, release, and repeat at 40
Proper technique is firm application to about 5 miles per hour below the safe speed, then full release so the brakes cool before the next application.
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8. A dispatcher tells you to take a trailer you believe is loaded badly enough to be unsafe. What should you do?
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Answer C: Refuse to move it until the load has been made safe
The driver may not operate a vehicle whose cargo is not properly distributed and secured, and an instruction from an employer does not change that.
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9. You are on a freeway and see brake lights come on in several vehicles far ahead of you. What should you do?
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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.
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10. Your brakes have failed and you decide to use the parking brake to slow down. Why should you hold the release button or lever while doing so?
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Answer D: So you can release the brake at once if the wheels lock and the vehicle starts to skid
The parking brake can lock the wheels; keeping your hand on the release lets you let go the moment a skid starts and regain control.
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11. Which exhaust system condition must be reported as a defect?
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Answer B: A section repaired by wrapping tape or patching material around the pipe
Exhaust parts may not be patched with wrap or tape, because the repair does not contain the gas or the heat and it fails quickly in service.
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12. A commercial vehicle stops on the shoulder of a one-way or divided highway. Where do the three warning devices go?
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Answer A: At 10 feet, 100 feet, and 200 feet back toward approaching traffic
Traffic arrives from one direction only, so all three devices are set back toward it at 10, 100, and 200 feet, and they must be out within ten minutes.
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13. Which factors determine a safe speed for a long, steep downgrade?
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Answer C: The steepness and length of the grade, the weight of the vehicle and cargo, and the road and weather conditions
Gravity, weight and traction all decide how fast a heavy vehicle can safely descend, which is why signs often post lower speeds for trucks on grades.
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14. Your right wheels drop off the pavement onto a soft shoulder. What is the correct recovery?
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Answer A: Stay on the shoulder, ease off the accelerator, brake gently only once speed is down to about 20 mph, then steer back sharply and countersteer at once
Bringing speed down on the shoulder first avoids a violent sideways jolt, and countersteering the instant the tires are back on the pavement keeps the vehicle out of the next lane.
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15. Why does the commercial driver manual tell you to look far down the road instead of only at the vehicle ahead?
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Answer D: So you can adjust smoothly instead of braking hard at the last moment
A heavy vehicle cannot react quickly, so early information lets you slow gradually rather than make a sudden stop or swerve.
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16. How does the working load limit of a tiedown relate to the force that would break it?
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Answer B: The working load limit is a fraction of the breaking strength and is the figure you use
The working load limit is set well below the point at which the device would fail, and securement is always calculated from the working load limit, never from breaking strength.
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17. What should you do with the previous driver vehicle inspection report before starting your trip?
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Answer B: Review it and confirm that listed defects were certified as repaired or as not needing repair
Reviewing the last report and the carrier certification tells you whether reported defects have been corrected before you take the vehicle out.
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18. A car is following you far too closely. What is the safest response?
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Answer A: Open up more space ahead so you can slow gradually, avoid sudden changes, and do not speed up
Extra room in front lets you slow smoothly instead of braking hard, which is exactly what the driver behind cannot cope with.
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19. Which vehicle is most likely to be pushed around by a strong crosswind?
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Answer B: An empty van trailer
A large flat side with very little weight behind it gives the wind the most surface and the least resistance, which is the empty van trailer.
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20. What happens to braking distance when speed is doubled?
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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.
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21. Which windshield condition should be reported during the inspection?
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Answer B: Cracks or dirt that get in the way of your view of the road
The windshield must give a clear view; damage or grime in the driver line of sight is a safety defect.
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22. What is normally required in order to move an over-width or over-length load?
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Answer B: A special permit along with warning devices such as flags and signs
Oversize movements need a permit plus marking devices, and travel is often limited to certain hours or routes.
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23. Where should a driver expect fog to form first?
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Answer D: In low ground, near water and in valleys
Cool moist air settles in low places, so fog patches appear in hollows, river valleys and near lakes before they appear anywhere else.
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24. How is a shipping container normally secured when it is carried on a special container chassis?
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Answer B: With its own locking devices that attach the container directly to the chassis frame
Containers built for rail or ship transport have locking corners that fasten to a matching chassis; a container carried on a plain flatbed must be secured like any other cargo.
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25. What makes a brake hose or air line a defect during the walkaround?
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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.
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26. Part of looking well ahead is planning an out. What does that mean?
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Answer B: Keeping an escape path in mind in case traffic stops suddenly
Because a heavy vehicle often cannot stop in time, good drivers continuously note where they could steer if the space ahead closes.
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27. What happens to braking performance if oil or grease reaches a brake lining?
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Answer B: That brake loses much of its effect and the vehicle can pull to one side
A contaminated lining cannot grip the drum, so that wheel contributes little braking and the vehicle pulls toward the side that is still working.
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28. Where should a trailer be dropped, and what else does the driver do before pulling out from under it?
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Answer C: On solid level ground, with the trailer wheels chocked if it may roll
A dropped trailer must sit on ground that will carry the landing gear without sinking, and chocks stop it rolling once the tractor and its air supply are gone.
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29. What corrected vision standard must a Hawaii CDL applicant meet?
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Answer A: At least 20/40 in both eyes
Hawaii requires a minimum of 20/40 in both eyes, corrected, for both the original CDL and the renewal.
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30. Which set of emergency equipment must be carried on a commercial motor vehicle?
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Answer D: A fire extinguisher, spare electrical fuses unless the vehicle has circuit breakers, and warning devices
The required kit is a properly charged and rated fire extinguisher, spare fuses when the vehicle uses them, and warning devices for a stopped vehicle.
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31. Why should high beams not be used in fog?
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Answer A: The light reflects back off the droplets and blinds you
Fog is made of water droplets that scatter light straight back at the driver, so a stronger beam makes the wall of glare worse rather than better.
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32. What is required of the hooks, rails, rings and anchor points that tiedowns attach to?
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Answer A: They must be part of the vehicle and strong enough for the load being secured
A tiedown is only as strong as what it is hooked to, so anchor points must be proper vehicle fittings rated for the job.
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33. You want to check whether a tire on your truck is properly inflated. What is the correct method?
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Answer A: Measure the pressure with a tire gauge
Only a tire gauge tells you the actual pressure; a tire can look and sound normal while being badly underinflated.
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34. How do objects appear in a convex mirror compared with a flat mirror?
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Answer B: Smaller and farther away than they really are, while a wider area is shown
A convex mirror shows a wider field but shrinks everything in it, so the driver must remember that vehicles are closer than they look.
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35. Which of these counts as a serious traffic violation for a commercial driver license holder?
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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.
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36. When should a driver select the gear for a long, steep downgrade?
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Answer B: Before starting down the grade
The low gear has to be chosen before the descent, because a heavy vehicle gaining speed may refuse to shift down at all.
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37. What should be checked about the power steering system in the engine compartment?
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Answer D: That the fluid level is correct and the hoses and pump are not leaking
Losing power steering fluid means losing steering assistance, which can happen suddenly and makes a heavy vehicle very hard to turn.
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38. How can a driver restart the 60 or 70 hour on-duty limit?
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Answer B: Take 34 or more consecutive hours off duty
A period of 34 or more consecutive hours off duty resets the 60 or 70 hour calculation so the driver can begin a new period.
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39. Why should you avoid using your lights to tell a following driver that it is safe to pass you?
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Answer B: You may misjudge the gap and the driver will act on your signal
The manual warns against signaling others to pass, because the responsibility for a head-on crash then rests on a judgment you could easily get wrong.
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40. 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?
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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.
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41. On a multilane highway, which lane should a heavy vehicle normally use?
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Answer A: The right lane, except to pass or where signs direct otherwise
Keeping right leaves the faster lanes free and reduces the number of vehicles that have to move around a slower, heavier vehicle.
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42. Your drive wheels start to spin and the rear begins to slide while you accelerate on a slick surface. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop accelerating and, if the vehicle has a manual transmission, push in the clutch
An acceleration skid ends when the drive wheels stop pushing, so easing off the throttle and disengaging the clutch lets them regain grip.
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43. When speed doubles, what happens to braking distance?
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Answer D: It becomes roughly four times as long
Braking distance rises with the square of speed, so twice the speed needs about four times the distance to stop.
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44. Around a tractor-trailer, where are the blind areas that other drivers most often sit in unseen?
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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.
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45. What are you looking for when you check the drive belts in the engine compartment?
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Answer C: That each belt is snug and free of cracks, frays or heavy wear
A loose or cracked belt can break and stop the fan, the water pump or the alternator, which leads quickly to overheating or a dead electrical system.
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46. After coupling, where should the fifth wheel release handle be?
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Answer A: In the locked position with the safety latch in place
The handle must be pushed in and latched, because a handle left out means the jaws can open and release the trailer while you are driving.
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47. An overpass you have driven under before now has a fresh layer of pavement on the road below it. Why does that matter?
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Answer B: The new layer raises the road and reduces the clearance
Repaving lifts the road surface, so the real clearance under a structure can be less than the height posted on it.
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48. An enforcement officer inspects your vehicle at the roadside and attaches an out-of-service sticker. What may you do?
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Answer C: Nothing until the defect is repaired; the vehicle may not be driven
An out-of-service order means the vehicle is unsafe, and no schedule, load or destination allows it to be driven before the defect is corrected.
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49. You are not certain that your loaded vehicle will clear a low overpass. What should you do?
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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.
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50. What must a written driver vehicle inspection report cover at the end of the day?
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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.