Sharing the Road — California
California CDL practice test: 392 free practice questions (20 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Sharing the Road: 25 questions.
Pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, emergency vehicles and heavy trucks.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Sharing the Road |
| License test | California CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 25 (6% of 392 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
Not yet verified
Advertisement
Questions (25)
1. Which of the following is the correct term for a long commercial vehicle’s tendency to swing wide on turns?
- Sidetracking.
- Offtracking. ✓
- Fishtailing.
Answer: B. Offtracking.
The correct term is off-tracking, when a long vehicle’s rear wheels follow a different path from the front wheels on a turn. The handbook says that when a vehicle goes around a corner, its rear wheels follow a different path from the front wheels, and it calls this off-tracking (or “cheating”). It also says longer vehicles off-track more, and the trailer’s rear wheels off-track even more than the truck’s. That matches the question’s description of a long commercial vehicle swinging wide on turns. The passage’s guidance about steering wide enough while keeping the rear close to the curb follows from this same rear-wheel path difference.
2. Active railroad crossings:
- Have traffic control devices installed. ✓
- Do not have any traffic control devices installed.
- Are crossed by at least 10 vehicles every hour.
Answer: A. Have traffic control devices installed.
Active railroad crossings have a traffic control device installed at the crossing. The handbook splits crossings into two kinds. Passive crossings have no traffic control device at all — just warning signs, pavement markings and cross-bucks — and you decide on your own whether to stop or go. Active crossings are defined by having a device installed to regulate traffic there, such as flashing red lights with or without bells, or lights with bells and gates. Since the question asks about active crossings, the description that fits is the one with a control device.
3. A truck tractor built after March 1, 1997 must be equipped with:
- An Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). ✓
- A flag.
- Hydraulic brakes.
Answer: A. An Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS).
A truck tractor built after March 1, 1997 must have an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). The handbook lists ABS as required equipment for truck tractors with air brakes built on or after March 1, 1997. It explains that ABS uses sensors and an electronic control unit to reduce brake pressure when a wheel is about to lock, so the wheels keep turning and the driver keeps more control during hard braking. The rule is tied to the manufacture date, so a tractor falling after that date needs the system. The handbook also notes that ABS is an addition to normal brakes and does not replace them.
4. Drivers trapped behind a slow-moving vehicle often:
- Follow the vehicle too closely. ✓
- Allow the vehicle plenty of space.
- Are happy with the speed of travel.
Answer: A. Follow the vehicle too closely.
Drivers stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle often follow it too closely, so expect tailgaters when you are traveling slowly. The handbook lists the times you are likely to be tailgated, and traveling slowly is one of them. It says plainly that drivers trapped behind slow vehicles tend to follow closely. The same passage notes heavy vehicles get tailgated when they cannot keep up with traffic, often on an uphill grade. So as a commercial driver, the habit to expect from the traffic behind you is a tight following distance, not patience.
5. Containerized loads are used:
- When the cargo is too large to fit on a truck.
- When the cargo has been or will be transported by a train. ✓
- When the cargo is a liquid.
Answer: B. When the cargo has been or will be transported by a train.
Containerized loads are used when the cargo has been or will be transported by a train. The handbook explains that containerized loads are generally used when freight travels part of the way by rail or ship, with truck delivery at the start and/or end of the trip. So the container fits a journey that includes another carrier, not just a truck-only move. Once loaded, containers still must be secured properly, and sealed loads cannot be inspected, but you should still check weight limits. The rail or ship part of the journey is why this choice fits.
6. When approaching a school bus stop, the driver should:
- Honk the horn.
- Drive slowly. ✓
- Talk to students on the bus.
Answer: B. Drive slowly.
When you approach a school bus stop, drive slowly. The handbook says to use extreme caution when coming up to a school bus stop and to approach at a slow rate of speed. It also tells you to watch for pedestrians, traffic, and other objects before, during, and after you stop, and to keep checking all mirrors. Driving slowly fits that instruction because it gives you time to see and respond to what is around the bus.
7. At a passive railroad crossing, the decision to proceed:
- Rests with the driver. ✓
- Is indicated by a control device.
- Is decided by the vehicle in front of you.
Answer: A. Rests with the driver.
At a passive railroad crossing, the decision to proceed rests with the driver. A passive crossing has no traffic control device, so nothing at the crossing tells you when to go. The handbook says you must recognize the crossing, look for any train on the tracks, and judge whether there is enough clear space to cross safely. Because no signal or gate makes that call for you, the choice to stop or proceed is entirely in your hands. Active crossings are different: they have devices like flashing red lights or gates that regulate traffic.
8. If you are stopped at a railroad crossing while operating a school bus, you should:
- Prepare to proceed as soon as a train passes.
- Ignore signs and signals.
- Open the door to listen for approaching trains. ✓
Answer: C. Open the door to listen for approaching trains.
You should open the door to listen for an approaching train. The school bus section tells you to quiet the bus, turn off radios and noisy equipment, open the service door and driver's window, and then look and listen for a train. The passenger section adds that you may open the forward door when it helps you see or hear an approaching train. Opening the door is therefore a listening aid at the crossing, not a signal to move. You still check both directions along the track before you proceed.
9. If there is a fire on a school bus, the students:
- Must be evacuated. ✓
- Should stay on the bus but be moved to a part of the bus unaffected by the fire.
- Should stay in their seats.
Answer: A. Must be evacuated.
If there is a fire on a school bus, the students must be evacuated. The handbook sets a general rule that student safety and control are best kept by leaving students on the bus during an emergency, but only as long as staying aboard does not put them at unnecessary risk. It then lists the conditions a driver should weigh when deciding whether to evacuate, and the first one is whether there is a fire or danger of fire, or a smell of raw or leaking fuel. A fire is exactly the kind of risk that makes staying on the bus unsafe, so the students need to be gotten off.
10. What should you do if your vehicle gets stuck on railroad tracks?
- Stay in the vehicle.
- Get out of the vehicle and call for assistance. ✓
- Continue trying to get your vehicle off the tracks until you are successful.
Answer: B. Get out of the vehicle and call for assistance.
If your vehicle gets stuck on the tracks, get out of the vehicle and call for assistance. The handbook says that if you get stuck on the tracks for any reason, you should get out of the vehicle and away from the tracks. Then you check the signposts or signal housing at the crossing for emergency notification information and call 911 or another emergency number, giving the location with all identifiable landmarks, especially the DOT number if it is posted. So the right move is to leave the vehicle and phone for help, not to sit inside it or keep working the controls.
Advertisement
Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · 20 official sample questions · Official driver handbook