General Driving Knowledge — Colorado
Colorado CDL practice test: 394 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. General Driving Knowledge: 132 questions.
Questions that do not fit a single topic: lane use, turning, signalling and other rules of the road.
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 | General Driving Knowledge |
| License test | Colorado CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 132 (34% of 394 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 (132)
1. When a driver is not in their vehicle, hazardous materials' shipping papers should be:
- Kept on the driver's person.
- Kept on the driver’s seat. ✓
- Kept under the passenger’s seat.
- Placed on the dashboard.
Answer: B. Kept on the driver’s seat.
When you are out of the vehicle, hazardous materials shipping papers should be kept on the driver’s seat (or in the driver’s door pouch). The handbook says that when you are not behind the wheel, hazardous materials shipping papers belong in the driver’s door pouch or on the driver’s seat. It also says emergency response information must stay in the same place as the shipping paper, and the papers must be easy for others to find quickly after a crash. The choices list the driver’s seat but not the door pouch, so the driver’s seat is the correct answer here.
2. How must a shipper notify a driver of the risks associated with their cargo?
- By speaking with the driver
- By writing a note on a blank piece of paper
- By putting hazard warning labels on packages ✓
- By placing orange dots on packages
Answer: C. By putting hazard warning labels on packages
The shipper must put hazard warning labels on packages to notify the driver of the cargo risks. The handbook says shippers have a duty to communicate a material's hazards to drivers and others. It lists hazard warning labels on packages as one required way to do that, along with shipping papers, emergency response information, and placards. Another passage describes the shipper using diamond-shaped hazard labels and a shipping paper to warn dockworkers and drivers. Among the choices, putting hazard warning labels on packages is the method the handbook names for warning the driver.
3. A stopped bus:
- Is not a cause for concern.
- Is not a concern if passengers are not unloading.
- Should not be on the roadway.
- Is a concern, whether passengers are visible or not. ✓
Answer: D. Is a concern, whether passengers are visible or not.
4. Which agency helps coordinate emergency response to chemical hazards?
- The National Response Center ✓
- The Federal Containment Organization
- The United Center for Chemical Assistance
- The National Transportation Network
Answer: A. The National Response Center
The National Response Center is the agency that helps coordinate emergency response to chemical hazards. The handbook states that the National Response Center helps coordinate emergency response to chemical hazards and serves as a resource for police and firefighters. It also keeps a 24-hour toll-free line, and the manual lists serious hazmat incidents that must be reported by phone. Because the question asks which agency coordinates emergency response to chemical hazards, the National Response Center is the match.
5. During exercises that are not the straight line backing exercise, you may exit your vehicle to check its position no more than:
- One time.
- Two times. ✓
- Three times.
- Four times.
Answer: B. Two times.
You may exit your vehicle to check its position no more than two times. The handbook ties the number of free looks to the specific backing exercise. Straight-line backing gets a maximum of one free look, while reverse offset backing gets two. Since the question sets aside straight-line backing, the two-look limit applies. The handbook also says that before you leave the vehicle you must set the parking brake, place the vehicle in neutral or park, and enter and exit safely with three points of contact. Those safety steps apply whenever a look is permitted.
6. Fuel records supporting IFTA quarterly fuel use tax returns must be kept by carriers for:
- One year.
- Two years.
- Three years.
- Four years. ✓
Answer: D. Four years.
Fuel records that support IFTA quarterly fuel use tax returns must be kept for four years. The handbook explains that the Individual Vehicle Distance Record is the source document used to calculate the fees and taxes owed to the jurisdictions where the vehicle runs. Because those original records can be audited by the taxing jurisdictions, the handbook says they must be kept for at least four years. That minimum is what makes four years the right retention period for the fuel and distance records behind an IFTA quarterly return.
7. Large combination vehicles take the longest amount of time to stop:
- When fully loaded.
- When partially loaded.
- When empty. ✓
- When mostly loaded.
Answer: C. When empty.
Large combination vehicles take the longest time to stop when empty. The handbook says an empty or lightly loaded combination can need more distance to stop than a fully loaded one. With little weight, the stiff springs and strong brakes provide poor traction, so the wheels lock easily. That can let the trailer swing out or the tractor jackknife. The handbook also says to control speed whether loaded or empty and to brake early.
8. Shippers must label hazardous materials. If an item is smaller than its label, how should the item be labeled?
- The item may be tied together with other hazardous materials and labeled with a sheet of paper on the outside of the bundle.
- The label may be attached to a tag that is securely attached to the package. ✓
- The item may be marked with a large orange dot.
- The item may be placed in a box displaying a warning label.
Answer: B. The label may be attached to a tag that is securely attached to the package.
9. In the Hazardous Materials Table, Column 2 lists:
- The names of materials. ✓
- Where materials originate.
- Special provisions for materials.
- Materials' manufacturers.
Answer: A. The names of materials.
Column 2 lists the names of materials, specifically the proper shipping names and descriptions of regulated materials. The handbook says Column 2 gives the proper shipping name and description for each regulated material, with entries in alphabetical order so you can find the right one faster. It also says the shipping paper must show proper shipping names. That makes Column 2 a name-and-description column, not a place for origin, special provisions, or manufacturer details.
10. Header boards:
- Should never be used.
- Protect the driver from being hit by cargo. ✓
- Protect the driver's head when entering the cab of a truck.
- Provide extra storage.
Answer: B. Protect the driver from being hit by cargo.
Header boards protect the driver from being hit by cargo. The Texas CDL Handbook describes front-end header boards, also called headache racks, as protection from your cargo in a crash or emergency stop. It says the front-end structure should block any forward movement of the cargo you carry. That is exactly the protection described in the correct choice: keeping cargo from hitting the driver. The handbook does not describe header boards as storage or as something to avoid using.
Advertisement
Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook