General Driving Knowledge — Indiana
Indiana CDL practice test: 431 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: 141 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 | Indiana CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 141 (33% of 431 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
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Questions (141)
1. When backing, a helper:
- Should be used whenever possible. ✓
- Often adds to the confusion of backing.
- Should only be used if the driver is not feeling confident.
- Would likely get in the way.
Answer: A. Should be used whenever possible.
When backing, a helper should be used whenever possible. The handbook lists using a helper as one of its simple backing safety rules and repeats that you should use a helper when you can. It explains there are blind spots you cannot see, so a helper is important. The helper should stand near the back where you can see them, and you should agree on hand signals, including a stop signal, before you start. That support makes using a helper whenever possible the choice that fits the handbook.
2. What is another name for the service line?
- Control line ✓
- Exchange line
- Surplus line
- Parallel line
Answer: A. Control line
The service line is also called the control line. The combination-vehicle section lists two air lines between the tractor and trailer: the service line and the emergency line. It states that the service line goes by another name too — the control line, or signal line. That line carries air regulated by the foot brake or trailer hand brake, and the pressure in it changes with how hard you press. Since the handbook gives "control line" as a direct alternate name, that is the matching choice. The emergency line's alternate name is different, so don't mix the two up.
3. If pulled over on the side of the road, you should:
- Use the taillights to alert other motorists.
- Turn on your four-way flashers. ✓
- Keep your lights off to avoid distracting other drivers.
- Set out items from the cab to warn motorists.
Answer: B. Turn on your four-way flashers.
Turn on your four-way flashers. The handbook's driving-safely section tells you to turn on your four-way flashers when you are stopped along the side of the road. It says this gives vehicles coming up behind you a quicker chance to notice your vehicle. Another section explains that lights are how a commercial vehicle sees, is seen, and communicates with other traffic. That fits the flashers: they make a stopped vehicle more noticeable to drivers approaching from behind, which is exactly the situation described in the question.
4. Load hazardous materials:
- Near heat sources.
- Away from heat sources. ✓
- In direct sunlight.
- In the rain.
Answer: B. Away from heat sources.
5. What can be a clue that a shipment may contain hazardous materials?
- The shipper is a business you might expect to deal with hazardous materials. ✓
- The last shipment you picked up was labeled as hazardous.
- The packaging looks damaged.
- The road is made of gravel.
Answer: A. The shipper is a business you might expect to deal with hazardous materials.
A clue is that the shipper is a business you would expect to deal with hazardous materials, such as a paint dealer or chemical supplier. The handbook lists the shipper's business type as one clue. It tells drivers to ask what business the shipper is in and names examples such as a paint dealer, chemical supplier, scientific supply house, pest control or agricultural supplier, or explosives dealer. Those businesses commonly handle hazardous materials, so their involvement is a warning sign worth checking. The passage also mentions tanks with diamond labels or placards, package type such as cylinders and drums, hazard labels, shipping names, identification numbers, and handling precautions. It does not say a prior load or road surface is a clue.
6. During a static leakage test, the maximum leakage rate for a double combination vehicle is:
- 3 psi in one minute. ✓
- 6 psi in one minute.
- 8 psi in one minute.
- 4 psi in one minute.
Answer: A. 3 psi in one minute.
For a double combination vehicle, the maximum static air leakage rate is 3 psi in one minute. The handbook's static air leakage test starts with a fully charged system, the engine off, and the parking brake released, then has you watch the gauge for one minute. In that test, the loss should be less than two psi per minute for a single vehicle and less than three psi per minute for a combination vehicle. A double combination is still a combination vehicle, so the limit is 3 psi in one minute. The procedure where you hold the foot brake for a minute is a separate check with a different allowance.
7. What shape is a placard indicating hazardous materials?
- Diamond ✓
- Triangle
- Circle
- Octagon
Answer: A. Diamond
A hazardous materials placard is diamond shaped. The handbook says placards warn others about hazardous materials and identify the hazard class of the cargo. It describes a placard as square-on-point, in a diamond shape, and large enough to be read from all four directions. Since the required shape is a diamond, the choice that matches the handbook is the diamond. The other shapes listed do not fit that description.
8. Fully-loaded rigs:
- Are less likely to roll over than empty rigs.
- Are more likely to roll over than empty rigs. ✓
- Are just as likely to roll over as empty rigs.
- Should not be driven.
Answer: B. Are more likely to roll over than empty rigs.
Fully loaded rigs are more likely to roll over than empty rigs. The handbook says that piling more cargo into a truck raises its center of gravity, which makes the vehicle easier to turn over. It states that fully loaded rigs are ten times more likely to roll over in a crash than empty rigs. That is why the correct choice is the one saying a loaded rig carries a greater rollover risk. The same passage says keeping cargo close to the ground and driving slowly around turns helps prevent rollover.
9. What does "RQ" stand for?
- Relative query
- Reportable quantity ✓
- Release query
- Response quarantine
Answer: B. Reportable quantity
"RQ" stands for reportable quantity — the amount of a hazardous substance listed in Column 2 of the hazardous substances list. The handbook explains that the DOT and EPA want to be told about spills of hazardous substances, which are named on the List of Hazardous Substances and Reportable Quantities. Column 2 of that list gives each product's reportable quantity (RQ). When a material is shipped in that quantity or more in one package, the shipper puts the letters RQ on the shipping paper and the package, and any spill of that size must be reported.
10. When driving a bobtail tractor, you should be aware that:
- Bobtails stop very easily.
- Bobtails cannot drive as fast as tractors with semitrailers.
- Bobtails are more difficult to stop than tractors with semitrailers. ✓
- Bobtails are illegal in most states.
Answer: C. Bobtails are more difficult to stop than tractors with semitrailers.
A bobtail tractor is more difficult to stop than a tractor with a semitrailer. The handbook warns that bobtail tractors can be very hard to stop smoothly. Tests show a bobtail takes longer to stop than a tractor-semitrailer loaded to maximum gross weight. It also explains that light loads give poor traction, and stiff springs and strong brakes make wheel lockup easy. So the lack of a trailer does not make stopping easier; it makes the rig harder to control when braking.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook