Sharing the Road — Maine
Maine CDL practice test: 373 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Sharing the Road: 30 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 | Maine CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 30 (8% of 373 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
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Questions (30)
1. When students are being picked up by a school bus:
- The students should wait at a designated bus stop. ✓
- The driver should stop to pick up students who are walking to a designated bus stop.
- The parents may choose where the bus stops are located.
Answer: A. The students should wait at a designated bus stop.
Students should wait at a designated bus stop for the school bus. The manual tells students to wait at a designated spot and face the bus as it approaches. It also describes stopping the bus a set distance from the students at the designated stop, so they walk to the bus. That gives the driver a better view of their movements. Waiting at the designated stop matches this loading procedure.
2. If you are taking the driving test and the route does not include a railroad crossing, you:
- Will not have to do anything related to a crossing.
- May have to explain how you would cross railroad tracks. ✓
- Will have to take a different route.
Answer: B. May have to explain how you would cross railroad tracks.
If your road test route has no railroad crossing, you may still be asked to explain and demonstrate the proper crossing procedures at a simulated location. The handbook states that not every road test route includes a railroad crossing, and that the examiner may ask you to explain and demonstrate proper railroad crossing procedures at a simulated location. So the crossing requirement does not disappear just because the route lacks real tracks; the examiner can still test your knowledge of the procedures. The safest preparation is to know the crossing steps well enough to describe and show them anywhere.
3. Which of the following vehicles is not exempted in requiring the driver to hold a CDL?
- A military vehicle
- A school bus ✓
- An emergency vehicle
Answer: B. A school bus
A school bus is the vehicle that is not exempt from the requirement for the driver to hold a CDL. The handbook passage on endorsements says that a driver who wants to drive a school bus must add a school bus endorsement to their CDL or CLP. It also says that driver must pass a special knowledge exam on school bus passenger safety and pass skills tests in a school bus. That treatment shows school bus driving is handled as CDL work, not as an exempt vehicle category. The supplied passages do not discuss military or emergency vehicle exemptions.
4. When encountering a railroad crossing during the driving test, you should:
- Pass another vehicle on the tracks if the other vehicle is moving too slowly.
- Change lanes while on the tracks.
- Not change gears while on the tracks. ✓
Answer: C. Not change gears while on the tracks.
You should not change gears while on the railroad tracks. The handbook's on-road driving section says that while any part of your vehicle is on the tracks, you should not stop, shift gears, or switch lanes. It also says to keep your hands on the steering wheel as you cross. The school-bus section gives the same rule in practice: cross in a low gear and leave the gears alone until you are clear. So the action that matches the handbook is to keep the gear you selected and not change it on the tracks.
5. 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.
6. Trailers with low underneath clearance can present challenges when driving over:
- Bridges.
- Railroad tracks. ✓
- Overpasses.
Answer: B. Railroad tracks.
Trailers with low underneath clearance can get hung up on railroad tracks, so railroad tracks are the hazard named in the question. The handbook warns that railroad tracks can cause problems, especially for a trailer with low underneath clearance, and says not to risk getting stuck halfway across. That directly points to railroad tracks as the place where low clearance matters. The passages do not identify bridges or overpasses as the low-clearance trailer problem.
7. A passive railroad crossing:
- Has a control device.
- Does not have any control devices. ✓
- Should be avoided.
Answer: B. Does not have any control devices.
A passive railroad crossing does not have any traffic control devices, so you must rely on your own eyes and ears to decide when it is safe to cross. The handbook separates crossings into two kinds. A passive crossing has no traffic control device at all, while an active one has devices such as flashing red lights, bells or gates. At a passive crossing you have to spot the crossing yourself, look for a train, and judge whether there is enough clear space on the other side. Because nothing warns or stops you, the decision to stop or go rests with you, so the handbook says to be especially careful there.
8. An empty truck:
- Requires a shorter stopping distance than a full truck.
- Requires a longer stopping distance than a full truck. ✓
- Takes the same distance to stop as a full truck.
Answer: B. Requires a longer stopping distance than a full truck.
9. When students are being picked up by a school bus:
- The students should wait at a designated bus stop. ✓
- The driver should pick up students whether or not they are at the designated bus stop.
- The parents should choose where the bus stop will be located.
Answer: A. The students should wait at a designated bus stop.
Students should wait at a designated bus stop, facing the bus as it approaches, and board only when the driver signals. The handbook says students are to wait in a set location for the school bus and face it while it approaches, and they board only after the driver signals them. It also tells the driver to stop with the front bumper at least 10 feet from students at the designated stop, which makes the students walk to the bus so the driver can better see their movements. That setup keeps students in one predictable place for loading. So waiting at the designated stop is the correct practice.
10. When driving a school bus, mirrors should be adjusted:
- During the drive.
- Before beginning to drive. ✓
- By the students.
Answer: B. Before beginning to drive.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook