General Driving Knowledge — Minnesota
Minnesota CDL practice test: 458 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: 148 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 | Minnesota CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 148 (32% of 458 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 (148)
1. It is normal for fresh oil to be found on the pavement under a vehicle.
- True
- False ✓
Answer: B. False
2. When trying to put out an electrical fire, you should:
- Use water.
- Use a B:C extinguisher. ✓
- Use an X extinguisher.
Answer: B. Use a B:C extinguisher.
3. Operating a combination vehicle usually requires ____ operating a single vehicle.
- Less skill than
- About the same level of skill as
- More skill than ✓
- Exactly the same level of skill as
Answer: C. More skill than
Operating a combination vehicle usually requires more skill than operating a single vehicle. The combination vehicles section states that combination vehicles are usually heavier, longer, and take more driving skill than single commercial vehicles, and it says plainly that their drivers need more knowledge and skill. The introduction makes the same point about Class A vehicles, noting that driving one takes considerably more skill and knowledge than Classes B and C, and that a Class A license also covers those lighter classes.
4. Which of the following can help you determine when to upshift?
- Road speed
- Engine speed
- Both of the above ✓
- None of the above
Answer: C. Both of the above
Both road speed and engine speed can help you decide when to upshift. The handbook says shifting, including upshifting, requires knowing when to shift. It points to the tachometer or the speedometer and says to shift at the right rpm or road speed. That means engine speed and road speed are both useful cues for timing an upshift.
5. Headache racks:
- Are illegal.
- Help protect the driver from the cargo. ✓
- Allow for increased cargo space.
Answer: B. Help protect the driver from the cargo.
Headache racks, also called front-end header boards, help protect the driver from the cargo. The handbook describes front-end header boards, known as headache racks, as a barrier that protects you from your cargo in a crash or during an emergency stop. It also says the front-end structure has to be in good condition and should block any forward movement of the load you are carrying. So the rack's job is protecting the people in the cab from the load behind them, which matches the bank answer.
6. Unbaffled tanks are also referred to as ____ tanks.
- Smooth bore ✓
- Continuous
- Dynamic
- Standard
Answer: A. Smooth bore
Unbaffled tanks are also called smooth bore tanks. The handbook says an unbaffled liquid tanker has nothing inside to slow the liquid's movement, so forward-and-back surge is very strong. It gives "smooth bore" as the alternate name for these tanks. That directly matches the bank answer. The passage also says unbaffled tanks are usually used for food products such as milk, because sanitation rules can forbid baffles that are hard to clean inside.
7. Once a vehicle is started, coolant temperature should steadily and quickly decrease.
- True
- False ✓
Answer: B. False
False — after you start the engine, the coolant temperature should not steadily and quickly drop; what you want is for it to stay in the normal range. The handbook tells you to watch the water temperature or coolant temperature gauge while driving and keep it in the normal range. If it climbs above the highest safe temperature, something may be wrong and could lead to engine failure and possibly fire, so you should stop as soon as it is safe and find the cause. Nothing in the handbook says the reading should fall quickly once the engine is running, so the statement is wrong.
8. On a leaf spring:
- Leaves should shift.
- Leaves can be missing.
- Leaves should not be broken. ✓
Answer: C. Leaves should not be broken.
Leaves on a leaf spring should not be broken; the handbook treats broken leaves as a defect. The Texas CDL handbook says to check for leaves that are missing or broken and calls any defect dangerous. It also notes that if one-fourth or more leaves are missing, the vehicle is put out of service. Broken leaves fall under that same defect category, so a leaf spring with broken leaves does not pass the safety check.
9. When traveling with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives, the vehicle should not be:
- Parked within 300 feet of a bridge. ✓
- Parked within 40 feet of the road.
- Parked for only short periods of time.
- Parked on grass.
Answer: A. Parked within 300 feet of a bridge.
The vehicle should not be parked within 300 feet of a bridge. The handbook's parking rule for Division 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 explosives says to stay away from a bridge, tunnel, building, crowd, or open fire by 300 feet, except for brief stops needed for vehicle operation, such as fueling. Since a bridge is named in that list, parking inside that distance is the prohibited choice. The rule also says to keep parking brief and to have someone watch the parked vehicle.
10. A tank endorsement is:
- Only required when transporting gases.
- Only required when transporting liquids.
- Required to transport both liquids and gases. ✓
- Optional when transporting hazardous materials.
Answer: C. Required to transport both liquids and gases.
A tank endorsement is required to transport both liquids and gases. Section 8 explains that vehicles carrying liquids or gases may need a tank endorsement, and it says the load does not have to be hazardous. Section 1 describes the tank vehicle test as applying to hauling any liquid or gaseous material in qualifying tanks. That supports an endorsement covering both forms, not just one. The handbook ties the requirement to the tank capacities it lists, not to whether the material is hazardous.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook