Sharing the Road — 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. Sharing the Road: 19 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 | Minnesota CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 19 (4% 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 (19)
1. When driving a truck requiring a CDL:
- You do not need to wear a seat belt.
- You are required to wear a seat belt, but only if transporting more than 500 pounds of cargo.
- You must always wear a seat belt. ✓
Answer: C. You must always wear a seat belt.
You must always wear a seat belt when driving a truck that requires a CDL. The handbook's introduction section says a driver must be properly restrained by a safety belt at all times while operating a commercial motor vehicle. It explains that the belt holds you securely behind the wheel in a crash, which helps you keep control and lowers the chance of serious injury or death, and that an unbelted driver is four times more likely to be killed if thrown from the vehicle. Nothing in that rule depends on what the truck is hauling, so it covers every trip.
2. When approaching a railroad crossing, you should:
- Rely on the posted signals to indicate when a train is approaching.
- Rely on the movements of other motorists to indicate when a train is approaching.
- Not rely on signals to indicate when a train is approaching. ✓
- Look to see if nearby plants are moving from the breeze created by a passing train
Answer: C. Not rely on signals to indicate when a train is approaching.
Do not rely on signals to indicate when a train is approaching; look and listen for yourself. The handbook's railroad-crossing section warns that you should not rely solely on warning signals, gates, or flagmen to tell you a train is near. It points out that trains may not sound horns at some crossings, and noise inside the cab can keep you from hearing one until it is close. It also notes that a train on one track can hide another train on a second track. So you need to look and listen in both directions instead of treating signals as proof the tracks are clear.
3. A commercial motor vehicle should:
- Not be equipped with a fire extinguisher, unless transporting hazardous materials.
- Not be equipped with a fire extinguisher, unless the vehicle will be traveling through remote areas.
- Never be equipped with a fire extinguisher.
- Always be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher. ✓
Answer: D. Always be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher.
4. As students exit a school bus, the driver should watch to ensure that they:
- Are leaving in pairs.
- Do not get caught on the handrail or door. ✓
- Do not talk while exiting.
Answer: B. Do not get caught on the handrail or door.
The driver should watch to make sure students do not get caught on the handrail or door as they exit the bus. The handbook's handrail hang-up warning says clothing, accessories, or even body parts can get caught in the handrail or door as students exit, and that students have been injured or killed this way. That is why the driver should closely observe students leaving the bus, with attention on the handrail and door. The answer matches that warning: the driver watches so nobody gets caught.
5. To ensure that you do not slow down traffic when driving a large truck, you should:
- Switch gears while driving uphill.
- Try to pass another vehicle while driving uphill.
- Stay in the right lane whenever possible. ✓
Answer: C. Stay in the right lane whenever possible.
You should stay in the right lane whenever possible. The handbook addresses this directly in its uphill driving guidance. It says heavy vehicles get tailgated when they cannot keep up with traffic, and that this often happens uphill. If a heavy load is slowing you down, the instruction is to stay in the right lane if you can. That keeps slower traffic out of the way of faster vehicles. The same passage also warns against passing another slow vehicle uphill unless you can get around quickly and safely.
6. When backing a truck, you should:
- Only use the side mirrors on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
- Use both side mirrors. ✓
- Not use a helper.
Answer: B. Use both side mirrors.
When backing a truck, you should use both side mirrors. The handbook tells you to check the outside mirrors on both sides frequently while backing, and it lists using mirrors on both sides as one of its basic backing safety rules. Since you cannot see everything behind the vehicle, watching both mirrors is how you keep track of your path and catch steering errors early. Backing toward the right side is described as very dangerous because you cannot see as well in that direction, which is why the handbook also favors backing toward the driver's side.
7. Vehicles driving behind a truck:
- May have difficulty seeing objects in front of the truck. ✓
- Often have a great view of the roadway in front of them.
- Do not need to signal.
Answer: A. May have difficulty seeing objects in front of the truck.
8. If a gate controlling a railroad crossing does not go back up after a train passes, you should:
- Drive around the gate.
- Wait for another vehicle to cross the tracks first to see if it is safe.
- Call your dispatcher. ✓
Answer: C. Call your dispatcher.
9. When trying to control a minor truck fire, what should you do before opening trailer doors?
- Check to see if the doors are hot. ✓
- Throw water on the doors.
- Remove your protective equipment.
Answer: A. Check to see if the doors are hot.
10. If a driver needs to exit a school bus to ensure all waiting students have boarded, the driver should:
- Leave the bus running.
- Turn the bus off and take the key. ✓
- Ask a student to keep an eye on the steering wheel.
Answer: B. Turn the bus off and take the key.
The driver should turn the bus off and take the key. The handbook's loading procedure says to turn off the ignition switch and remove the key if you leave the driver's compartment. It gives the same key-removal instruction for unloading. The separate instruction for a student you cannot account for says to secure the bus and take the key before checking around and underneath it. Together, these passages point to shutting the bus down and keeping the key with you when you step outside.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook