Speed Limits & Following Distance — Montana
Montana CDL practice test: 435 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Speed Limits & Following Distance: 13 questions.
Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance.
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 | Speed Limits & Following Distance |
| License test | Montana CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 13 (3% of 435 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 (13)
1. What is a bobtail tractor?
- A tractor without a semi-trailer ✓
- A tractor with two semi-trailers
- A tractor that travels faster than the speed limit
Answer: A. A tractor without a semi-trailer
A bobtail tractor is a tractor without a semi-trailer. The handbook uses the term bobtail for a tractor that is running without a semi-trailer attached. It also warns that these tractors can be hard to stop smoothly and may take longer to stop than a fully loaded tractor-semitrailer. That description matches a tractor with no trailer, not a tractor pulling one or two trailers.
2. A ramp's posted speed limit:
- Is suitable for all vehicles.
- Is suitable for some vehicles, but may be too fast for a large CMV. ✓
- Is just a suggestion and may be exceeded.
Answer: B. Is suitable for some vehicles, but may be too fast for a large CMV.
A ramp's posted speed limit is suitable for some vehicles, but it may be too fast for a large CMV. The handbook says off ramps and on ramps often have posted speed limit signs, and it warns that those speeds may be safe for automobiles but may not be safe for larger or heavily loaded vehicles. That is why the sign is not a guarantee for your truck. A downhill exit that also turns is especially risky because the downgrade makes it hard to slow down, and braking while turning is dangerous. The safe approach is to be going slowly enough before you reach the curved part of the ramp.
3. When driving through a work zone, you should:
- Slow down. ✓
- Speed up.
- Use a cell phone.
- Steer with one hand to keep the other hand free.
Answer: A. Slow down.
When you drive through a work zone, you should slow down. The handbook's work-zone section says speeding is the leading cause of injury and death there, so you must watch the posted limit when you approach and pass through a work zone. It also tells you to keep checking your speedometer so your speed does not creep up in a long construction section. You should reduce speed further for bad weather or road conditions, and even more when a worker is near the roadway. That guidance points to slowing down, not doing anything that makes the vehicle harder to control.
4. Scan the road ____ ahead of your vehicle.
- Two to three seconds
- Five to six seconds
- 12 to 15 seconds ✓
Answer: C. 12 to 15 seconds
Scan the road 12 to 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle. The handbook says most good drivers look far enough ahead to cover the distance they will travel in 12 to 15 seconds. At lower speeds that is roughly one block, and at highway speeds it is about a quarter mile. Looking that far gives you room to stop or change lanes without sudden moves. It also says you should not ignore nearby traffic; good drivers move their attention between near and far. A two-to-three-second or five-to-six-second scan is shorter than the handbook's guideline.
5. When traveling down a downgrade, the speed of a vehicle will likely:
- Decrease.
- Not change.
- Increase. ✓
- Match the speed of traffic.
Answer: C. Increase.
6. What is reaction distance?
- The distance traveled between seeing a hazard and physically hitting the brakes ✓
- The distance traveled between a hazard becoming visible and a driver seeing the hazard
- The distance traveled before a driver realizes they must brake
- The distance traveled between physically hitting the brake and coming to a complete stop
Answer: A. The distance traveled between seeing a hazard and physically hitting the brakes
Reaction distance is the distance you keep traveling from seeing a hazard until you physically hit the brakes. The handbook defines reaction distance as the distance you continue to travel in ideal conditions before you physically hit the brakes in response to a hazard seen ahead. It also gives an average reaction time of ¾ second to 1 second, and says that at 55 mph this accounts for 61 feet. That definition places reaction distance after the hazard is seen and before the brakes are applied, which matches the answer.
7. To prevent trailers from rolling over, a driver should do all of the following, except:
- Steer gently.
- Drive slowly around corners.
- Drive slowly on curves.
- Exceed the speed limit. ✓
Answer: D. Exceed the speed limit.
The exception is exceeding the speed limit; that is not a way to prevent trailer rollover. The handbook's curve warning is direct: enter a curve too fast and the tires may lose grip and the vehicle may skid off the road, or the vehicle may roll over. It says trucks with a high center of gravity can roll over even at the posted speed for a curve, so you should slow to a safe speed before entering and never go above the posted limit for that curve. Exceeding the speed limit works against rollover prevention.
8. When driving on the expressway during the skills test, you should:
- Switch lanes frequently.
- Use your mirrors to check traffic as needed. ✓
- Drive on the left side of the lane.
- Drive above the posted speed limit.
Answer: B. Use your mirrors to check traffic as needed.
You should use your mirrors to check traffic as needed while driving on the expressway during the skills test. The handbook's expressway instructions tell you to check traffic and your mirrors thoroughly in all directions when you resume, and its general driving section calls for regular mirror checks to stay aware of traffic around you. That makes mirror use the expected habit during the on-road test. The same expressway section also says to merge smoothly and keep your vehicle centered in the proper lane, so the test is not asking you to wander in the lane or change lanes for no reason.
9. Stopping distance can be affected by:
- Speed. ✓
- Sunshine.
- Time of day.
- Traffic.
Answer: A. Speed.
Speed affects stopping distance: the faster you drive, the longer the braking distance becomes. The handbook's stopping-distance section says that when speed goes up, braking distance grows, and it gives the example that doubling speed makes braking distance four times longer. It also says slowing down reduces braking distance. The stopping-distance formula adds perception, reaction, and braking distance, so the speed-related braking part is a direct factor. The handbook does not present sunshine or time of day as factors in stopping distance.
10. When traveling more slowly than 40 mph, maintain at least ____ of following distance per every 10 feet of your vehicle.
- One second ✓
- Two seconds
- Three seconds
- Four seconds
Answer: A. One second
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook