Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation — New Hampshire
New Hampshire CDL practice test: 461 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation: 204 questions.
Brakes, tires, lights, mirrors, seat belts, child seats and basic vehicle control.
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 | Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation |
| License test | New Hampshire CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 204 (44% of 461 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 (204)
1. When using your mirrors, you should frequently look at your tires to:
- Watch for tire fires. ✓
- See if the tires are rolling properly.
- See if the tread is sufficient.
- Get a sense of the size of the tire in relation to other vehicles.
Answer: A. Watch for tire fires.
You should frequently look at your tires in the mirrors to watch for tire fires. The handbook's regular mirror-check section says mirrors are used for traffic and for checking your vehicle. Under vehicle checks, it says to keep an eye on your tires with the mirrors and states that this is one way to spot a tire fire. A fire-prevention section also says to use mirrors to look for signs of smoke from tires or the vehicle. That directly supports watching the tires for fire danger, not for the other listed purposes.
2. When driving down a steep hill, your primary source of braking should be:
- Engine adjustments. ✓
- The brakes.
- The hand brake.
Answer: A. Engine adjustments.
Your primary source of braking when driving down a steep hill should be engine adjustments. The handbook says you must control speed on a grade mainly with the engine's braking effect. Put the transmission in a low gear before you start down, so the engine helps hold you back near governed rpm. The service brakes are only a supplement; using them too much creates excessive heat and can cause fade or failure. That is why the primary source of braking is engine adjustments, not the brakes.
3. When parking, you should not use the parking brake if:
- The brakes are very hot. ✓
- The brakes are very cold.
- There is snow on the ground.
Answer: A. The brakes are very hot.
When parking, you should not use the parking brake if the brakes are very hot. The handbook says to use the parking brakes any time you park, with exceptions. One exception is when the brakes are very hot, such as after coming down a steep grade. The passage explains that using the parking brakes while they are hot can damage them by the heat, so you should let hot brakes cool first. The other listed exception is very wet brakes in freezing temperatures, not cold brakes by themselves or snow on the ground.
4. When transporting a load, the cargo should be inspected:
- Only at the beginning of a drive.
- Only after driving a long distance.
- After every break. ✓
Answer: C. After every break.
The cargo and its securing devices should be inspected again after every break you take while driving. The handbook says to re-check cargo and tiedowns as often as needed to keep the load secure. It lists specific times to inspect again, including after every break during the trip, as well as after driving a set time or distance. The driving-safely section also calls for checking cargo securement within the first part of a trip and at regular intervals afterward. That makes checking after each break the correct choice, because the load can shift or loosen while you are driving.
5. What can happen if a parking brake is used in very wet weather when temperatures are below freezing?
- The brakes will squeak.
- The brakes may freeze so the vehicle cannot move. ✓
- The brakes may suddenly release by themselves.
- The brakes may explode.
Answer: B. The brakes may freeze so the vehicle cannot move.
The parking brakes may freeze so the vehicle cannot move. The handbook says not to use the parking brakes when the brakes are very wet and temperatures are freezing. In that condition, the moisture can freeze and lock the brakes so the vehicle cannot move. It recommends holding the vehicle with wheel chocks on a level surface instead, and if the brakes are wet, using them lightly in a low gear to heat and dry them. That direct warning points to the freezing-and-locking result, not to noise, sudden release, or explosion.
6. Test the tractor protection valve by:
- Removing the air supply knob.
- Removing the parking brake control knob.
- Releasing air with the brake pedal. ✓
- Releasing air with the gas pedal.
Answer: C. Releasing air with the brake pedal.
Test the tractor protection valve by releasing air with the brake pedal: build normal air pressure, shut the engine off, then step on and off the brake pedal several times and watch for the trailer air supply control to pop out. The handbook's tractor protection valve test starts by charging the trailer air brake system and pushing in the air supply knob. Then you shut the engine off and step on and off the brake pedal several times to lower the air pressure in the tanks. During this check, the trailer air supply control, also called the tractor protection valve control, should pop out. Using the brake pedal to release air is what creates the pressure drop that makes the valve react.
7. When starting the engine of a truck with a trailer, how can you tell if the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) is not working?
- The yellow light on the rear of the trailer will stay on. ✓
- The red light on the trailer will flash three times and then stay on.
- All the rear lights on the trailer will flash and then shut off.
- The blue light near the driver's door will light.
Answer: A. The yellow light on the rear of the trailer will stay on.
You can tell the trailer ABS is not working when the yellow light on the left rear of the trailer stays on. The handbook says that for a trailer, the ABS warning is a yellow light on the left rear. During start-up checks, that lamp should come on briefly and then go out; if it stays on, the ABS is not working properly. The trailer ABS warning is also described as a yellow malfunction lamp on the left side, and a lamp that remains on after the bulb check can mean ABS control is lost at one or more wheels. That is why a yellow trailer light that stays on is the reliable sign.
8. The service air line is attached to the:
- Relay valves. ✓
- Supply line.
- Emergency air line.
- Steering wheel.
Answer: A. Relay valves.
The service air line is attached to the relay valves. The handbook describes the service line, also called the control or signal line, as carrying air controlled by the foot brake or the trailer hand brake. It states plainly that the service line is connected to relay valves, and that the pressure in the service line tells those valves how much pressure to send to the trailer brakes. That connection is what lets the trailer brakes apply faster than they otherwise would. So the relay valves are the components the service line hooks up to, not the supply line or the steering wheel.
9. What do air brakes use to make the brakes work?
- Compressed air ✓
- Outside air
- Non-compressed air
Answer: A. Compressed air
Air brakes use compressed air to make the brakes work. The handbook states plainly that air brakes use compressed air to make the brakes work. It also describes the compressor pumping air into the storage tanks, where compressed air is held, and notes those tanks hold enough air for several brake applications even if the compressor stops. So the force that applies the brakes comes from air that has been squeezed under pressure, not from ordinary outside air.
10. Wheel rims that have been welded should:
- Be placed in the front of the vehicle.
- Be placed in the rear of the vehicle.
- Be placed on dual tires.
- Not be used. ✓
Answer: D. Not be used.
Wheel rims that have been welded should not be used at all. The handbook states plainly that rims cannot have welding repairs and that wheels or rims with welding repairs are not safe. A damaged rim is already a hazard, since it can lead to a tire leaving the rim, a wheel coming off the axle, or air loss. Because a welded rim is treated as unsafe rather than as something to be repositioned, the rim should be taken out of service.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook