Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation — New Jersey
New Jersey CDL practice test: 438 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: 190 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 Jersey CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 190 (43% of 438 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 (190)
1. Retreaded tires:
- May be used on any part of a bus.
- May be used on the front of a bus.
- May be used on the rear of a bus. ✓
- May never be used on a bus.
Answer: C. May be used on the rear of a bus.
Retreaded tires may be used on the rear of a bus. The handbook's tire inspection section lists re-grooved, recapped, and retreaded tires on the front wheels of a bus as prohibited. That restriction is tied to the front wheels, not to the whole bus, so the rule leaves the rear of a bus as the place where a retreaded tire may be used. The other choices go beyond what the handbook says by allowing retreads on the front or on any part of a bus, or by banning them from buses entirely.
2. A tractor protection valve is:
- A device that keeps air in the tractor or truck brake system, should the trailer break away or develop a bad leak. ✓
- A device that prevents theft.
- A device that controls fuel levels.
- A device that allows the battery to recharge efficiently.
Answer: A. A device that keeps air in the tractor or truck brake system, should the trailer break away or develop a bad leak.
A tractor protection valve keeps air in the tractor or truck brake system if the trailer breaks away or develops a bad leak. The handbook describes it as the valve that holds air in the tractor or truck brake system when the trailer separates or has a serious leak. It is controlled from the cab by the trailer air supply valve and closes on its own when pressure falls into the 20 to 45 psi range. Closing it keeps air from leaving the tractor and lets air out of the trailer emergency line, so the trailer emergency brakes apply.
3. How can a person check for a leak in hydraulic brakes?
- Pump the brake pedal three times and hold the pedal for five seconds. If the pedal moves, there may be a problem. ✓
- Push the brake pedal down as far as possible and let go. If the brake pedal returns to its normal position, there may be a problem.
- Push the brake pedal down as far as possible and let go. If the brake makes a squeak, there may be a problem.
- Remove the rear wheel and listen for a noise when the brake pedal is depressed.
Answer: A. Pump the brake pedal three times and hold the pedal for five seconds. If the pedal moves, there may be a problem.
Pump the brake pedal three times, then hold firm pressure on it for five seconds; if the pedal moves, there may be a leak. The handbook's hydraulic leak check is a three-pump, five-second hold. Pump the brake pedal three times, then press firmly and keep pressure on it for five seconds. The pedal should stay in place. If it moves during that hold, the manual says there may be a leak or another problem, and it should be fixed before you drive. The vehicle inspection section describes the same pressure check: after pumping three times and holding, the pedal should not move or depress.
4. Which of the following is not a part of an air brake system?
- A service brake system
- A parking brake system
- An emergency brake system
- An axle brake system ✓
Answer: D. An axle brake system
An axle brake system is not one of the parts of an air brake system. The handbook treats the air brake system as built from a service brake system, a parking brake system, and an emergency brake system. It explains that the emergency brake system uses parts of the service and parking brake systems to stop the vehicle when the brakes fail. Axles come up only in the description of the dual air brake setup, where one system works the regular brakes on the rear axle or axles and the other works the front axle. An axle is where brakes act, not a separate brake system of its own.
5. If you experience a loss of hydraulic pressure, you should do all of the following, except:
- Downshift.
- Pump the brakes.
- Accelerate. ✓
- Use the parking brake.
Answer: C. Accelerate.
6. Mirror adjustment can only be checked properly if:
- The trailer is straight. ✓
- There is no trailer attached to the tractor.
- The vehicle is on a slight incline.
- The vehicle is on a slight decline.
Answer: A. The trailer is straight.
Mirror adjustment can only be checked properly when the trailer is straight. The handbook says mirror adjustment should be checked before the start of any trip, and it can only be checked accurately when the trailer or trailers are straight. With the trailer straight, you set each mirror so some part of your own vehicle shows, giving you a reference point for judging the other images. That is why a straight trailer is the stated condition for accurate mirror adjustment.
7. In the event of an engine fire, you should not:
- Turn the engine off as soon as possible.
- Keep the fire from spreading.
- Open the hood. ✓
- Spray from the underside of the vehicle.
Answer: C. Open the hood.
You should not open the hood during an engine fire. The handbook's engine-fire steps tell you to turn off the engine quickly and keep the fire from spreading. It specifically says not to open the hood if you can avoid it. Instead, it says to shoot foam through louvers, the radiator, or from the underside. That makes opening the hood the action to avoid, while the other listed actions are either stated as steps or as ways to apply foam.
8. Brake fade is a result of:
- Exposure to sunlight.
- Exposure to moisture.
- Excessive use. ✓
- Not using the brakes enough.
Answer: C. Excessive use.
Brake fade comes from excessive use of the brakes. The handbook explains that pressing the service brakes over and over creates too much heat. That heat changes the lining and expands the drums, so the shoes and linings do not press as firmly and friction drops. The result can keep getting worse until the vehicle cannot be slowed or stopped. The passage ties this directly to using the brakes too much instead of letting the engine help control speed. That is why excessive use is the cause named in the question.
9. Front brake limiting valves were intended to:
- Prevent the front tires from skidding. ✓
- Prevent the front tires from overheating.
- Create equal brake usage.
- Remove uncertainty when applying the brakes.
Answer: A. Prevent the front tires from skidding.
Front brake limiting valves were intended to prevent the front tires from skidding. The handbook explains that some older vehicles have a front brake limiting valve with a cab control marked "normal" and "slippery." In the slippery setting, the valve cuts normal air pressure to the front brakes by half. The passage states plainly that limiting valves were used to reduce the chance of the front wheels skidding on slippery surfaces. The same passage notes they actually cut stopping power, that front wheel braking is good in all conditions, and that you should keep the control in the normal position.
10. A CMV should:
- Not have a fire extinguisher, unless transporting hazardous materials.
- Not have a fire extinguisher, unless the vehicle will be traveling through remote areas.
- Not have a fire extinguisher.
- Have a fire extinguisher and other emergency equipment. ✓
Answer: D. Have a fire extinguisher and other emergency equipment.
A CMV should carry a fire extinguisher along with the other emergency equipment required for that vehicle. The handbook tells drivers to check the emergency equipment required for their vehicle and make sure they have it and it works. It also lists a built-in fire extinguisher among special-purpose equipment to check on tank vehicles, and it requires a fire extinguisher on the power unit of placarded hazardous-materials vehicles. So the handbook points to carrying a fire extinguisher plus whatever other emergency equipment the vehicle is required to have, not going without one.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook