Sharing the Road — Ohio
Ohio CDL practice test: 388 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: 32 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 | Ohio CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 32 (8% of 388 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
Advertisement
Questions (32)
1. At a passive railroad crossing, the decision to proceed:
- Rests with the driver. ✓
- Is indicated by a control device.
- Is decided by the vehicle in front of you.
Answer: A. Rests with the driver.
At a passive railroad crossing, the decision to proceed rests with the driver. A passive crossing has no traffic control device, so nothing at the crossing tells you when to go. The handbook says you must recognize the crossing, look for any train on the tracks, and judge whether there is enough clear space to cross safely. Because no signal or gate makes that call for you, the choice to stop or proceed is entirely in your hands. Active crossings are different: they have devices like flashing red lights or gates that regulate traffic.
2. During the driving test, when encountering a railroad crossing, you should:
- Pass another vehicle on the tracks if the other vehicle is going too slow.
- Get out of the vehicle to check for a train.
- Not change gears while your vehicle is on the tracks. ✓
Answer: C. Not change gears while your vehicle is on the tracks.
You should not change gears while any part of your vehicle is on the tracks. The handbook says that before the crossing you should decelerate, brake smoothly, and shift gears as needed, but once any part of the vehicle is in the crossing you must not stop, change gears, pass another vehicle, or change lanes. Gears are set before you reach the tracks so you can keep both hands on the wheel and drive straight across without interruption. The school bus section repeats the same idea: cross in a low gear and do not shift while crossing.
3. If you come to railroad tracks while driving a school bus, you should generally:
- Check the tracks, but continue driving without stopping.
- Stop 15 to 50 feet before the nearest rail. ✓
- Stop 75 feet before the nearest rail.
Answer: B. Stop 15 to 50 feet before the nearest rail.
Stop 15 to 50 feet before the nearest rail. The handbook lists railroad-crossing steps for bus and school bus drivers. At each crossing, unless it is exempt, the bus is brought to a stop within 50 feet of the nearest rail but not closer than 15 feet. If there is a painted white stop line, the front of the school bus stays behind it. The answer matches that stopping range, so continuing through without a stop or stopping much farther back does not follow the handbook procedure.
4. An empty truck:
- Requires a shorter stopping distance than a full truck.
- Requires a longer stopping distance than a full truck. ✓
- Takes the same distance to stop as a full truck.
Answer: B. Requires a longer stopping distance than a full truck.
5. When near a railroad crossing:
- You should expect to hear every approaching train.
- You may not hear a train, even if one is approaching. ✓
- You will hear two short blasts of a train's horn if a train is approaching.
Answer: B. You may not hear a train, even if one is approaching.
You may not hear a train, even if one is approaching, so do not rely on hearing it. The handbook warns that trains may not sound their horns at some crossings, and signs identify public crossings where horns are not used. It also says noise inside your vehicle can keep you from hearing a horn until the train is dangerously close. Since your ears are not a dependable warning, approach crossings expecting a train, stay alert, and look both ways.
6. Drivers trapped behind a slow-moving vehicle often:
- Follow the vehicle too closely. ✓
- Allow the vehicle plenty of space.
- Are happy with the speed of travel.
Answer: A. Follow the vehicle too closely.
Drivers stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle often follow it too closely, so expect tailgaters when you are traveling slowly. The handbook lists the times you are likely to be tailgated, and traveling slowly is one of them. It says plainly that drivers trapped behind slow vehicles tend to follow closely. The same passage notes heavy vehicles get tailgated when they cannot keep up with traffic, often on an uphill grade. So as a commercial driver, the habit to expect from the traffic behind you is a tight following distance, not patience.
7. 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.
8. Parked delivery trucks may be hazardous because:
- The trucks are often shiny.
- People are often in a hurry when exiting such trucks and may not look for other vehicles. ✓
- Packages often fall out of the trucks and into the road.
Answer: B. People are often in a hurry when exiting such trucks and may not look for other vehicles.
9. A commercial motor vehicle driver:
- May use any cell phone while driving.
- May only use a hands-free cell phone while driving, if permitted. ✓
- May only use a cell phone while driving on rural roads.
Answer: B. May only use a hands-free cell phone while driving, if permitted.
A CMV driver may use only a hands-free mobile phone while driving, where use is permitted, and it must be kept close and operable while restrained by the seat belt. The handbook section on cell phones says federal rules restrict hand-held mobile telephone use by CMV drivers, and carriers may not require or allow it. If you choose to use a phone while operating a CMV, the handbook states you may only use a hands-free phone located close to you that you can operate in line with the rule for a voice communication. Using a hand-held phone covers holding it to talk, pressing more than one button to dial, or leaving the seated position to reach it. So the lawful choice is the hands-free phone, not just any phone.
10. When operating a school bus, mirrors should be adjusted:
- During the drive.
- Before beginning to drive. ✓
- After the drive is completed.
Answer: B. Before beginning to drive.
Mirrors should be adjusted before you begin to drive the school bus. The handbook says you should always check each mirror before operating the school bus so you get the maximum viewing area, and have the mirrors adjusted if needed. That places mirror adjustment before the bus starts moving. Checking mirrors later, while driving or after the trip, does not meet the handbook's instruction to check them before operating the bus. The point is to be able to see the danger zone around the bus and look for students, traffic, and other objects.
Advertisement
Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook