General Driving Knowledge — Oregon
Oregon CDL practice test: 463 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. General Driving Knowledge: 165 questions.
Questions that do not fit a single topic: lane use, turning, signalling and other rules of the road.
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 | General Driving Knowledge |
| License test | Oregon CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 165 (36% of 463 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 (165)
1. Emergency response information provided by the shipper must include:
- Risks of fire or explosion. ✓
- Value of the materials.
- Date of packing.
- Origination of the materials.
Answer: A. Risks of fire or explosion.
Emergency response information from the shipper must include the risks of fire or explosion. The handbook says the shipper must provide emergency response information for each hazardous material, and that information must be usable away from the vehicle to help handle incidents safely. The required minimum contents include immediate health hazards, risks of fire or explosion, precautions after an accident, fire-fighting methods, spill or leak methods, and first aid. Risks of fire or explosion is listed directly, so it belongs in the emergency response information.
2. To make your vehicle more visible during the day, you should:
- Use your low beam headlights. ✓
- Use your high beam headlights.
- Use your clearance lights.
Answer: A. Use your low beam headlights.
3. What is the minimum number of tie-downs required to secure a 10-foot piece of cargo?
- One
- Two ✓
- Three
Answer: B. Two
Two tie-downs is the minimum for a 10-foot piece of cargo, because every load needs at least two no matter how short it is. The handbook sets the count two ways. It says cargo should have at least one tie-down for each ten feet of cargo, so a 10-foot piece would call for one under that rule. But the same passage adds that no matter how small the cargo, it should have at least two tie-downs. The two-tie-down floor overrides the per-foot count here, so the correct minimum is two.
4. Rearward amplification refers to:
- The amount of noise projected to the rear of a vehicle.
- The cause of the "crack-the-whip" effect. ✓
- The number of trailers that can be pulled by a tractor.
Answer: B. The cause of the "crack-the-whip" effect.
Rearward amplification is the cause of the "crack-the-whip" effect in combination vehicles. The handbook says rearward amplification is what produces the crack-the-whip effect. It shows eight rig types in a quick lane change, with the least effect at the top and the most at the bottom. The number compares how easily the rear trailer can roll compared with the tractor; triples listed at 3.5 means the last trailer can be rolled 3.5 times as easily as a five-axle tractor. That is why the handbook tells you to steer gently and smoothly and avoid sudden steering moves with trailers.
5. What does "RQ" stand for?
- Relative query
- Reportable quantity ✓
- Release query
- Response quarantine
Answer: B. Reportable quantity
"RQ" stands for reportable quantity — the amount of a hazardous substance listed in Column 2 of the hazardous substances list. The handbook explains that the DOT and EPA want to be told about spills of hazardous substances, which are named on the List of Hazardous Substances and Reportable Quantities. Column 2 of that list gives each product's reportable quantity (RQ). When a material is shipped in that quantity or more in one package, the shipper puts the letters RQ on the shipping paper and the package, and any spill of that size must be reported.
6. When a vehicle is started, the coolant temperature should:
- Decrease.
- Rise slowly. ✓
- Hold steady.
Answer: B. Rise slowly.
When a vehicle is started, the coolant temperature should rise slowly toward its normal operating range. The handbook lists coolant temperature among the gauges to check after the engine starts. It says the reading should begin a gradual rise to the normal operating range. That makes a slow climb the expected startup behavior. A drop or a flat reading is not what the handbook describes for this check. This is the gauge check at startup, not the hot-weather driving check.
7. When trying to avoid a hazard:
- Stopping is always effective.
- Swerving may be more effective than stopping. ✓
- You may change lanes without looking.
- You should drive on the shoulder.
Answer: B. Swerving may be more effective than stopping.
8. A driver should ensure that:
- The shipping paper matches the markings and labels on packages. ✓
- The shipping paper is written in code.
- All packages are labeled as poison.
Answer: A. The shipping paper matches the markings and labels on packages.
A driver should ensure the shipping paper matches the markings and labels on packages. The handbook tells drivers to compare the shipping paper with the markings and labels on the packages. It also says the shipper must show the correct basic description on the paper and verify that the packages carry the proper labels. Package markings also need to use the same hazardous material name as the shipping paper. That makes the paperwork and the package agree, so the driver can check that the shipment is described and labeled consistently.
9. Watching the road ahead:
- Is more dangerous than only watching your mirrors.
- Does not help you drive more safely.
- Can help you avoid the need for sudden lane changes. ✓
Answer: C. Can help you avoid the need for sudden lane changes.
Watching the road ahead can help you avoid needing to make sudden lane changes. The handbook says you should always be looking for hazards and thinking about what could develop. It names needed lane changes, such as the end of a lane, as a situation where conflicts happen. Looking ahead gives you time to see a conflict and plan a way out. That supports defensive driving and can keep you from being forced into a quick lane change. The handbook connects hazard scanning with improved safety for you and others on the road.
10. If a student drops an item while approaching the bus, the student should:
- Stop and pick up the object.
- Have another student pick up the object.
- Ask the driver to pick up the object. ✓
- Just leave the item alone and walk away.
Answer: C. Ask the driver to pick up the object.
Leave the item where it fell and ask the school bus driver to pick it up. The handbook points out that when a student drops something during loading or unloading, stopping to grab it or going back for it can put the student out of the driver's view at a very bad moment. That is the danger the rule is guarding against, so the student should not bend down or turn back toward the bus. Handing the job to the driver keeps the student where the driver can still see them and still gets the object picked up.
Advertisement
Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook