General Driving Knowledge — Rhode Island
Rhode Island CDL practice test: 378 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: 142 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 | Rhode Island CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 142 (38% of 378 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 (142)
1. 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.
2. When starting from a stop:
- A vehicle should shift to the right.
- A vehicle should be put into third gear.
- A vehicle should not roll back. ✓
Answer: C. A vehicle should not roll back.
When you start from a stop, the vehicle should not roll back. The handbook says plainly: don't roll back when you start, because you may hit someone behind you. It then gives the technique for a manual transmission — partly engage the clutch before you lift your right foot off the brake — and says to use the parking brake whenever needed to keep from rolling back, releasing it only once you have enough engine power to hold position. A trailer brake hand valve can also be used to hold the vehicle. The test-your-knowledge section also asks how to start on a hill without rolling back, so this is treated as a basic control skill.
3. You may leave a vehicle that is carrying explosives unattended:
- Under a bridge.
- In a safe haven. ✓
- On the shoulder of a highway.
Answer: B. In a safe haven.
You may leave a vehicle carrying explosives unattended in a safe haven, which is an approved place for parking such vehicles. The handbook says you are allowed to leave your vehicle unattended in a safe haven. It defines a safe haven as an approved place for parking unattended vehicles loaded with explosives, and says local authorities usually designate these. That points to the safe haven as the permitted place for the situation in the question. The passages do not describe a bridge or a highway shoulder as an approved spot for leaving an explosives-loaded vehicle unattended.
4. If driving so slowly that you could impede other drivers, you should:
- Drive in the left lane.
- Drive while using your four-way flashers. ✓
- Drive without using any lights.
Answer: B. Drive while using your four-way flashers.
Turn on your four-way emergency flashers to warn drivers behind you, as long as using them that way is legal where you are driving. The handbook says other drivers may not realize how quickly they are closing on a slow vehicle. If you have to drive slowly, it tells you to warn following drivers by switching on your emergency flashers when that use is legal. It also notes that flasher rules vary from state to state. Another passage repeats that four-way flashers should be used when you are moving very slowly or are stopped. This supports using flashers rather than choosing a lane or driving with no lights.
5. While driving:
- Creating a text is not permitted, but reading a text is.
- Creating a text is permitted, but reading a text is not.
- Neither creating nor reading a text is permitted. ✓
Answer: C. Neither creating nor reading a text is permitted.
Neither creating nor reading a text is permitted while driving. The handbook defines texting as manually entering text into, or reading text from, an electronic device. It also directly says not to type or read a text message on a mobile device while driving. The federal rule quoted in the handbook prohibits texting by commercial motor vehicle drivers. Since both writing and reading are covered by that definition and prohibition, the choice that rules out both activities is the one that matches the handbook.
6. A person attending a placarded vehicle may be:
- In the sleeper berth.
- Either awake or asleep inside the vehicle.
- Within 100 feet of the vehicle. ✓
Answer: C. Within 100 feet of the vehicle.
A person attending a placarded vehicle may be within 100 feet of the vehicle, as long as it is within clear view. The handbook's attending rule for a parked placarded vehicle says the attendant must either be inside the vehicle, awake and not in the sleeper berth, or stay within 100 feet with the vehicle in clear view. That makes being within 100 feet one allowed way to attend. It also rules out sleeping and the sleeper berth as acceptable attending positions.
7. When starting a vehicle, warning lights and buzzers:
- Should not light up or sound.
- Should turn on and shut off quickly. ✓
- Should turn on and remain on.
Answer: B. Should turn on and shut off quickly.
Warning lights and buzzers should turn on and shut off quickly after the engine starts. During startup, the handbook lists oil, coolant, charging circuit, and ABS warning lights and says they should go out right away. It also says an ABS dash light should come on and then turn off; if it stays on, the ABS is not working properly. That brief on-then-off behavior shows the warning system is doing its check. So the normal result is not silence and not a light that stays lit, but a quick light or buzzer that clears once the engine is running.
8. After students unload at the school, a driver should:
- Not be concerned with the students' whereabouts.
- Leave after the students have entered the school building.
- Walk through the bus to check for any sleeping students. ✓
Answer: C. Walk through the bus to check for any sleeping students.
After students unload at school, walk through the bus to check for any sleeping or hiding students. The handbook says that after students exit, you should observe them move away from the unloading area, then walk through the bus and check for hiding or sleeping students and items left behind. It also says to check all mirrors and make certain no students are returning to the bus. That walk-through is how you confirm the bus is clear before pulling away, so it is the required action after unloading at school.
9. Containers of hazardous materials must be:
- Brightly-colored.
- Braced to prevent movement during transportation. ✓
- Made of cardboard.
Answer: B. Braced to prevent movement during transportation.
Hazardous materials containers must be braced so they cannot move during transportation. The handbook says to protect hazardous materials containers and not transport leaking packages. It directly states that these containers must be braced to keep the packages from moving while the vehicle is on the road. Another passage adds that containers should be braced so they do not fall, slide, or bounce around, and that all hazardous materials packages must be secured during transportation.
10. When pulled over to the side of the road, you should:
- Rely on your taillights to alert other motorists to your presence.
- Not worry about other motorists.
- Use your four-way emergency flashers to alert other motorists to your presence. ✓
Answer: C. Use your four-way emergency flashers to alert other motorists to your presence.
When you pull off the road and stop, use your four-way emergency flashers to alert other motorists to your presence. The handbook says that when you pull off the road and stop, you should turn on the four-way emergency flashers. It adds that this matters especially at night and warns you not to trust your taillights to give warning. The reason given is that drivers have hit the rear of a parked vehicle because they believed it was still moving. Using the flashers communicates that your vehicle is stopped, which is the point of this rule.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook