Vehicle Equipment & Safe Operation — Tennessee
Tennessee CDL practice test: 468 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: 205 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 | Tennessee CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 205 (44% of 468 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 (205)
1. A broken exhaust system:
- Can allow poisonous fumes into the cab. ✓
- Does not cause problems.
- Should not cause concern.
- Helps the vehicle run better.
Answer: A. Can allow poisonous fumes into the cab.
A broken exhaust system can allow poisonous fumes into the cab. The handbook lists a broken exhaust system as a defect that can let poison fumes into the cab or sleeper berth. It tells you to inspect for loose, broken, or missing exhaust pipes, mufflers, tailpipes, stacks, brackets, clamps, bolts, and nuts, and for parts rubbing or leaking. That is why the answer is the choice about poisonous fumes entering the cab; the other choices treat a defect as harmless or helpful.
2. Once cargo is secured onto a vehicle:
- You do not need to inspect the cargo.
- You should not let others inspect the cargo.
- You should check the cargo every 150 miles. ✓
Answer: C. You should check the cargo every 150 miles.
You should check the cargo every 150 miles. The handbook says that after cargo is secured, the driver must inspect the securement within the first 50 miles of the trip and then every 150 miles or every three hours, whichever comes first. Another passage repeats that you need to inspect again after driving for 3 hours or 150 miles, and after every break. So regular re-checking at 150-mile intervals is part of keeping the load secure, not something you can skip once the cargo is tied down.
3. If a trailer is too high:
- It will not make a difference when coupling.
- It may not couple correctly. ✓
- Coupling will be more secure.
- Coupling will be easier.
Answer: B. It may not couple correctly.
If the trailer is too high, it may not couple correctly. The handbook's coupling steps say the trailer should sit low enough that backing the tractor under it raises the trailer slightly, and you raise or lower the trailer as needed. It then gives the two failure cases: too low and the tractor may strike and damage the trailer nose, too high and it may not couple correctly. That is why a trailer sitting too high is a problem you fix before backing under it, not something you ignore.
4. When loading a trailer, it is important to:
- Place as little weight as possible over the axles.
- Place an appropriate amount of weight over the axles. ✓
- Not be concerned about how the weight is distributed.
- Only place weight over the axles.
Answer: B. Place an appropriate amount of weight over the axles.
When loading a trailer, place an appropriate amount of weight over the axles. The handbook says you must keep weights within legal limits, and states set maximums for axle weights. It also explains that poor weight balance makes handling unsafe: too much or too little weight on an axle can hurt steering or traction. So the load needs a proper amount of weight on the axles, not as little as possible and not with no attention to distribution.
5. Before entering a curve, you should:
- Upshift.
- Speed up.
- Drive on the shoulder.
- Downshift. ✓
Answer: D. Downshift.
Before entering a curve, you should downshift to the right gear. The handbook says to slow to a safe speed and shift into the correct lower gear before the curve. That way you have some power through the turn, which helps keep the vehicle stable, and you can speed up once you are out of the curve. The on-road section also says to reduce speed before the curve so you do not need to brake or shift while in it.
6. A driver should stop after a short distance after changing a tire to:
- Ensure that the wheel nuts are tight on the newly-changed tire. ✓
- Ensure that there is still enough air pressure in the tire.
- Ensure that the correct tire was changed.
- Ensure that changing one tire did not damage another tire.
Answer: A. Ensure that the wheel nuts are tight on the newly-changed tire.
Stop a short distance after changing a tire to recheck that the wheel nuts on the newly changed tire are tight. The handbook warns that rust around wheel nuts can mean the nuts are loose, and it gives a specific instruction for after a tire change: stop a short while later and recheck nut tightness. That supports checking the wheel nuts on the newly changed tire. The passage does not say to stop for air pressure, to confirm the correct tire was installed, or to check another tire for damage.
7. A one-way check valve:
- Drains the water and compressor oil from the air tanks.
- Prevents air from escaping if the air compressor has a leak. ✓
- Activates the emergency brakes when there is a leak.
- Holds the spring brakes in position until they are used.
Answer: B. Prevents air from escaping if the air compressor has a leak.
8. A trailer that is too high:
- May not couple correctly. ✓
- Will couple securely.
- Is not an issue.
Answer: A. May not couple correctly.
A trailer that is too high may not couple correctly. The handbook's coupling procedure tells you to check trailer height before backing under: the trailer should sit low enough that the tractor lifts it slightly as it slides underneath. The passage then states plainly that a trailer set too high may not couple correctly, so you raise or lower the trailer as needed before completing the hookup. The handbook gives the matching reason for a trailer set too low as well: the tractor can strike and damage the trailer nose.
9. Air tank drains:
- Allow rain water to enter the tanks.
- Are used to drain water and oil from the tanks. ✓
- Should never be opened.
- Must remain open while driving.
Answer: B. Are used to drain water and oil from the tanks.
Air tank drains are used to drain water and oil from the tanks. The handbook says compressed air carries some water and compressor oil, and these collect at the bottom of each air tank. Each tank has a drain valve in the bottom, and you drain the tanks completely; manual drains are opened by turning a quarter turn or pulling a cable, and automatic drains expel the water and oil. Draining matters because water can freeze in cold weather and cause brake failure. That is exactly what air tank drains are for, so the answer is the one about draining water and oil from the tanks.
10. During an applied leakage test, what is the maximum leakage rate that is safe for a single vehicle with air brakes?
- 10 psi in one minute
- 5 psi in one minute
- 3 psi in one minute ✓
Answer: C. 3 psi in one minute
The maximum safe leakage rate for a single vehicle in the applied leakage test is 3 psi in one minute. The handbook describes holding the foot brake for one minute and watching the air gauge. For a single vehicle, a drop of more than three pounds in that minute means the air loss rate is too high; the driver should check for leaks and fix them before driving. The vehicle inspection section repeats the same three-pound limit for a single vehicle after the gauge stabilizes. So three psi per minute is the largest acceptable drop, not ten or five.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook