General Driving Knowledge — Texas
Texas CDL practice test: 429 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: 149 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 | Texas CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 149 (35% of 429 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 (149)
1. Bridges usually:
- Freeze, but only once the temperature drops significantly below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Freeze after other road surfaces freeze.
- Freeze before other road surfaces. ✓
- Have heaters to prevent them from freezing.
Answer: C. Freeze before other road surfaces.
Bridges usually freeze before other road surfaces do. The handbook lists bridges as one of the signs of a slippery road: when the temperature drops, a bridge will freeze before the road does. It adds that you should be especially careful when the temperature is close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, because that is when this is most likely to happen. So the surface you are on can lose traction on a bridge while the road on either side is still fine, which is why you slow down and stay alert on bridges in cold weather.
2. Multi-speed axles and auxiliary transmissions are used:
- To make a vehicle run more smoothly.
- To provide extra gears. ✓
- To get improved gas mileage.
- To make a vehicle less noisy.
Answer: B. To provide extra gears.
Multi-speed rear axles and auxiliary transmissions are used to provide extra gears. The handbook states this directly: these devices are used on many vehicles to give the driver more gear choices. It adds that you usually work them with a selector knob or switch on the main gearshift lever, that shift patterns vary a lot between vehicles, and that you should learn the correct shifting method for the specific vehicle you will drive. So the reason for the equipment is simply a bigger spread of gears, not smoothness, fuel economy, or noise.
3. If exiting a bus during the basic vehicle control skills test, you must:
- Keep both hands on the handrail.
- Not touch the handrail.
- Maintain a firm grasp on the handrail. ✓
- Rush down the stairs.
Answer: C. Maintain a firm grasp on the handrail.
You must maintain a firm grasp on the handrail when exiting a bus during the basic vehicle control skills test. The basic control skills section explains how you enter and exit the vehicle during the test. For a bus, it says to face forward and keep a firm grasp on the handrail while getting in or out. The examiner is checking that you exit safely, and the same section warns that an unsafe exit or entry can be treated as an unsafe act. The correct choice matches that bus-specific instruction: a firm grasp on the handrail, not a two-handed grip and not hurrying.
4. When driving a double, the lightest trailer should be placed:
- In the first position.
- In the middle position.
- In the rear position. ✓
- In any position.
Answer: C. In the rear position.
5. If a student drops an item near a stopped bus, they should:
- Hurry and pick up the item.
- Leave the item behind.
- Ask the driver to pick up the object. ✓
- Have another student pick it up.
Answer: C. Ask the driver to pick up the object.
6. When loading compressed gas, the liquid discharge valves should be:
- Closed.
- Greased.
- Open. ✓
- Removed.
Answer: C. Open.
When you are loading compressed gas, the liquid discharge valves should be open. The hazardous materials section on compressed gas says to keep liquid discharge valves on a compressed gas tank closed except during loading and unloading. Loading is the exception, so the valves stay open while product moves into the tank. The same passage ties this to transfer safety by telling you to shut the engine off after the transfer, before you unhook the hose. The tank vehicle section adds that you should confirm intake, discharge, and cut-off valves are in the correct position before loading, unloading, or moving.
7. When exiting your vehicle, you:
- Must maintain four points of contact with the vehicle.
- May turn to face the road before your exit is complete.
- Must be facing away from the vehicle.
- Must be facing the vehicle. ✓
Answer: D. Must be facing the vehicle.
When exiting your vehicle, you must be facing the vehicle. The handbook says that when you enter or exit, you must do it safely by facing the vehicle and keeping three points of contact at all times. It gives a separate rule for buses: face forward and keep a firm grasp on the handrail. For the vehicle exit in this question, facing the vehicle is the required body position. That is why the answer is to face the vehicle, not to turn toward the road or face away.
8. In Texas, a combination may be made up of no more than:
- One vehicle.
- Two vehicles.
- Three vehicles. ✓
- Five vehicles.
Answer: C. Three vehicles.
9. If a person commits two serious traffic violations within a three-year period, they will:
- Lose their CDL for at least one week.
- Lose their CDL for at least 30 days.
- Lose their CDL for at least 60 days. ✓
- Lose their CDL for at least two years.
Answer: C. Lose their CDL for at least 60 days.
You will lose your CDL for at least 60 days. The handbook lists excessive speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely, and certain other traffic offenses as serious traffic violations. It then states the disqualification period: committing two serious traffic violations within a three-year period involving a commercial motor vehicle means losing your CDL for at least 60 days. That matches the answer. The passage does not tie this two-violation situation to a shorter one-week or 30-day loss, and it does not give a two-year loss for it.
10. If you are transporting explosives and your vehicle breaks down, you may notify other drivers:
- With flares.
- With electric lights. ✓
- By standing on the roadway and waving your arms.
- By keeping the driver's side door open.
Answer: B. With electric lights.
You may warn other drivers with electric lights when your vehicle carrying explosives breaks down. The handbook says that if you break down, you should use reflective triangles or red electric lights as stopped vehicle signals. It also says never to use burning signals such as flares or fuses around a vehicle loaded with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives. That makes electric lights the correct warning method among the choices given.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook