Tanker Endorsement CDL Practice Test

CDL Test Practice Exams & CDL Training Materials

Passing the written portion of the CDL Test is not very difficult if you have the proper training materials. Below you will find links to a number of different free online CDL practice tests, along with other training materials to help you prepare for truck driving school or company-sponsored CDL training. To help you prepare for your CDL training, we also have:

1. Hauling liquids in tankers requires special care for two reasons. One reason is the ____ center of gravity that tankers have.

A. Wide
B. Flat
C. Low
D. High


⊞ Answer:

D. High

The higher the center of gravity, the easier a tractor trailer will tip. Dump trucks also tend to have a very high center of gravity.

2. You need to be extremely cautious when driving smooth bore tankers. This is especially true when you are:

A. Loading or unloading
B. Starting or stopping
C. Hauling milk or other food products
D. All of the above


⊞ Answer:

B. Starting or stopping

Smooth bore means that the tank has no baffles in it to keep the liquid from sloshing around. Food grade tankers are smooth bore. I drove one for a year one time and I liked it, but man does that stuff really slosh around!

3. The best way to take a curve with a tanker is to slow to a safe speed before entering the curve, then ____ as you go through it.

A. Downshift twice
B. Accelerate slightly
C. Brake lightly
D. All of the above


⊞ Answer:

B. Accelerate slightly

You just want to be lightly on the gas - assuming you're at a safe speed and will remain at one throughout the curve. Being on the gas slightly will keep power going to the drive tires which puts a bit of a load on them and helps them dig into the pavement a little better. That prevents a tractor jacknife and the soft, steady acceleration will keep the liquid more steady in the tank and keep too much liquid from coming to the front.

4. You should know the outage needed for the liquids you carry because:

A. Some liquids expand more than others when they get warm
B. Tank baffles are not always legal with outage
C. Some of the heaviest liquids do not need any
D. All of the above


⊞ Answer:

A. Some liquids expand more than others when they get warm

You would just have to be careful not to fill the liquid to the very top if you're going to be going from a cold to a hot weather climate or turning on your tank heater during the trip. It's rare that a liquid is so light that you can actually fill the tank to the top without being overweight though.

5. Baffles in liquid cargo tanks do not usually prevent the movement of surge from:

A. Front to back
B. Top to bottom
C. Side to side
D. All of the above


⊞ Answer:

C Side to side

Baffles help prevent front to back movement of the liquid.

6. How would you expect a truck with a cargo tank that has baffles to handle on the road?

A. There will be less front to back surge than there is in a tanker without baffles
B. The truck will seem heavier than it really is
C. The truck will handle the same as a tanker without baffles
D. All of the above


⊞ Answer:

A There will be less front to back surge than there is in a tanker without baffles

There are no baffles in food grade tankers because it is a health risk when it comes to getting the inside of the tank clean between loads.

7. Side to side surge can cause:

A. Suspension system failure
B. Over speeding
C. Roll over
D. None of the above


⊞ Answer:

C. Roll over

You have to be very careful going around turns and curves. Very careful!

8. The amount of liquid to load into a tank depends on:

A. The legal weight limits
B. The amount the liquid will expand in transit
C. Both of the above are true
D. None of the above are true


⊞ Answer:

C. Both of the above are true

You don't want to fill the tank full, even if you legally can, if the liquid is going to expand a lot during transport. This is not a common problem, though.

9. You are driving on a clear night. You must dim your headlights from high to low. You should adjust your speed so you can stop within:

A. The distance you can see ahead
B. The distance you will travel in the next 15 seconds
C. The length of a football field
D. The length of your vehicle


⊞ Answer:

A. The distance you can see ahead

Which isn't very far....

10. When your cargo tank has baffles, what handling effect do you expect?

A. There will be more slow surge than quick surge
B. There will be less side to side surge than there is in tanks without baffles
C. There will be less front to back surge than there is in tanks without baffles
D. None of the above


⊞ Answer:

C. There will be less front to back surge than there is in tanks without baffles

Remember, baffles do not prevent side to side surge.

11. Liquid tight separations between compartments inside tanks are called:

A. Bulkheads
B. Baffles
C. Barriers
D. None of the above


⊞ Answer:

A. Bulkheads

Bulkheads separate the liquid into compartments so that you can transport more than one type of liquid at a time.

12. You are driving a tank truck and the front wheels begin to skid. Which of these is most likely to occur?

A. Liquid surge will pull the tank from the truck
B. The truck will roll over
C. You will continue in a straight line and keep moving forward no matter how much you steer
D. All of the above


⊞ Answer:

C. You will continue in a straight line and keep moving forward no matter how much you steer

You do not have any directional control over a tire that is locked up.

13. Empty trucks:

A. May require longer stopping distances than full ones
B. Stop quicker when you use only the emergency or parking brake
C. Have better traction when stopping than full ones
D. All of the above


⊞ Answer:

A. May require longer stopping distances than full ones

This can be true in some cases - especially on real slick roads where the tires don't want to grip because there is so little weight on them and the brakes just keep wanting to lock them up.

14. When you load the small tanks of a cargo tank equipped with bulkheads, you should check your:

A. Water content
B. Weight distribution
C. Air to fuel ratio
D. None of the above


⊞ Answer:

B. Weight distribution

You have to make sure you axle weights remain legal if you have bulkheads. Without bulkheads, the liquid levels itself and you don't have to worry about axle weights.

15. Which of these statements about emergency steering and tankers is true?

A. A tanker is easier to counter steer than most vehicles
B. When making a quick steering movement, do not apply the brakes
C. You should wrap your thumbs around the steering wheel before starting a quick steering movement
D. None of the above


⊞ Answer:

B. When making a quick steering movement, do not apply the brakes

If you apply the brakes and steer hard at the same time you push way too much liquid to the front of the tank and risk a tractor jacknife from the surge.

New! "CDL Practice Test" Android Mobile App Available From TruckingTruth!

TruckingTruth's first mobile app is called "CDL Practice Test" and contains 565 challenging multiple choice questions straight out of the CDL manual. In fact, we've taken the same challenging questions we use in our High Road™ Training Program and packaged them up for quick access when you're on the go.

Our "CDL Practice Test" app covers the entire CDL permit exam and all of the endorsement exams. Each question includes a snippet from the CDL manual containing the answer, and as an added bonus we threw in some helpful advice from experienced drivers along the way. These practice questions will certainly challenge you and test your knowledge of the CDL manual. If you can do well on these questions, you're definitely ready for the CDL exams.

We hope you'll take a minute to check our our app. It's the best way to get a lot of practice in before test time!

CDL Practice Test Mobile App On Google Play

(iPhone/iPad version coming soon!)

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