- The rear of your vehicle
- All spaces around your vehicle are equally as important
- The sides of your vehicle
- The area ahead of your vehicle
Quote From Page 31 Of The CDL Manual:
Of all the space around your vehicle, it is the area ahead of the vehicle—the space you are driving into—that is most important. You need space ahead in case you must suddenly stop. According to accident reports, the vehicle that trucks and buses most often run into is the one in front of them. The most frequent cause is following too closely. Remember, if the vehicle ahead of you is smaller than yours, it can probably stop faster than you can. You may crash if you are following too closely.
- Avoiding excessive use of the service brakes
- All of these are ways to help avoid Brake Fade
- Making sure all brake linings are in good condition
- Properly calibrating slack adjusters
Quote From Page 68 Of The CDL Manual:
Excessive use of the service brakes results in overheating and leads to brake fade. Brake fade results from excessive heat causing chemical changes in the brake lining, which reduce friction and cause the expansion of the brake drums. As the overheated drums expand, the brake shoes and linings have to move further to contact the drums, and the force of this contact also is reduced. Continued overuse may increase brake fade until the vehicle cannot be slowed down or stopped at all.
- Have the jaws closed
- Be tilted down towards the rear of the tractor
- Be put in the manual lock position
- Be free of oil and grease
Quote From Page 75 Of The CDL Manual:
Inspect Fifth Wheel Check for damaged/missing parts.
- Check to see that mounting to tractor is secure, no cracks in frame, etc.
- Be sure that the fifth wheel plate is greased as required. Failure to keep the fifth wheel plate lubricated could cause steering problems because of friction between the tractor and trailer.
- Check if fifth wheel is in proper position for coupling:
- Wheel tilted down towards rear of tractor.
- Jaws open.
- Safety unlocking handle in the automatic lock position.
- If you have a sliding fifth wheel, make sure it is locked.
- Make sure the trailer kingpin is not bent or broken.
- Proper shipping name
- Identification number
- The amount of "outage" the product has (if a liquid product)
- Hazardous class or division number
Quote From Page 92 Of The CDL Manual:
The basic shipping description of a hazardous material on a shipping paper must include the (1) identification number (preceded by the letters UN or NA); (2) DOT proper shipping name; (3) hazardous class or division number of a product (must include subsidiary hazard class when required); and (4) packing group for a product in a roman numeric pattern (may precede with the letters PG).
TruckingTruth's Advice:
While it is solely the shippers responsibility to provide you with proper shipping papers, you must be certain all shipping papers are correct before leaving their facility. If there are any issues with the paperwork along your trip (DOT inspections, etc) it will cost you time and you can possibly be ticketed.
- On the dashboard
- Taped to the steering wheel
- On the driver's seat
- In the front glove box
Quote From Page 102 Of The CDL Manual:
Do not accept a hazardous materials shipment without a properly prepared shipping paper. A shipping paper for hazardous material must always be easily recognized. Other people must be able to find it quickly after an accident.
- Clearly distinguish hazardous material shipping papers from others by tabbing them or keeping them on top of the stack of papers.
- When you are behind the wheel, keep shipping papers within your reach (with your seat belt on) or in a pouch on the driver's door. They must be easily seen by someone entering the cab.
- When not behind the wheel, leave shipping papers in the driver's door pouch or on the driver's seat.
- Emergency response information must be kept in the same location as the shipping paper.
TruckingTruth's Advice:
It's good practice to keep hazardous materials shipping papers in the drivers side door pocket. This area is acceptable not only while driving, but also while parked.
- 2 feet
- 6 1/2 feet
- 3 feet
- It doesn't matter.
Quote From Page 12 Of The CDL Manual:
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Attach mechanisms used to secure the rear end of a roll-on/roll-off or hook lift container no more than two meters (6.5 feet) from the rear of the container.
- 0
- 100% of cargo weight.
- 20% of cargo weight.
- 50% of cargo weight.
Quote From Page 2 Of The CDL Manual:
Note: Friction mats, which are not marked by the manufacturer, are assumed to provide a resistance to horizontal movement equal to 50% of the cargo weight that is resting on the mat.
- The amount of hazardous materials shipped.
- The total weight of all classes of hazardous materials in your vehicle.
- The hazard class of materials
- The type of container the material is in
Quote From Page 94 Of The CDL Manual:
To decide which placards to use, you need to know:
- The hazard class of materials.
- The amount of hazardous materials shipped.
- The total weight of all classes of hazardous materials in your vehicle.
- 600 pounds of fuel
- 480 pounds of fuel
- 800 pounds of fuel
- 850 pounds of fuel
Quote From Page 0 Of The CDL Manual:
Number of miles travelled / miles per gallon = gallons of fuel burned off
TruckingTruth's Advice:
100 gallons x 8 pounds per gallon = 800 pounds of fuel burned off
- All of these are reasons to check side mirrors frequently
- It's one way to spot a tire fire
- Checking mirrors regularly helps to make sure a vehicle doesn't enter a blind spot unobserved
- When pulling a flatbed trailer, it will help determine if cargo is remaining secure
Quote From Page 26 Of The CDL Manual:
Use your mirrors to spot overtaking vehicles. There are "blind spots" that your mirrors cannot show you. Check your mirrors regularly to know where other vehicles are around you, and to see if they move into your blind spots.
Use the mirrors to keep an eye on your tires. It is one way to spot a tire fire. If you are carrying open cargo, you can use the mirrors to check it. Look for loose straps, ropes or chains. Watch for a flapping or ballooning tarp.