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Louisiana Commercial Driver`s License Manual

1. eee ee T ee ee eee ee E E E E E E E E ee E E E O E E E E E E E Dan eee eee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee i a ee eee M ee eee ee m m e e a n Figure 6 1 6 1 4 Railroad highway Crossings Railroad highway crossin gs canal socau se problems particularly when pulling trailers with low underneath clearance These trailers can get stuck on raised crossings e Low slung units lo wboy car carrier moving van possum belly livestock trailer e Single axle tractor pulling a long trailer with its landing ge ar setto accommodate at andem axle tractor If for any reason you get stuck on the tracks get out of the vehicle and away from the tracks Check signposts o rsignalh ousing atthe crossin g for emergency notification i nformation Call9 110r other emergency number Give the location of the crossing using all identifiable landmarks especially the DOT number if posted Section 6 Combination Vehicles 6 1 5 Prevent Trailer Skids When the wheels of a trailer lock up the trailer will tend to swing around This is more likely to happen when the tra iler is empty or lightly loaded Thi s type of jackknife i
2. UN United Nations Page 9 20 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 10 SCHOOL BUSES This Section Covers Danger Zones and Use of Mirrors Loading and Unloading Emergency Exit and Evacuation Railroad highway Grade Crossings Student Management Antilock Braking Systems Special Safety Considerations Because state and local laws an dregul ations regulate s omuc h ofs chool transportation and school bus operations many of the proce dures in this s ection may differ fr om state to state You should be thoroughly fam iliar with the laws and regulations in your state and local school district 10 1 Danger Zones and Use of Mirrors 10 1 1 Danger Zones The danger zone is the area on all sides of the bus where children are in the most danger of being hit either by an other vehi cle or theiro wn bus The danger zones may extend as much as 30 feet from the front bu mper 10 fee t from the left and right sides of the busa nd1Ofeetbehin d there ar bumper of th e school bus In additio n the area to the left of the bus is always considered dangerous because of passing cars Figure 10 1 illust rates these danger zones 10 1 2 Correct Mirror Adjustment Proper adjustment and use of all mirrors is vital to the safe op eration of the school bus in orde rto observe the danger zone around the bus and look for students traffic and other objects in this area You shoul d always checke achm irrorb efore ope
3. Alcohol and Driving Drinking alcohol and then driving is very dangerous and a serious problem People who drink alcohol are involve d in traffic a ccidents resulting in ove r 20 000 deaths every year Alcohol imp airs muscle coordination reaction time depth perception and night vision It also affect s the pa rts of the brain that co ntrol judgment an d inhibitio n For some people one drink is all it takes to show signs of impairment How Alcohol Works Alcohol g oes directly into the blood stream and is carried to the brain After passing thro ugh the brai n a small p ercentage is removed in urine perspiration and by breathing while the rest is carried to the liver The liver can only pro cess one third an ounce of alcohol p er hour which is considerably less than the alcohol in a standard drink This is a fixed rate so only time not black coffee ora cold shower will sober you up If you have drin ks faster than you r body ca n get rid of them you will hav e more alcohol in your body and your driving will be more affected Th e Blood Alco hol Con centration BAC comm __ only measures the amount of alcohol in your body See Figure 2 22 All of the following drinks contain the same amount of alcohol e A 12 ounce glass of 5 beer e A5 ounce glass of 12 wine e A 1 1 2 ounce shot of 80 proof liquor Page 2 41 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual What Determines Blood Alcohol Concentration BAC is determ
4. Don t roll b ack when y ou start Yo u may hit someone behind you If you have amanu al transmission vehicle partly enga gethe clutch before you take your right foot off the brake Put on the parking brake when ever necessa ry to keep from rolling back Release the parking brake only when you have applied enough e ngine po wer to keep from rolling back Onatracto _ r trailer equipped with a trailer brake hand valve the hand valve can be applied to keep from rolling back Speed up smoothly and gradually so the vehicle does notje rk Roug h acceleration can cause mechanical damage When pulling a trailer roug h acceleration can damage the coupling Speed up very gradually when traction is poor as in rain or snow If youu se too much power the drive wheels may spin Y ou could lose control If the drive wheels begin to spin take your foot off the accelerator 2 2 2 Steering Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands Your hands should be on opposite sides of the wheel If you hit a curb or a pothole chuckhole the wheel could pull away from your hands unless you have a firm hold 2 2 3 Stopping Push the brake pedal down gradually The amount of brake pressure you need to stop the vehicle will depend o nthe spee dof the vehicl eandh ow quickly you n eed to sto p Control the p ressure so the vehicle comes toa smooth safe stop If you have aman ual tran smission pu sh t he clut ch in when the engine is close to
5. e Hinges should be secure with seals intact e Check that mirror s and mirror b rackets are not dama ged and are mo unted secure ly with no loose fittings Fuel Tank e Check that tank s are secure cap s are tight and that the re are no le aks from tan k s or lines Battery Box e Wherever located see that battery s a re secure connections are tight and cell caps are present e Battery connections should not sho w signs of excessive corrosion e Battery box and cover or door must be secure Drive Shaft e See that drive shaft is not bent or cracked e Couplings should be secure and free of foreign objects Exhaust System e Check system for damage and signs of leaks such as rust or carbon soot e Systemsh ould be connected tightl y and mounted securely Frame e Look for cracks broken welds hole s or other damage to the longitudi nal frame me mbers cross members box and floor 11 2 6 Rear of Vehicle Splash Guards e If equipped check that splash gua rds or mud flaps a ren ot damag ed and are mounted securely Page 11 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Doors Ties Lifts e Check that doors and hinges are not damaged and that th ey open close and lat ch properly from the outside if equipped e Ties straps chains and binders must also be secure e If equipped witha cargo lift look for leaking damaged or missing parts and explain how it should be checked for correct oper
6. If the lamp stays on after the bulb check or goes on on ce you are und er way you may have lost ABS control at one or more wheels Section 10 School Buses Remember i f your ABS malfunctions you still have regul ar bra kes Drive normally but get the system serviced soon 10 6 5 Safety Reminders e ABS won t allow you to drive fas ter follow more closely or drive less carefully e ABS won t prevent power or turning skids ABS should p revent bra ke induced skids but no t those caused by spinnin g the drive wh eels or going too fast in a turn e ABS won t necessarily shorten stopping distance A BS will hel p maintai n vehicle control but not always sho rten stopping distance e ABSwon tinc reaseordecreas e ultimate stopping power ABS is an add on to your normal brakes not a replacement for them e ABSwon t change the way you normally brake Unde r norm al bra ke conditions your vehicle will stop as it always stopped ABS only come s into play whena wheel wo uld normally have locked up beca use of over braking e ABS won t compensate for bad brakes or poor brake maintenance e Remember The be st vehicle safety fe ature is still a safe driver e Remember Drive so you never need to use your ABS e Remember If you need it ABS could help to prevent a serious crash 10 7 Special Safety Considerations 10 7 1 Strobe Lights Some sch ool busesa reequipp ed with ro of mounted white stro
7. inches e Leaksi ntheen gine compartment fuel coolant oil powe r stee ring fluid hydrauli c fluid battery fluid e Cracked worn electrical wiring insulation Section 2 Driving Safely Loweran dsecu reh ood cab orengin e compartment door Step 3 Start Engine and Inspect Inside the Cab Get In and Start Engine e Make sure parking brake is on e Put gearshift in neutral or park if automatic e Start engine listen for unusual noises Look at the Gauges e Oil pressure Should come up to normal within seconds after engine is started See Figure 2 5 e Air pressure Pressure should build from 50 to 90 psi within 3 minutes e Ammetera nd or voltmet er Should be in normal range s e Coolant temperatu re Sh ould begi n grad ual rise to normal operating range e Engine oil te mperature Should begin gradual rise to normal operating range e Warning lig htsa ndb uzzers Oil coolant charging ci rcuit warning and antilo ck bra ke system lights should go out right away Check Condition of Controls Check all of the following for loose ness sticki ng d amage o r improper setting e Steering wheel e Clute h e Accelerator gas pedal e Brake controls gt Foot brake gt Trailer brake if vehicle has one gt Parki ng brake gt Retarder controls if vehicle has them e ran smission controls e Interaxle differential lock if vehicle has one eH orn s e Wind shield wiper washer e Lights
8. release cl utch increa se engine spee d to mat ch road speed and try again Knowing When to Shift Up There are two ways of knowing when to shift Use Engine Speed rpm Study the drive r s manual for your ve hicle and I earn th e op erating rom rang e Watch your t achometer and shift up when your e ngine reaches the top of the range Some n ewer vehicles use pro gressive shifting the rom at which you shift becomes higher as you move up in the gears Find out what s right for the vehicle you will operate Use Road Speed mph Learn what speeds each gear is good for Then by using the speedometer you ll know when to shift up With either method you may learn to use e ngine sounds to know when to shift Basic Procedures for Shifting Down e Release accelerator push in clutch and shift to neutral at the same time e Rele ase clutch e Press accelerator in crease engine and gear speed to the rpm required in the lower gear e Pushin clutch and shift to lower gear atthe same time e Release clut ch and p ress accelerator at the same time e Downshifting like u pshifting requires knowing when to shift Use either the tac hometer or the Page 2 9 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual speedometer and downshift at the right rom or road speed Special conditions where you should downshift are Before Starting Down a Hill Slow down and shift down to a speed that you can control without using the bra
9. tractor protection valve and set the spring brakes at the same time EMERGENCY SPRING BRAKE RELEASE PULL TO APPLY BRAKES RELEASE PULL TO APPLY PUSH TO HOLD TRACTOR PROTECTION are PULL TO APPLY S PUSH AND PARKING BRAKES PULL TO APPLY PARKING BRAKES YELLOW PUSH TO RELEASE Figure 5 3 On newer vehicles the malfunction lamp comes on at start u p fora bulb ch eck and the n goes out quickly On older sy stems the lamp could stay on until you are driving over five mph If the lamp stays on after the bulb check or goes on once you are und er way you may have lost ABS control at one or more wheels In the case o f towed units manufactu red before it was required by the Department of Transportation it may be difficult to tell if the unit is equipped with ABS Look under the vehicl e forthe elect ronic control unit ECU and wheel speed sensor wires coming from the back of the brakes ABS is an addition to your normal brakes It does not decrea se or increa se your normal bra king capability ABS only acti vates when wheels are about to lock up ABS does not necessarily shorten your stopping distance but it does help you ke ep the vehicle under control during hard braking Page 5 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual AIR BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND LOCATION SINGLE CIRCUIT SYSTEM Hand valve Highway Valve Ay J x P ressure Gauge Z CEN Low Pressure Main Reservoirs
10. vehicle Box has secure cover Battery ies secured against movement Battery ies not broken or leaking Fluid in battery ies at proper level except maintenance free type Cell caps present and securely tightened except maintenance free type Vents in cell caps free of foreign material except maintenance free type Vv Vv VVVNVN WV Step 6 Check Signal Lights Get In and Turn Off Lights e Turn off all lights e Turn on stop lights apply trailer hand brake or have a helper put on the brake pedal e Turn on left turn signal lights Get Out and Check Lights e Left front turn signal light clean operating and proper color amber or white on signals facing the front e Left rear turn signal light and both stop lights clean operating and proper color red yellow or amber Get In Vehicle e Turn off lights not needed for driving Section 2 Driving Safely e Check for all required p apers trip ma nifests permits etc e Secure alllo ose articles in cab they might interfere with ope ration of the controls or hit you in a Crash e Start the engine Step 7 Start the Engine and Check Test for Hydraulic Leaks Ifthe vehicl ehas hydraulic b rakes pu mp the brake _ pedal th ree times Then apply firm pressure to the pedal and hold for five seconds The pedal should not move If it does there may b e aleak or other problem Get it fixed before d riving If the vehicle ha s air brakes do the
11. 1 001 Pounds Or More Category of Material Hazard class or division number and additional Placard Name description as appropriate 4 2 Spontaneously Spontaneously Combustible Combustible 5 1 Oxidizers Oxidizer 5 2 other than organic peroxide Type B liquid or solid Temperature Controlled Organic Peroxide Poison 6 2 Infectious Substances 9 Miscellaneous Hazardous Di Class 9 Materials ORM D None E FLAMMABLE may be used in place of a COMBUSTIBLE on a cargo tank or portable tank 6 1 other than inhalation hazard zone A or B Class 9 Placard is not required for domestic transportation Figure 9 8 Placards used to identify the primary or s ubsidiary hazard class of a materia must have the hazard class or division n umber displaye d in the lowe r corner of the placa rd Permane ntly affixed subsidiary h azard pl acards with out the ha zard class number may be use d as lo ng as they stay within col or specifi cations No n permanently affixed sub sidiary h azard placards without the hazard class number may be used until October 1 2005 Placards may be displayed for hazardous materials even ifnot req uired solong asthepla card identifies th e hazard ofthe material bei ng transported A bulk p ackagingisa_ single contai ner witha capacity of 119 gallon s or more A bulk packa ge and a vehicle transporting a bulk package must be placarded e ven ifitonl yhasth e resid ueof a Page 9 9
12. 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual hazardous m aterial Certa in bulk packages only have to be placarded on the two opposite sides or may display labels All other bul k packages must be placarded on all four sides Subsections 9 1 9 2 and 9 3 Test Your Knowledge 1 Shippers package in order to fill in the blank the material 2 Driver placard their vehicle to fill in the blank the risk 3 What three thing s do you need to kn ow to decide which placards if any you need 4 A haza rdous mate rials identification number mu st appea r on the fill in the blank and on the fillin the blank T he identification number must also app ear on cargo tanks and other bulk packaging 5 Where mu st you keep ship ping pa pers describing hazardous materials These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 9 1 9 2 an d 9 3 9 4 Loading and Unloading Do all yo u can to prote ct containers of hazard ous materials Dont usean y tools wh ich might damage co ntainers or other pa ckaging duri ng loading Don t use hooks 9 4 1 General Loading Requirements Before loading or unloading set the parking brake Make sure the vehicle will not move Should have tire chocks available Many pr oducts become mo reh azardous when exposed to h eat Load hazardous materials away from heat sources Watch for signs of leaking or damaged containers LEAKS SPELL TROUBLE Do no
13. 4301 Wilson Boulevard Suite 400 Arlington Virginia 22203 1867 tel 703 522 4200 fax 703 522 1553 Web www aamva org
14. 6 What po sition should students be in f ront of the bus before they cross the roadway T Under what condition s must you evacu ate the bus 8 How far from the neare st rail sh ould you stop at a highway rail crossing 9 What i s a p assive high way rail crossing Why should you be extra cautious at this type of crossing 10 How should you u se your b rakes if you r vehicle is equipped with antilock bra kes ABS These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read Section 10 Page 10 11 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Test This Section Covers e Internal Inspection e External Inspection During the pre trip inspection you must show that the vehicle is safe to drive You may have to walk around the vehicle to touch each item and explain to the examiner what you are checking and why Most of the items list edare standard on mo st vehicles If your vehicle does noth ave any of these items you must ve rbalize to th e examiner what the proper technique of inspecting the item is 11 1 All Vehicles Study the followin g vehicl e parts for t he type of vehicle you will be usi ng during the CDL skills tests You should be able to identify each part and tell the exa minerwhat you arelo okingfor or inspecting 11 1 1 Engine Compartment Engine Off Leaks Hoses e Look for puddles on the ground e Look for dripping fluids on underside
15. Also reme mber that if you steer quickly while braking your vehicle may roll over 8 3 3 Curves Slow down before curves then a ccelerate slig htly though the curve The posted speed fora curve may be too fast for a tank vehicle 8 3 4 Stopping Distance Keep in min d how much space you need to stop your vehicle Remember that wet roads double the normal sto pping di stance Empty tank ve hicles may take longer to stop than full ones 8 3 5 Skids Don t over steer over accelerate or over brake If you do your vehicle m ay skid On tan k trailers if your drive wheels or trail er wh eels be gin to ski d your vehicl e may jackkn ife When a ny vehicle starts to ski d you must take action to restore traction to the wheels Page 8 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual NO er Section 8 Test Your Knowledge How are bulkheads different than baffles Should ata nk vehi cle t ake curves on ramps or off ramp s atthe poste d speed limits How are sm ooth bore tankers different to drive than those with baffles What thre e thing s determ ine how m uch liquid you can load What is outage How can you help control surge Whatt wo reasons ma ke spe cial care necessary when driving tank vehicles These questions may b e on the test f you can t answer them all re read Section 8 Section 8 Tank Vehicles Page 8 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 9 HAZARDOU
16. CDL knowledge test for driving a tank vehicle You should also study Sectio ns 2 5 and 6 A tank endorsement is requi red for ce rtain vehicl es that transport liquids or ga ses The liquid o r gas do es not have to bea ha zardous material Atan k endorsement is only required if your vehicle needs a Class Aor B CDL and you want to h aul a liq uid or ga seous materials ina permanently mounted cargo tan k rated at11 9gallonsor more ora portable tank rated at 1 000 gallons or more Before oading unlo ading or drivingatan ker inspect the vehicle Thi smake s su re that the vehicle is safe to carry the liquid or gas and is safe to drive 8 1 Inspecting Tank Vehicles Tank vehicles have special items that you need to check Ta nk vehicl es co me in many types and sizes Youn eed to che ck the vehicle s ope rator manual to m ake sure you kno w ho w to inspect your tank vehicle 8 1 1 Leaks On all ta nk vehicles the most im portant item to check for is leaks Check under a nd around the vehicle for signs of any leaking Don t carry liquids or gases in a leaking tank To do so is a crime You will be cited and preve nted from drivi ng furthe r You may also be liable for the clean up of any spill In general check the following e Check the tank s body or shell for dents or leaks e Check the intake di scharge and cut off valves Make sure the valves are in the correct position befo re lo ading unloading or moving th
17. Commercial Driver s License Light Vehicle Age Requirements 18 years or above for intrastate and 21 years or above for interstate Permits the operation of any vehicle wit hin Classes D and E with any appropriate endorsement s plus any single vehicle le ss than 26 001 pounds GVWR or such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10 000 pounds GVWR This group includes v _ ehicles designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver and which are not within the definition of a Group A or B vehicle and vehicles used in the transportation of plac arded amounts of hazardous materials R S 32 408 B 2 d and 405 1 Class D Chauffeurs Driver s License Age Requirements 17 years or above Permits the operation of all vehicles included in Class E plus any single motor vehicle used in commerce to transport passengers or proper ty if the motor vehicle has a gros s vehicle weight rating of 10 001 or more pounds but less than 26 001 pounds or_ any combination of vehicles used in commerce to transport passenger s or property if the vehicle has a combined vehicle weight rating of 10 001 or more pounds but less than 26 001 pounds inclusive of a towed un it with a gross vehic le weight ra ting of more than 10 000 pounds or any v ehicle designed or utilized for the transportation of passengers for hire or fee and not utilized in the transportation of materials found t obehaz ardous under the provisions of the Hazardous Materials
18. Find out whe re you ca n get your own copy to use on the job The regulations require training and testing for all drivers inv olved in tran sporting hazard ous materials Your employero ra de signated representative is req uired to provide this traini ng and testing Ha zardous ma terials em ployers are required to keep a record of that traini ng on each employee as long as that employee is working with hazardous m aterials and for 90 days there after The re gulations requi re th at haza rdous material s employees b e traine d an d tested at east on ce every two years By March 24 2006 all d rivers must be trained i n the security ri sks ofha zardous materi als transportation This trainin g must inclu de how to recognize and respond to possible security threats The regul ations also re quire thatd rivers have specialt rainingb efore driving avehicl e transporting certai n flammable gas material s o r highway route controlled quantitie s of radio active materials In addition dri vers tra nsporting carg o tanks and p ortable tanks must receive specialized training Ea ch driver s e mployero r hiso rhe r designated rep resentative mustp rovide su ch training Some locations require permits to transport certain explosives or bulk hazardous waste s States and counties also may require drivers to follow spe cial hazardous material s route s Thefed eral government may require permits or exemptions for Page 9 1 2005 Commerci
19. Hav e the fault fixed by a mechanic 5 1 7 The Brake Pedal You put on the brakes by pushing down the brake pedal It is also called the foot valve or treadle valve Pushi ng the peda downha rder appli es more air pressure Letting up on th e brake p edal reduces the air pressure and releases the bra kes Releasing the brakes lets some compressed air go out of the system so the air pressure in the tanks is redu ced It mustb emad eu pbytheai r compressor Pressing and rel easing the pedal unnecessarily can letai r out faster than the compressor can replace it If the p ressure gets too low the brakes won t work 5 1 8 Foundation Brakes Foundation b rakes are used at ea ch wheel The most common type is the s cam drum brake The parts of the brake are discussed below Brake Drums Shoes and Linings Brake drums are located on each end of the vehicle s axles The wheels are boltedtoth edrum s T heb raking mechanism is inside the drum To stop the b rake shoes and linings are pushed against the inside of the drum T his cau ses friction which slows the vehicle and creates heat The heata drum can take without damage d epends on how hard and how long the brakes are used Too much heat can make the brakes stop working S cam Brakes When you push the b rake pedal air is etinto each brak e cham ber Air pressu re Section 5 Air Brakes pushes the rod out moving the slack adjuster thus twisting the brake ca
20. L oad the m onto an even floo r surface Stack carboys only if the lowe r tiers can bear the weight of the upper tiers safely Do not load nitric acid above any other product Section 9 Hazardous Material Load charged storage batteries so their liquid won t spill Keep t hem rig ht side up Ma ke sure othe r cargo won t fall against or short circuit them Never load corrosive liquids next to or above e Division 1 4 Explosives C Division 4 1 Flammable Solids Division 4 3 Dangerous When Wet Class 5 Oxidizers Division 2 3 Zone B Poisonous Gases Never load corrosive liquids with e Division 1 1 or 1 2 Explosives A Division 1 2 or 1 3 Explosives B Division 1 5 Blasting Agents Division 2 3 Zone A Poisonous Gases Division 4 2 Spontane ously Co mbustible Materials e Division 6 1 PGI Zone A Poison Liquids Class 2 Compressed Gases Including Cryogenic Liquids If your vehi cle d oesn t have racks to hold cylinders the cargo space floor must be flat The cylinders must be eH eld upright e In racks atta ched to the vehicleo rin boxes that will keep them from turning over Cylinders may be loa ded in ah orizontal po sition lying down if it is designed so the relief valve is in the vapor space Division 2 3 Poisonous Gas or Division 6 1 Poisonous Materials Never trans port thes e materials in contain ers with intercon nections Neverlo ada pa ckagela beled POISON or POISO
21. Locking ja ws around the sh ank not the head of kingpin gt Release arm prop erly se ated and safety latch lock engaged e Check fifth wheel upper gt Glide pl ate securely mo unted to tra iler frame gt Kingpin not damaged Air and electric lines to trailer gt Electricalco rd firmly pl uggedina_ nd secured gt Air lines properly connected to glad hands no air leaks properly secured with enough Slack for turns gt Alllines free from damage e Sliding fifth wheel gt Slide not damaged or parts missing gt Prope rly greased gt Alllocking pins present and ocked in place gt If air powered no air leaks gt Check that fifth wheel is not s o far forward that tractor frame will hit anding gear or cab hit the trailer during turns Landing Gear e Fully rai sed no missin g parts n ot bent or otherwise damaged e Crank handle in place and secured e f power operated no air or hydraulic leaks Double and Triple Trailers e Shut off valves at rear of trailers in service and emergency lines gt Rear of front trailers OPEN gt Rear of last trailer CLOSED gt Converter dolly airtan kd rain val ve CLOSED Page 7 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Be sure air lines are supported and glad hands are properly connected e f spare tire is carried on converter gear dolly make sure it s secured e Be sure pintle eye of doll y is in place in pintle hook of trailer s
22. Safety Valve Tractor Parking Brake Valve Blue Emergency Valve Tractor arkin a nd E mergency rake Va Y liow J Trailer Brake Chamber Quick R elease Valve l I I I I l l I I I I Trailer l l Reservoir i Trailer l fe I I I I g Br r Ive I l 1 Service l Kel eat fs ES Te Parking Maxi Brake Tractor Protection emergency Emergency ands Spring Brake Relay Valve Figure 5 4 Subsection 5 1 Test Your Knowledge 1 Why must air tanks be drained 2 What is a supply pressure gauge used for 3 All vehicles with air brakes mu st have a low air pressure warning signal True or False 4 What are spring brakes 5 Front wheel brakes a re good und er all conditions True or False 6 Howd oyo ukno wif your vehi cle is equipped with antilock brakes These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsection 5 1 5 2 Dual Air Brake Most h eavy duty vehicle su sed ualairb rake systems for safety A dual air brake systemh as two separate air brake systems which use a single set of brake controls Each system has its own air Section 5 Air Brakes tanks hoses lines etc One sy stem t ypically operates th e regul ar b rakes on th e re ar axleo r axles The other system ope rates the reg ular brakes on th e front axle and possibly one rea r axle Both systems supply air to the trailer if there i
23. The weight of a packaging plus the weight of its contents Hazard class The cate gory of haza rd assigned toahaza rdous mate rialunderthe definitional criteria of Part 173 and the provisions of the Sec 172 101 Table A materi al may meet t he defining criteria for more than one h azard class b utis assigned to only one hazard class Hazardous materials A s ubstance or ma terial which has b een determined by th e S ecretary of Transportation tob e capableof posing an unreasonable risk to health safety an d prope rty when tran sported in co mmerce a nd whi ch has been so designated The term in cludes hazardous substances hazardous wastes marine pollutants elevated te mperature materials an d material s designated ash ___ azardous in the hazard ous materials tab le of 17 2 101 andm aterials that meet the defining criteria for hazard cl asses and divisions in 173 subchapter c of this chapter Hazardous substance A material including its mixtures and solutions that 1 Is listed in Appendix A to Sec 172 101 2 Isin a quantity in one package which equals or ex ceeds there portable q uantity RQ listed in Appendix A to Sec 172 101 and 3 When ina mixture or solution i For radionuclides conforms to paragrap h 7 of Appendix A to Sec 172 101 ii For othe rthan ra dionuclides isin a concentration by weight which eq uals or exceeds t he con centration co rresponding to the RQo fthe material as sh
24. broken or missing mounting brackets clamps bolts or nuts e Exhaust syst em part s ru bbing ag ainst fuel system pa rts tires or ot her moving parts of vehicle e Exhaust system parts that are leaking Emergency Equipment Vehicles mustb equipped with emergency equipment Look for e Fire extinguisher s e Spare electrical fu ses u nless e quipped with circuit breakers e Warning de vices forp arkedve hicles for example three reflective warning triangles Cargo Trucks You must make su re the truck i s not overlo aded and th e cargo i s bal anced and secured before e ach trip Ifthe ca rgo co ntains hazardous m aterials you must in spect for pro per papers and placarding 2 1 4 CDL Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Test In order to o btaina CDL you will be required to pass a pre trip vehicle inspection test You will be tested to see if you kno w whether your vehicle i s safe to drive You willbe asked todoa pre trip inspection of your vehicl e and expla into the examiner wh at you woul d insp ect and why The following seven step inspection method should be useful Page 2 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 2 1 5 Seven step Inspection Method Method of Inspection You should do ap re trip inspection the same way eachtime soyou will learn allthe step sand be le ss li kely to forget something Approaching the Vehicle Notice gen eral condition L ook for d amage or vehi cle leani ng to on
25. e Make sure surface of parking area can support weight of trailer e Have tractor lined up with the trailer Pulling out at an angle can damage landing gear Step 2 Ease Pressure on Locking Jaws e Shut off trailer air supply to lock trailer brakes e Ease pressure on fifth wheel lockin g jaws by backing up gently This will help you release the fifth wheel locking lever e Put parking brakes on while tractor is pushing against the king pin Thi s will hold rig with pressure off the locking jaws Step 3 Chock Trailer Wheels e Chock the trailer wheel s if the trailer doe sn t have spring brakes or if you re not su re The air could le akoutoft he traile rai r tank releasing its emergency bra kes Without chocks the trailer could move Step 4 Lower the Landing Gear e If trailer is empty lower the landing gear until it makes firm contact with the ground e If trailer is loaded after the landing gear makes firm contact with the ground turn crank in low gearafe w extraturns This willliftsom e weight off the tractor Do not lift trailer off the fifth wheel This will gt Make it easier to unlatch fifth wheel gt Make tt easier to couple next time Step 5 Disconnect Air Lines and Electrical Cable e Disconnect air lin es from traile r Connect air line glad hands to dummy couplers at back of cab or couple them together e Hang electrical cable with plug d own to prevent moisture from entering it e Make
26. rele ase the bra kes Thi s appl ication should last for about three seconds e When your speed has increased to your safe speed repeat steps 1 and 2 For example if your safe speed is 4 0 mph you would nota _ pply the brake s until your spee d reaches 40 mph You now apply the brakes hard enough to gradually reduce your speed to 35 mph and then release the brakes Repeat this as often as necessary until you have reached the end of the downgrade 5 4 7 Low Air Pressure Figure 5 6 5 4 5 Brake Fading or Failure Brakes are designed so b rake shoes or pad s rub against the brake drum or disks to slow the vehicle Braking creates heat but brakes are designed to take a lot of heat However brakes can fade or fail from ex cessive heat caused by u sing them too much and not relying on the engine braking effect Excessive use ofthe service brake s results in overheating and le ads to brake fad e Brake fad e results from excessive heat cau sing chemi cal changes in t he brake lining which reduce friction and also cau sing expan sion of th e brake drums As the overheated drums expand the brake shoes and lining s have to move farther to conta ct the drums andthe force oft his contact is redu ced Continued overuse may in crease brake fade until the vehicle cannot be slowed down or stopped Section 5 Air Brakes If the low air pressure warning comes on stop and safely park your vehicle as soon as possibl
27. ten feetof cargo Make sure you ha ve enou gh Page 3 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual tiedowns to meet this need No m atter how small the cargo it should have at least two tiedowns There ar e specialr equirements fors ecuring various heavy pieces of metal Find out what they are if you are to carry such loads 3 3 3 Header Boards Front end h eader boa rds he adache ra cks protect you from your carg o in case of a crash or emergency stop Make sure the front end structure is in good condition The front end structure should block th e fo rward move ment of any ca rgo you Carry 3 3 4 Covering Cargo There are two basic reasons for covering cargo e To protect people from spilled cargo e To protect the cargo from weather Spill protecti on i s a safe ty requi rement in ma ny states Be familiar with the laws in the states you drive in You should look at your cargo covers in the mirrors from time to time while driving A flapping cover can tear loose uncovering the cargo and possibly block your view or someone else s 3 3 5 Sealed and Containerized Loads Containerized load s ge nerally a re used wh en freight is carried part way by rail or ship Delivery by truck occurs at the beginning and or end of the journey Some contain ers have their o wn tiedown devices or locks that attach directly to a special frame Others h ave to b e loa ded on to flat be d trailers They must be properly se
28. the safe st speed is the spee dofo ther vehi cles Vehicle s going the same direction at the same speed are not likely to run into one another In m any states speed limits are lower for trucks and buses than for cars Itcan varyasmuchas 15 mph Use extra caution when you cha nge lanes or p ass on the se roadways Drive at the sp eed of the traffic if you Page 2 15 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual can with out going at an illegalorun safe speed Keep a safe following distance The main reason drivers exceed speed limit is to save time B ut anyone t rying to drive faster than the speed of traffic will not be able to save much time The risks involved are not worth it If you go faster than the speed of other traffic you ll have to keep pa ssing o ther ve hicles T his inc reases the chance of a cra sh and itis more tirin g Fatigue increases the chance of acrash Going with th e flow of traffic is safer and easier 2 6 6 Speed on Downgrades Your vehicle s speed will increase on downgrades because of g ravity Your most important objective is to select and maintain a speed that is n ot too fast for the e Total weight of the vehicle and cargo e Length of the grade e Steepness of the grade eR oad conditions e Weath er Ifa spee dlimitispo sted orthe re isa sign indicating M aximum Safe Speed nev er ex ceed the speed shown Also look for and heed warning signs indicating the len gth and steepness of
29. 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual BACKING A TRAILER Figure 6 5 Look at Your Path Look at your li ne of travel before you begin Get ou t and wal k around the vehicle Check yo ur clearance to th e side s and overhead in and near the path of your vehicle Use Mirrors on Both Sides Check the outside mirrors on b oth side s fre quently Get out of the vehicle and re inspect your path if you are unsure Back Slowly This will let you make corrections before you get too far off course Correct Drift Immediately As soon as you see the trailer getting off the p roper path correct it by turning the topofthe steering wheelinth e direction of the drift Pull Forward When backing a trailer make p ull ups to re position your vehicle as needed Section 6 Combination Vehicles Subsection 6 1 Test Your Knowledge 1 What two thi ngs are im portant to prevent rollover 2 When yout urn suddenly while p ulling doubles which trailer is most likely to turn over 3 Why should you not u se the traile r hand brake to straighten out a jackknifing trailer 4 What is offtracking 5 When you back a trailer you sh ould position your vehicle so you can back in a curved path to the driver s side True or False 6 What type of trailers can get stuck on railroad highway crossings These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsection 6 1 6 2 Combination Vehicle Ai
30. Air brakes are discussed in Section 5 e Loss of hydraulic pressure e Brake fade on long hills Loss of Hydraulic Pressure When the system won t build up pressure the b rake p edal will fe el spongy or g o to the floor Here are some thin gs you can do Downshift Putting the v ehicle into a lower gear will help to slow the vehicle Pump the Brakes Sometimes pumping the brake pedal will generate en ough hydraulic pressure to stop the vehicle Use the Parking Brake The parking or emergency b rake is separate from th e hyd raulic brake system Therefore it can be used to slow the vehicle However be sure to p ress t he relea se button or p ull the relea se lever at the same time you use the emergency brake so you can adjust the brake pressure and kee p the wh eels from locking up Find an Escape Route While slowing the vehicle look for an escape route an open field side street or e scape ramp Turning uphill is a good way to slow and stop the vehi cle Make sure the vehicle does not start rolling ba ckward after you stop Put itinlow gear ap ply the parkin g b rake an d if necessary roll ba ck into so me obstacle that will stop the vehicle Brake Failure on Downgrades Going slo w enough an d bra king properly will alm ost always prevent b rake failure on ong do wngrades Once the brakes h ave failed however you are going to have to look outside your vehicle for something to stop it Your best hope is an es
31. Ammonium Picrate Spontaneously Wetted Combustible White Phosphorus Spontaneously Sodium Combustible When Wet Oxidizers Ammonium Nitrate Organic Peroxides Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide Poison Toxic Material Infectious Anthrax Virus Substances Potassium Cyanide Polychlorinated Hazardous Materials Biphenyls PCB Regulated Material Medici i edicines Domestic Fuel Oil Figure 9 1 Section 9 Hazardous Material A ship ping pap er describesth eha zardous materials being transported Shipping orders bills of lading an d manife sts are all shipping pa pers Figure 9 6 shows an example shipping paper After an acci dent or ha zardous mate rials spill or leak you may be injured a nd unable to communicate the hazards of the materials you are transporting Firefighters and police can prevent or reduce th e amount of d amage or in jury at the scene if they know what hazardous materials are being carried Your life and the lives of others may depe nd on qui ckly locatin g the hazardous materials shipping pa pers Fo rthat reason th e rules require e Shippers to de scribeh azardous m aterials correctly and include an emergency response telephone number on shipping papers e Carriers and drivers to put tabs on hazardous materials shipping papers or keep them on top of other shipping papers and keep the required emergency respon se inf ormation wit h the shipping papers e Drivers to ke ep hazardous materials shi
32. Bus Level Air Leaks e See thatthe vehicle is sitting level f ront and rear and if air equipped check for audible air leaks from the suspension system Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Fuel Tank s e See that fuel tank s a re secure and caps are tight with no leaks from tank s or lines Compartments e Check that baggage andalloth er exterior compartment doors are n ot damaged operate properly and latch securely Battery Box e Wherever located see that battery s a re secure connections are tight and cell caps are present e Battery connections should not sho w signs of excessive corrosion e Check that battery box and cover or door is not damaged and is secure 11 5 4 Remainder of Coach Transit Bus Remainder of Vehicle e Please refer to Se ction 11 2 of this manual for detailed inspection pro cedures reg arding the wheels Remember the pre trip inspection test must be passed before you can proceed to the basic vehicle control skills test Page 11 7 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Combination Vehicles Front of Velucle Lights Reflectors Engme Compartment amp steenng Components steenng xe Suspension Brakes Tires Drrer Door Fuel Area Under Velucle e Dre Shaft Exhaust e Frame Dire Axles ae Suspension Brakes Tires Coupling Devices Trick Trailer Rear of TruckTractor amp Lights Reflectors Trawler Components Front
33. Combination Vehicles ABS does not necessarily shorten your stopping distance but it does help you ke ep the vehicle under control during hard braking ABS helps you avoid wheel loc k up The computer senses im pending locku p redu ces th e braki ng pressure to a safe level and you maintain control Having ABS on only the trailer or even on only one axle still gives you more control over th e vehicle during braking When only the trailer has ABS the tr ailer is less likely to swing out but if you lose steering control or start a tra ctor jackknife let up on th e brakes if you can Safely do so until you gain control When you drive a tractor trailer combination with ABS you should brake as you always have In other words e Use only the braking force necessary to stop safely and stay in control e Brake the same way re gardless of whether you have ABS on the trac tor the trailer or both e As you slow down moni tor your tra ctor and trailer and back off the brakes if it is safe to do so to stay in control Remember i f your ABS malfunctions you still have regul ar bra kes Drive normally but get the system serviced soon ABS won t allow you to drive fas ter follow more closely or drive less carefully 6 4 Coupling and Uncoupling Knowing how to couple a nd uncouple correctly is basic to safe op eration of co mbination vehi cles Wrong coupling an dun coupling can beve ry dangerous General couplin
34. Hazardous Substances and Reportable Quantities The DOT and the EPA want tok now about spills of ha zardous su bstances They a re named in th e List of Ha zardous Sub stances and Reportable Quantities See Figure 9 5 Column 3 of the list shows each product s reportable quantity RQ When these materials are being transporte d in a reportable quantity or greater in one package the shipper displays the letters RQ on the shipping paper and package The letters RQ may appear before or after the basic description You or your employer must report any spill of th ese materials which occurs in a reportable quantity If the words INHALATION HAZARD appear on the shipping pa perorpa ckage the rul es req uire display of the POISON NHALATION HAZARD or POISON GA S placa rds asa ppropriate These placards mu stbeu sedin addition to other placards which may be required by the product s hazard cl ass Always display the h azard class placard and the POISON INHALATIO N HAZA RD placard even for small amounts Appendix B to 49 CFR 172 101 Marine Pollutants Appendix B i s a listing of chemicals that are toxic to marine life For hi ghway transportation this li st is only use d for chemi cals in a contai ner witha Section 9 Hazardous Material capacity of 119 gallons or more without a placard or label as specified by the HMR Any bulk pa ckages ofa Marine Poll utant must display the Marine Pollutant marking white triangle with a fi
35. On Road Driving serrer 13 1 Louisiana has 5 classes of driver s license R S 32 408 B 2 a and 405 1 Class A Commercial Driver s License Combination Vehicles Age Requirements 18 years or above for intrastate and 21 years or above for interstate Permits the operation of all vehicles within Classes B C D and E wit h any appropriate endorsements and any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26 001 pounds or more provided that the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of 10 000 pounds NOTE If the pulling unit of the combination vehicle is 26 000 pounds or less a restriction 55 No 18 wheelers must be added to the license R S 32 408 B 2 b and 405 1 Class B Commercial Driver s License Heavy Straight Vehicle Age Requirements 18 years or above for intrastate and 21 years or above for interstate Permits the operation of any vehicle within Cla sses C D and E wit h any appr opriate endorsement s plus any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty six thousand and one or more pounds or any such v _ ehicle towing a vehic le not in excess of 10 000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating A straight vehicle is defined for the purpose of this class as being one that does not bend or have a moveable jo int in its frame between the driver seat and the cargo or passenger compartment R S 32 408 B 2 c and 405 1 Class C
36. People involved in the accident may not look for traffic Passing drivers tend to look at the accid ent People often run a cross the road with out looking Vehicles may slow or stop suddenly Shoppers People in a nd around shop ping areas are often no t watchi ng traffic be cause they are looking for stores or looking into store windows Confused Drivers Confused drivers often change direction suddenly or stop with out warni ng Confusion is comm on n ear free way or turnpi ke interchanges and maj or intersectio ns Tou rists Page 2 20 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual unfamiliar with the area can be very hazardous Clues to tourists incl ude car top luggage and out of state li cense pl ates Unexpe ctedaction s stopping in the middle of a block cha nging lanes for no ap parent re ason backup light s suddenly going on are clu es to confusi on He sitation i s another clu e includin g dri ving very slo wly using brakes often or stoppin g in the middle of an intersection You may also see drive rs who are looking at street signs maps and house numbers These drivers may not be paying attention to you Slow Drivers Motorists who failt o maintain normal sp eed are hazards Seeing slow movin g vehicles early can prevent a crash Some vehicles by their nature a re slow and seeing themi s a hazard clue mop eds farm machi nery construction ma chinery tractors et c Some of these will have the slow moving vehi
37. Placards Figure 9 3 Section 9 Hazardous Material Identification numbers a re a four di git cod e u sed by first responders to identify hazardous materials An identification numb er may be use d to identify more than one chemical The etters NA o r UN will precede t he identification number The United States Department of Tra nsportation s Emergency Response Guide book ERG iden tifies the chemicals all identification numb ers are assig ned to There are threem ain li sts u sed by shippers carriers an d drivers when trying to identify hazardous material s Before transporting a material look for its name on three lis ts Some materials are on all lists others on only one Always check the following lists e Section 17 2 101 the Haza rdous M aterials Table e AppendixA to Section 1 72 101 the List of Hazardous Substances and Rep ortable Quantities e AppendixB to Section 1 72 101 the List of Marine Pollutants The Hazardous Materials Table Figure 9 4 shows part ofthe Haza rdous Mate rials Tabl e Column 1 tells whi ch ship ping mod e s the entry affects a ndotheri nformation concerning the shipping description The next five col umns show each materi al s shipping name ha zard cla ss or division id entification nu mber p ackaging g roup and required labels Six different symbols may appear in Column 1 of the table Shows the proper shipping name hazard class and packing g roup to use even
38. Safely If somebody suddenly pulls out in front of you your natural response is to hit the brakes This is a good response if t here s enough distance to stop and you use the brakes correctly You should brakeina way that will ke ep your vehicle in a straight line and allow you to turn if it becomes necessary You can use the controlled braking method or the stab braking method Controlled Braking With this method you apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking the wheels Kee p stee ring wheel move ments very small while doing this If you need to make a larger steering adjustment or if the whe els lock release the brakes Re apply the brakes as soon as you can Stab Braking e Apply your brakes all the way e Release brakes when wheels lock up e Assoonasthe wheels start rolling apply the brakes fully again Itca ntake upt oone second for the wheel s to start rolling after you release the brakes If you re apply the brakes before th e whe els start rolling the vehicle won t straighten out Don t Jam on the Brakes Emergency bra king does not me an pushing down on the b rake pedal as hard as you can That will only keep the wheels Page 2 35 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual locked up and cau se a ski d If the whe els are skidding you cannot control the vehicle 2 17 3 Brake Failure Brakes keptin goo dco ndition rarely fail Most hydraulic brake failures occu rfor oneoft wo reasons
39. Slowdown and place transmi ssion in a lo w gear Page 2 26 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Gently put on the brakes This presses linings against brake drums or discs and keeps mud silt sand and water from getting in e Increase engine rpm and cross the water while keeping light pressure on the brakes e When out of the water maintain light pressure on the brakes for a short distance to heat them up and dry them out e Make ate st stop when safe to d oso Ch eck behind to ma ke sure no o ne is follo wing then apply the brakes to be sure they work well If not dry th em out fu rther as described above CAUTION Do not appl ytoo much brake pressure and accelerator at the sam e time or you can overheat brake drums and linings 2 14 Driving in Very Hot Weather 2 14 1 Vehicle Checks Do anormal pre trip in spection but p ay sp ecial attention to the following items Tires Check the tire mounting and air pressure Inspect the tires eve ry two ho urs or every 100 miles when drivingin very hot weather Air pressure increases with temperature Do not let air out or the pressure will be too ow when the tires cool off If a tire is too hot to touch remain stopped until the tire cools off Otherwise the tire may blow out or catch fire Engine Oil The engine oil helps keep the engine cool as well as lub ricating it Make sure the reis enough engine oil If you have an oil temperature gauge make sure t
40. The doubles triples test required if you want to pull double or triple trailers e The School Bus test req uired if you want to drive a school bus 1 1 2 Skills Tests If you pass the required knowledge test s you can take the CDL skills tests There are three types of general skills that will be tested pre trip inspection basic ve hicle co ntrol and on road d riving You must ta ke th ese tests in the type of vehicle for which you wish to be licensed Pre trip Vehicle Inspection You will be tested to see if you know whethe ry our vehicle is safe to drive You will be asked to do a pre trip inspection of your vehi cle and explain to the exa miner what you would inspect and why Basic Vehicle Control You will be tested on your skill to control the vehicl e You will be asked to move your v ehicle forward backward and turn it within a defined area These areas may be marked with t raffic anes co nes bar riers o r somet hing similar The examiner will tell you how each control test is to be done On road Test You will be tested on your skill to safely drive your vehi cle in a variet y of traffic situations The situations may include left and right Section 1 Introduction turns intersections railroad crossings curves up and do wn grad es sin gle or multi lane roa ds streets or highways Th e examiner will tell you where to drive Figure 1 2 details which sections of this man ual you sho uld study f
41. This is a good response if t here s enough distance to stop and you use the brakes correctly You should brake ina way that will ke ep your vehicle in a straight line and allow you to turn if it becomes necessary You can use the controlled braking method or the stab braking method Controlled Braking With this method you apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking the wheels Kee p stee ring wheel move ments very small while doing this If you need to make a larger steering adjustment or if the whe els lock release the brakes Re apply the brakes as soonas you can Stab Braking e Apply your brakes all the way e Release brakes when wheels lock up As soon as the wheels start rolling apply the brakes fully again Itca ntake upt o one second for the wheel s to start rolling after you release the brakes If you re apply the brakes before th e whe els start rolling the vehicle won t straighten out Page 5 8 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 5 4 4 Stopping Distance Stopping di stance was descri bed in Section 2 under Spe ed an d Stopp ing Distance With ai r brakes there is an a dded delay the time req uired forthe brakes to work afterthe brake pedal is pushed With hydraulic brakes used o n cars and light medium trucks the brakes work instantly However with air brakes it takes a little time one half second or more for the air to flow through the lines tothe brakes Th us the total st
42. Transportation Act which requir es the vehicle to beara plac ard under the provision of Hazardous Materials Regulations 49 CFR Part 172 Subpart F R S 32 408 B 2 e and 405 1 Class E Driver s License Personal Vehicle Age Requirements 17 years or above Permits the operation of any s ingle motor v ehicle under 10 000 pounds gross vehic le weight any personal use recreational vehicle and farm vehicles controlled and operated by a farmer to transport agricultural products farm machinery or farm supplies to and from a farm within 150 air miles of the owner s or operat or s farm not used in operation of a Common or Contract Carrier and not used to transpor t passengers or property for hire or any other vehicle which is not used in the transportati on of hazardous materials wh ich is required to be placarded No first time applic ation for a Loui siana Class E lic ense shall be received from any person seventeen 17 year s of age or older unless there is also submitted with the application written evidence of the successful completion by the applicant of a full thirty six 36 hour driver s education course or of an approved six 6 hour pre licensing training c ourse which was approved by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety amp Corrections New applicants transferring in with an out of state foreign or militar y license are exempt from this requirement In addition this requirement shall not apply to those seve nteen 17
43. a cargo leak identify the hazardous materials leaking by using shipping papers labels or package location Do notto uch any lea king material many people injure the mselves by touching hazardous materials Do not try to identify the material or find the source of aleak by smell Toxic gases can d estroy your se nse of smell and can injure or kill you even if they don t smell Never eat drink or smoke around a leak or spill lf hazardous materials are spilling from your vehicle do not move it any more than safety requires You may move off the ro ad and away from pl aces whe re peo ple gath er i fdoing so serves safety Only move your vehi cle if you can do so without danger to yourself or others Never contin ue d riving with ha zardous materi als leaking from your vehicle in order to fin d a p hone booth truck stop hel p orsi milar reason Remember the carrier p ays forthe cleanup of contaminated parking lots roadways and drainage ditches The costs are enormous so don t leave a lengthy trail ofconta mination If hazard ous materials are spilling from your vehicle e Park it e Secure the area e Stay there e Send someone else for help When sending someone for help give that person e Adescription of the emergency e Your exact location and direction of travel e Your name the carrier s name and the name of the community or city where your terminal is located e The proper shipping name hazard class and i
44. able to stop within the range of your headlights Otherwise b y the time you se ea hazard you will not have time to stop Night driving can be more dan gerous if you h ave problems wit h yourh eadlights Di rty headli ghts may give onl y half the lig ht they sh ould This cuts down your ability to see and ma kes it hard er for others to see you Make sure your lights are clean and working Headlights can be out of a djustment If they don t point in the right dire ction they won t give you a good viewa nd they can blind other drivers Have a qualified person make sure they are adjusted properly Other Lights In order for you to be seen easily the following must be clean and working properly e Reflec tors e Marker lights e Clea rance lights e Taillights e Identification lights Turn Signals and Brake Lights At night your turn signals and bra ke lights are even mo re important for telling other drivers what you intend to do Make sure you have clean working turn signals and stop lights Windshield and Mirrors Itis mo re important at night tha ni nthe daytime toh avea clean windshield and clean mirrors Bri ght lights at night can cau se d irt on yo ur windshield o r mirrors t o create a glare of its o wn blocking your view Most people have experien ced driving towa rd the su n Page 2 24 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual just as it has risen or is about to set and found that they can ba rely see thr
45. air e scaping from both lines check that the shut off valves on the trailer s and dolly ies are in the OPEN position You MUST have air all the way to the back for all the brakes to work Test Tractor Protection Valve Charge the trailer air brake system Thatis build up norm al air pressure and push the ai r supply knob in Shut the engine off Step on and off the brake pedal several time s to re duce the air p ressure in the tanks The trailer air supply control also called the tractor protection valve control should pop out or go from no rmal to emerge ncy po sition when the air pre ssure falls in tothe pressure ra nge specified by t he manufacturer Usu ally within the range of 20 to 45 psi If the tractor protection valve doesn t work right an air hose or trailer b rake leak could drain all the air Section 6 Combination Vehicles from the tractor This would cause the emergency brakes to come on with possible loss of control Test Trailer Emergency Brakes Charge th e trailer air brake system and check that the trailer rolls freely Then sto p and pull out the trailer ai r supply control also called tractor protection valve control or tra iler em ergency valve or place it in the emergency position Pull gently on the traile r with the tractor to check that the trailer eme rgency brakes are on Test Trailer Service Brakes Check for normal air pressure rel ease the parking b rakes move th e vehicle fo
46. ar boundaries marked by cones You must place your vehicle completely into the sp ace See Figu re 12 2 12 2 3 Offset Back Left You may be asked to back into a space that is to the left rear of your vehicle You are to back into that space without stri kingthe si deorre ar boundaries marked by cones You must place your vehicle completely into the sp ace See Figu re 12 3 12 2 4 Parallel Park Driver Side You may be asked to park in a pa rallel parkin g space that is on your left You are to drive pas t the parking space and back into it bringing the rear of your vehicle as close as possible to the rear of the space witho ut crossing side or rea r boundaries marked by cones You are to try to get your vehicle tractor and trailer if com bination vehicl e completely into the space See Figure 12 4 12 2 5 Parallel Park Conventional You may be asked to park in a pa rallel parkin g space that is on your righ t You are to drive past the parking space and back into it bringing the rear of your vehi cle as close as possible to the re ar of the space without crossing side or rear boundaries marked by cones You are to try to get your vehicle tractor and trailer if com bination vehicl e completely into the space See Figure 12 5 12 2 6 Alley Dock You may be asked to sig ht side back your vehi cle into an alley bringing the rear of your vehicle a s close as possible to the rear of the all ey without goi
47. at th e crossing to regulate traf fic at the crossing T hese active devices include flashing red lights with or with out bells and flashing red lights with bells and gates 2 15 2 Warning Signs and Devices Advance Warning Signs The roun d bla ck on yellow warning sign is pl aced ahead of ap ublic railroad highway crossin g The advan ce warni ng Section 2 Driving Safely sign tells you to slow do wn look and listen for the train and be prepared to stop at the tracks if a train is coming See Figure 2 15 Pavement Markings Pavement m arkings mea n the sa measthe advance warning sign T hey consist of an X with the letters RR and a no passing marking o n two lane road s See Figu re 2 16 ROUND YELLOW WARNING SIGN Figure 2 15 PAVEMENT MARKINGS Figure 2 16 There is al so ano passing zone sign on two lane roads There may be a white stop line painted on the pavement before the railr oad tracks The f ront of the schoo bus m ust remain b ehind this lin e while stopped at the crossing Crossbuck Signs This s ign ma rks th e gr ade crossing It requires you to yield the right of way to the train Ift here is no white line painted on the Page 2 31 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual pavement y ou mu st stoptheb us before the crossbuck sign When the road crosses over more than one set of tracks a sign below the crossbuck indicates the number of tracks See Figure 2 17 M
48. be lig hts If your busis so equipped th e overhea d strobe lig ht should be used when you have limit ed visibility This means that you ca nnot easily see around you in fro nt behind or b eside the school bu s Your visibility could be only slightly limited or it could be so bad that you can see nothi ng at all In all inst ances understand andob ey your state or local regulations concerning the use of these lights 10 7 2 Driving in High Winds Strong winds affect the handling of the school bus The side ofa sch oolbusactslikea sailon a sailboat Stro ng wi nds ca n pu sh the school bus sideways They can even move the sch ool bus off the road or in extreme conditions tip it over If you are caught in strong winds Page 10 10 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel Try to anticipate gusts e You should slow down to lessen the effect of the wind or pull off the roadway and wait e Contact your dispatch er to get more information on how to proceed 10 7 3 Backing Backing a school bus is strongly discouraged You should back your bus only when you have no other safe way to move the vehicle Y ou should never back a school bus when students are outside of the bus Backing is dangerous and increases your risk of a colli sion If you have no ch oice and you must back your bus follow these procedures e Post aloo kout The pu rpose of the lo okout is to warn you ab
49. breakers can be fined and put in jail Inspect your vehicle before and d uring each trip Law enfo rcement office rs may sto p and in spect your vehicle When stopped they may che ck your shipping papers vehi cle pla cards and the hazardous materials end orsement on your driver license and your kn owledge of hazardous materials Section 9 Hazardous Material 9 2 Hazardous Materials Transportation Who Does What 9 2 1 The Shipper e Sends products from o ne place to an other by truck rail vessel or airplane e Uses th e ha zardous m aterials regul ations t o determine the product s Prope r shipping name Ha zard class Identification number Packi ng group Corre ct packaging Corre ct label and markings C orrect placards e Must package mark and label the materials prepare ship ping pap ers provide em ergency response information and supply placards e Certify on the shipping paper that the shipment has bee np repared a ccording toth erul es unless you are pulling cargo tanks supplied by you or your employer 9 2 2 The Carrier e Takes the shipment fro m the shi pper to its destination e Prior to transportation checks that the shipper correctly de scribed ma rked labele d and otherwise prep ared the shi pment for transportation Refu ses improper shipments e Reports accidents and incidents involving hazardous materials to the proper government agency 9 2 3 The Driv
50. bus ha s to be open to p ut on the pa rking brake True or False These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read Section 4 Section 4 Transporting Passengers Safely Page 4 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 5 AIR BRAKES This Section Covers Air Brake System Parts Dual Air Brake Systems Inspecting Air Brakes Using Air Brakes This section tells you about air brakes If you want to drive atruck or bus with air brakes or pulla trailer with air bra kes you need to read this section If you want to pull a trailer with air brakes you al sone ed to re ad Section 6 Combination Vehicles A nair brake endo rsementiso nly required if your vehicle needs a CDL Air brakes use compressed air to make the brakes work Airb rakesarea good and safe way of stopping large and heavy vehicle s but the bra kes must be well maintained and used properly Air bra kes are really three diffe rent braki ng systems service br ake p arking bra ke and emergency brake e The service brake system applies and releases the bra kes when youu sethe brake ped al during normal driving e Thepa rkingbra ke systemap pliesan d releases the parking brakes when you use the parking brake control e The emergency brake system uses parts of the service and parking brake systems to stop the vehicle in a brake system failure The p arts o f these systems are di scussed in greater detail below 5 1 Th
51. cation and if po ssible direction of travel e Ifyou havea cell phone and can do it safely call the police e fan aggre ssive driver is involved in a crash farther down the roa d stop asafe di stance from the crash scene wait forthe p olice to arrive and report the driving behavior that you witnessed Subsections 2 9 and 2 10 Test Your Knowledge 1 What are some tips to follow so you won t become a distracted driver 2 How do you use n vehicle communications equipment cautiously 3 How do you recognize a distracted driver 4 What is the difference between aggressive driving and road rage 5 What should you do when confronted with an aggressive driver 6 What are some thing s you cando to reduce your stress before and while y ou drive These questions may be on the test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 2 9 and 2 10 2 11 Driving at Night 2 11 1 It s More Dangerous You are at g reater risk when you driv e at night Drivers can t see hazards as quickly as in daylight so they have less time to respond Drivers caught by surprise are less able to avoid a crash Section 2 Driving Safely 0 Page 2 23 Page 2 23 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual The problems of night driving involve the driver the roadway and the vehicle 2 11 2 Driver Factors Vision People can t see as sharply at night ori n dim light Also their eyes need time to adju stto seein
52. checks described in Sections 5 and 6 of this manual Brake System Test Parking Brake e Fasten seat belt e Allow vehicle to move forward slowly e Apply parking brake e If it doesn t stop vehicle it is faulty get it fixed Test Service Brake Stopping Action e Go about five miles per hour e Push brake pedal firmly e Pulling to one sid e or the other can mean brake trouble e Any unu sual bra ke pedal feel ord elayed stopping action can mean trouble If you find anything u nsafe du ring t he p re trip inspection g et it fixed Federal and state la ws forbid operating an unsafe vehicle 2 1 6 Inspection During a Trip Check Vehicle Operation Regularly You should check e nstruments e Air pressure gauge if you have air brakes e empe rature gauges e Pressu re gauges e Ammeter voltmeter e Mirro rs e ire s e Cargo cargo covers If you see hear smell or feel anything that might mean trouble check it out Page 2 7 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Safety Inspection Drivers of trucks and truck tractors when transporting cargo must inspect the securement of the cargo within the first 50 miles of a trip and every 150 miles or every three hours whichever comes first after 2 1 7 After trip Inspection and Report You may have to make a written report each day on the condition of the vehicle s you drove Report anything affecting safety or possibly leading to mechan
53. d close po p out on a tractor trailer combination vehicle and the parkin g b rake valve should close pop out on other combination and single vehicle types when the air p ressure falls to the manufacturer s specification 20 40 psi This will cause the spring brakes to come on Check Rate of Air Pressure Buildup When the engine is at operating rp ms the pressure should build from 85 to 100 psi within 45 seconds in dual air systems Ifthe ve hicleha s argerth an minimum air tanks the buildup time can be longer and stillbe safe Ch eckthem _ anufacturer s specifications In singl e airsy stems pre 1975 typical requirements are pressure buildup from 50 to 90 psi within 3 minutes with the engine at an idle speed of 600 900 rpms If air pressure does not build up fast enough your pressure may drop too low during driving requiring Section 5 Air Brakes an emergency stop Don t drive until you get the problem fixed Test Air Leakage Rate With a fully charg ed air system typi cally 1 25 psi turn offt hee ngine release the parking b rake an d time the air pressure drop The lo ss rate sh ould be less tha n two psiin one minute for single vehicles and less than thre e psiino ne minute for combination vehicles Then apply 90 psi or more with the brake pedal After the initial pres sure drop if the air pressure falls more than three psi in one minute for single vehicles more than four psi for combination vehicles
54. drive rs can see them in time to avoid the accident ed forem ergency 2 20 2 Notify Authorities If you have a cell pho ne or CB call for assistance before you get out of your vehicle If not wait until after thea ccident sce neha sbe en pro perly protected then phone or send someone to ph one the police Try to determin e where you are so you can give the exact location 2 20 3 Care for the Injured If a qualified person is at the accident and helping the injure d stay out of the way unl ess a sked to assist Otherwise do the best you can to help any injured p arties H ere a re so me simple st eps to follow in giving assistance e Don t move a severely injured person unle ss the dan ger of fire or pa ssing traffic m akes it necessary e Stophe avy blee ding by applyin g direct pressure to the wound e Keep the injured person warm 2 21 Fires Truck fire s can ca use da mage an d in jury Learn the causes of fires and how to prevent them Know what to do to extinguish fires 2 21 1 Causes of Fire The following are some causes of vehicle fires e After Accidents Spilled fuel improper use of flares e Tires Under inflated tires and duals that touch e Electrical S ystem Sho rtcircuit sd ue to damaged insulation loose connections e Fuel Driver smoking im proper fueling loose fuel connections e Cargo Flammable cargo improperly sealed or loaded cargo poor ventilation 2 21 2 Fire
55. ere such acti vities take pl ace in the school p arking lot or oth er location th at is off the traveled ro adway are often different than unloading along the schoolb us route Itis important tha t the scho ol bus driver u nderstands and o beys state and lo cal laws a nd regulations The following procedures are meant to be g eneral guidelines When unlo ading at the school you sho uld follow these procedures e Performa safe stop atd esignated u nloading areas as described in subsection 10 2 1 e Secure the bus by gt Turning off the ignition switch gt Removing key if leaving drive rs compartment e Have the stu dents remain seated u ntil told to exit e Position you rself to su pervise u nloading as required o r recommended by yo urstateo r local regulations e Have students exit in orderly fashion e Observe students as they step from bus to see that all move promptly away fro m the unloading area e Walk throu ghthebu sand check fo r hiding sleeping stu dents and item s eft by students e Check all mi rrors M ake certain no students are returning to the bus e f you cannot account for a student outside the bus and the bus is secure check around and underneath the bus e When all stu dents are accounted for prep are to leave by gt Closing the door gt Fastening safety belt gt Starting engine gt Engaging the transmission gt Releasing the parking brake Section 10 School Buses Turning of
56. fine you up to 5 000 or put you in jail for breaking this rule e Ifyou have ah azardous materials endorsement you m ustn otify and surrender your hazardous materials endorsement to the state that issued your CDL within 24 hours of any conviction or indictment in any jurisdiction civilian or military for or found not g uilty by reason of in sanity of adisq ualifying crime listed in 49 CFR 15 72 103 who is adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution as specified in 49 CFR 1572 109 or who renounces his or her U S citizenship e Your empl oyer may not let you drive a commercial motor vehi cle if you have more than one license or if you r CDL is suspend ed or revoked A court may fine the employer up to 5 000 or put him her in jail for breaking this rule e All states are connected to one co mputerized system to share info rmation abo ut CDL drivers The states w_ illche cko n driv ers accident re cords and be sure that d rivers do not have more than one CDL Section 1 Introduction Page 1 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 2 DRIVING SAFELY This Section Covers Vehicle Inspection Basic Control of Your Vehicle Shifting Gears Seeing Communicating Space Management Controlling Your Speed Seeing Hazards Distracted Driving Aggressive Drivers Road Rage Night Driving Driving in Fog Winter Driving Hot Weather Driving Sharing the Road Railroad highway Crossings Mount
57. gt Hea dlights gt D immer switch gt Turn signal gt Four way flashers gt Parking clearance identification marker switch es Page 2 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual ENG OIL Pressure OIL PRESSURE e Idling 5 20 PSI Operating 35 75 PSI Low Dropping Fluctuating STOP IMMEDIATELY Without oil the engine can be destroyed rapidly Figure 2 5 Check Mirrors and Windshield Inspect mirrors and wind shield for cracks dirt illegal stickers or other o bstructions to se eing clearly Clea n and adjust as necessary Check Emergency Equipment e Check for safety equipment gt Spare electrical fuses unless vehicle has circuit breakers gt Three red reflective triangles gt Properly charged and rated fire extinguisher e Check for optional items such as gt Chains where winter conditions require gt Tire changing equipment e List of emergency phone numbers e Accident reporting kit packet Step 4 Turn Off Engine and Check Lights Make sure the parkin g brake is set turn off the engine and take the key with you Turn on headlights I ow beams and four way emerge ncy flashers and get out of the vehicle Step 5 Do Walkaround Inspection e Gotofront of vehicl e and check t hatlo w beams are onandbot hofthefo ur way flashers are working Section 2 Driving Safely e Push dim mer switch a nd che ck tha thigh beams work e Turn off hea dlights a nd f our wa
58. idle 2 2 4 Backing Safely Because you cannot see everything b ehind your vehicle b ackingi sal ways da _ ngerous Avoid backing whenever you can When you park try to park so you will be able to pull forward when you Page 2 8 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual leave When you havetoback here area few simple safety rules e Start in the proper position e Look at your path e Use mirrors on both sides e B ack slowly e Backa nd turn toward the driver ssid e whenever possible e Use a helper whenever possible e These rules are discussed in turn below Start in the Proper Position Put the vehicle in the best position to allo w you to ba ck safely This position will depend on t he type of b acking to be done Look at Your Path Look at your li ne of travel before you begin Get ou t and wal k around the vehicle Check yo ur clearance to th e sides and overhead in and nea r the path your vehicle will take Use Mirrors on Both Sides Check the outside mirrors on b oth side s fre quently Get out of the vehicle and check your path if you are unsure Back Slowly Always back as slowly as possible Use the lowest reverse gear That way you can more easily correct any steering errors You also can stop quickly if necessary Back and Turn Toward the Driver s Side Back to the driver s side so you can see better Backing toward the right side is very dangerous b ecause you can t see as well If yo u bac
59. if it is equipped with ABS 10 6 2 How ABS Helps You When you b rake hard on slippe ry su rfaces in a vehicle without ABS your wheels may loc k up When your steering wheels lo ck up you lose steering control When yo ur other wheels lock up you may skid or even spin the vehicle ABS helps you avoid wheel lock up and maintain control You may or may not be able to stop faster with ABS but you s hould be able to steer around an obstacle while braking and avoid skid s caused by over braking 10 6 3 Braking with ABS When you drive a vehic le with ABS yous hould brake as you always have In other words e Use only the braking force necessary to stop safely and stay in control e Brake the same way re gardless of whether you have A BSonthe bus However in emergency braking do not pump the brakes on a bus with ABS e As you slow down monitor your bus and back off the brak es if itis safe todo so to stay in control 10 6 4 Braking if ABS is Not Working Without ABS you still have normal brake functions Drive and brake as you always have Vehicles with ABS have yellow malfunction lamps to tell you if somethi ng is not working The yellow ABS malfunction lamp is on the bus s ins trument panel As a syste m che cko nnewer ve hicles the malfunction lamp comes on at sta rt up fora bulb check an d thengo es outqui ckly On old er systems t he lamp c ould stay on un til you are driving over five mph
60. in an emergen cy If safety requires aneme rgency tran sfer setout red warning reflectors flags or electric anterns You must warn others on the road Never transport damaged packages of explosives Do not take a package that shows any dampness or oily stain Do not tran sport Division 1 1 or 1 2 Cla ssA Explosives in triples or in vehicle combinations if e There is a marked or pla carded cargo tank in the combination e The other vehicle in the combination contains gt Division 1 1 A Initiating Explosives gt Packages of Class 7 Ra dioactive materials labeled Yellow III gt Division 2 3 Poisono us Gas or Divi sion 6 1 Poisonous materials gt Hazardous materials in a portable tank on a DOT Spec 106A or 110A tank Class 4 Flammable Solids and Class 5 Oxidizers Materials Class 4 materials are solids that react in cluding fire a nd explosi on to water heat and air or even react spontaneously Class 4and 5 ma terials mus tbec ompletely enclosed in a vehicle or covered securely Class 4 and 5m aterials whi ch be come u nstable a nd dangerous when wet must be keptd ry whilein transit and during loading and unloading Materials that are subject to spont aneous com bustion o r heating mu st be invehicle swith sufficient ventilation Class 8 Corrosive Materials If loading by hand load brea kable containers of corrosive liquid on e by one Keep them right side up Do not drop or roll the containe rs
61. is covered in Section 3 of this manual Rollovers h appen when you turn too fast Drive slowly around corners on ramps and off ram ps Section 6 Combination Vehicles Avoid qui ck lane changes e specially wh en fully loaded 6 1 2 Steer Gently Trucks with trailers have a dangerous crack the whip effect When you make a quick lane change the crack the whip effect can tu rn the trailer over There are m any accidents wh ere o nly the trailer has overturned Rearward a mplification cau ses the cra ck the whip effect Figu re6 1sh ows ei ght types of combination vehicle s and th ere arward amplification ea ch ha si na qui ck la ne change Rigs with the least crack the whip effect are shown at the top an d those with the most at t he bottom Rearward amplification o f 2 0 inthe chart means that the rear trailer is twice as likely to turn over as the tracto r Youcan see that triples have a rearward amplification of 3 5 This m eans you can roll the last trailer of triples 3 5 times as easily as a five axle tractor Steer gently and smoothly when yo u are pulling trailers If you make a sudd en movement with your steering wheel your traile r could tip over Follow faren ough behind oth er vehicl es atleast 1 second for each 10 feet of your vehicle length plus another second if goi ng over 40 mph Look far enough d own the road t o avoid b eing su rprised and h aving to ma kea sudden lan e change At night drive
62. lights e Turn on your 4 way flashers This will give vehicles ap proaching y ou from behind a quicker opportunity to notice your vehicle e Watch for vehicles on the side of the roadway Seeing taillights or headli ghts in front of you may not be a true indication of where the road is ahead of you The vehicle may not be on the road at all e Use roadside highway reflectors as guides to determine how the road may curve ahead of you e Listen for traffic you cannot see e Avoid passing other vehicles e Don t stop along the side of the road unless absolutely necessary 2 13 Driving in Winter 2 13 1 Vehicle Checks Make sure your ve hicle is ready b efore driving in winter weather You should make a regular pre trip inspection paying extra a ttention to the followin g items Coolant Level and Antifreeze Amount Make sure the cooling system is full and there is enough antifreeze in the system to protect against freezing This can be checked with a special coolant tester Defrosting and Heating Equipment Make sure the def rosters work They are ne eded for safe driving Make sure the heater is working and that you kn ow h ow to op erate it If you use oth er heaters an d expe ctto need them e g mirror heaters b attery box heaters fuel ta nk h eaters check their operation Page 2 25 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Wipers and Washers Make sure the windshield wiper blades are in good condition Ma
63. m uch more slippery than ice that is not wet e Black Ice Black ice is at hin layer that is clear enough that you can see the road underneath it It mak es the road look wet Any time the temperature is belo w fre ezing and th e road looks wet watch out for black ice e Vehicle Icing An easy wa y to check fo r ice is to open the window and feel the front of the mirror mirror support or antenna If there s ice on these the road surfa ce is prob ably starting to ice up e Just After Rain Begins Right after its tarts to rain the water mixes with oil left on the road by vehicles This makes the road very slippery If the rain continues it will wash the oil away Hydroplaning In some weather wateror slush collects o nthe ro ad Wh en this ha ppens you r vehicle can hydropl ane It s like water skiing the tires lose their contact with the road and have little or no tra ction You may not be able tosteeror brake You can regain control by rel easing the accelerator and pushing in the clutch This will slow your vehicle and let the wheels turn freely If the vehicle is hy droplaning do not u se the brakes to Section 2 Driving Safely slow down If the drive wheels start to skid push in the clutch to let them turn freely Itdoes not take alo t of water to cause hydroplaning Hydroplani ng ca n o ccur at sp eeds as lo w a s 30 mph if there i salo tofwater Hydroplaning is more likel y if tire pressure is lo w or the trea
64. much more space to stop 2 7 2 Space Behind You ca n t st op othe rs from followi ng you too closely But there are things you can do to make it safer Stay to the Right Heavy vehicle s are often tailgated when they can t keep up with the speed of traffic This often happ ens when yo u re g oing uphill If a heavy load is sl owing you down stay in the right lane if you ca n Going uphill you should not pass another slow vehicle unless you can g et around quickly and safely Dealing with Tailgaters Safely In a large vehicle it s often h ard to se e whether a vehicle is close behind you You may be tailgated e When you are traveling slowly Drivers trapped behind slow vehicles often follow closely e In bad weather Many car drive rs follow large vehicles closely during bad weather especially when it is hard to see the road ahead If you find yo urself being tailgated here are some things you candoto reduce the chances ofa crash e Avoid quick changes If you have to slow down or turn signal early and reduce speed ve ry gradually e Increase your following distance Op ening up room in fro nt of you will help you to avoid having to m ake sudd en sp eedor direction changes I talso ma kesit ea sierf ort he tailgater to get around you e Don t speed up It s safer to be tail gated ata low speed than a high speed e Avoid tricks Don t turn on your tailli ghts or flash your brake lights Follow the suggestions a
65. of 80 proof liquor 12 oz of beer or 5 oz of table wine Page 2 42 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual How Alcohol Affects Driving All drivers are affected by drin king alcohol Alco hol affect s judgment vision coordination and reaction time It Causes serious driving errors such as e Increased reaction time to hazards e Driving too fast or too slow e Driving in the wrong lane e Running over the curb e Weavin g 2 22 2 Other Drugs Besides alcohol other egal and ille gal drugs are being u sed more often Laws p rohibit posse ssion or use of ma ny drugs while on duty They prohibit being under the influen ceofa ny controlled substance ampheta mines in cluding pep pills uppers and ben nies narcoti cs o r any oth er substance which can make the driver unsafe This could include a variety of prescription and over the counter d rugs cold me dicines which may make the d river drowsy o r oth erwise affect safe driv ing ability However possess ion and use ofa drug given toad riverbyad octor is permitted if the doctor informs the driver that it will not affect safe driving ability Pay attention to warning labels for legitimate drugs and m edicines an d to d octor s orders regarding possible effects Stay away from illegal drugs Don t use any drug that hides fatigue the only cure for fatigue is rest Alcohol can make the effec ts of other drugs much worse The safest rule is do
66. of the powered unit truck or tractor will offtrack some and the rear wheels of the trailer will offtrack even more If there is mo re than on e trailer the rear wheels of the last tr ailer will offtrack the most Steer the fro nt end wide enough around a co rner so the rear end doe s notrun ove rthecu rb pedestrians etc However keep the rear of your vehicle close to the curb This will stop other drivers from passing you on the right If you cannot Section 6 Combination Vehicles complete your turn without entering another traffic lane turn wide as yo u complete the t urn This is better than swinging wide to the left before starting the turn because it will keep other drivers from passing you on the right See Figure 6 4 Path followed by the innermost tire Path followed by the outside tractor tire OFF TRACKING IN A 90 DEGREE TURN Figure 6 3 Figure 6 4 6 1 7 Backing with a Trailer Backing with a Trailer When ba cking aca r straight tru ck or bu s you turn thet op ofthe steering wheel in the direction you want to go When backing a trailer you turn the steering wheel in the op posite direction Once the trai ler starts to turn you mus t turn the wheel the other way to follow the trailer Whenever you back up with a trailer try to position your vehicle so you ca n back in a strai ght line If you mu st ba ck ona curved path b ack to the driver s side so you can see See Figure 6 5 Page 6 3
67. provide informatio n onallthe fe deral and state requirements needed before you can drive a commercial motor vehicle CMV You may have to contact you rstate driver lice nsing a uthority for additional information You must have a CDL to operate e Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating GVWR of 26 001 pounds or more e Attrailer with a GVWR of more than 10 000 pounds if the gross combination weight ratin g GCWR is 26 001 pounds or more e Avehicle designed tot ransport 16 o r more passengers including the driver e Any size vehicle that is used in the transportation of any ma terial that re quires hazardous m aterials pla cards or any q uantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR 73 To get a CDL you must pass knowledge and skills tests Thi s manual will help you pa ss the te sts This ma nual is not a sub stitute for a truck d river training cl ass or program Form al trai ning is the most reliable way to le arn the m any special skills required for safely drivi ngala rge commercial vehicle and becoming a professional driver in th e trucking industry Figure 1 1 helps you determine if you need a CDL Section 1 Introduction Do You Need a CDL Does the vehicle or combination of vehicles have a manufacturer s weight rating GVWR over 26 000 pounds Is the vehicle a combination vehicle towing a unit over 10 000 pounds GVWR Does the You single needa vehicle have Clas
68. ransported Page 9 7 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual When required the shipper will put the following on the package e The nameand a ddressof shi ppero r consignee e The hazardous material s shipping name and identification number e The labels required It is a good idea to com pare the shipping paper to the marking s and lab els Always ma ke sure that the shipper shows the correct basic description on the shippi ng pap er and verifies that the p roper labels are shown on the packages If you a re not familiar with the material ask the shipper to contact your office If rules require it the shipper will put RQ MARINE POLLUTANT BIOHAZARD HOT or INHALATION HAZARD on the package Packages with liquid containers inside will also have package orientation markings with the arrows pointing in the correct up right dire ction The labels used always reflect the hazard class of the product If a package needs more than one label the labels will be close together near the proper shipping name 9 3 8 Recognizing Hazardous Materials Learn to reco gnize shipments of hazard ous materials T o find outif the shipment incl udes hazardous m aterials loo k at the ship ping p aper Does it have e Anentry with a proper shipping name hazard class and identification number e A highlighted entry or one with an Xor RQin the hazardous materials column Other clues suggesting hazardous materials e What busi
69. retarders exhaust engine hydraulic and electric All retarde rs can be turne d on or off by the driver On some vehicles the retarding p ower can be adjusted When turned on retarders apply their bra king power to the d rive wheels o nly whenever yo u let up on the accele rator ped al all the way Section 2 Driving Safely Because these devices can be noi sy be sure you know where their use is permitted Caution When you rd rive whe els have po or traction the retarder may c ausethemto skid Therefore you should turnth ere tarder off whenever the road is wet icy or snow covered Subsections 2 2 and 2 3 Test Your Knowledge 1 Why should you back toward the driv er s side 2 If stopped onahill h ow can yo u start moving without rolling back 3 When backing why is it important to use a helper 4 What s the most important hand signal that you and the helper should agree on 5 What are the two special conditions where you should downshift 6 W hen should you downshift automatic transmissions re Retarders keep you fro m ski dding wh en the road is slippery True or False 8 What are the two ways to know when to shift These questions may b e on the test f you can t answer them all re read subsections 2 2 and 2 3 2 4 Seeing To be a safe driver you need to know what s going on all around your vehicle Not looking properly is a major cause of accidents 2 4 1 Seeing Ahead A
70. rward slowly anda pply trailer b rakes with the hand control trolley valve if so equipped You should feel the brakes come on This tells you the trailer brakes are connected and working The trailer brakes should be tested with the hand valve but co ntrolled inno rmal ope ration with the foot pedal which applies air to the service brakes at all wheels Subsection 6 5 Test Your Knowledge 1 Which shut off valves should be open and which closed 2 How can yo utestthat air flows to all trailers 3 How can yo utestthe tractorp rotection valve 4 How can yo utestth e trailer emergency brakes 5 How cany outestthe trailer service brakes These questions may be on your test If you can t answer all of them re read subsection 6 5 Page 6 11 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 7 DOUBLES AND TRIPLES This Section Covers Pulling Double Triple Trailers Coupling and Uncoupling Inspecting Doubles and Triples Checking Air Brakes This section has information you need to pass the CDL knowledge test for d riving safely with dou ble and triple trailers It tells about how im portant it i s to be very careful when driving with more than one trailer how to coupl e and uncouple correctly and about inspecting doubles and triples carefully You should also study Sections 2 5 and 6 7 1 Pulling Double Triple Trailers Take spe cial ca re when pulling two andth ree trailers Ther
71. scene e Limit the spread of material only if you ca n safely do so e Communicate the dange rofthe hazardou s materials to emergency response personnel e Provide em ergency respond ers wit h the shipping pa pers ande mergency re sponse information Follow this checklist Check to see that your driving partner is OK Keep shipping papers with you Keep people far away and upwind Warn others of the danger Send for help Follow your employer s instructions 9 7 3 Fires You might have to control minor truck fires on the road However unle ss you have the training an d Page 9 15 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual equipment to do so safel y don t fight haza rdous materials fire s Dealing wi th haza rdous material s fires requires special training and protective gear When you discover a fire send for help You may use the fire extinguisher to keep minor truck fires from spreading to ca rgo before firefighters arrive Feel trailer doors to see ifthey are hotbefo re opening the m If hot you may have aca rgo fire and should not open the doors Opening doors lets air in and may make the fire flare up Without air many fires only smolder until firemen arrive doing less damage If your cargo is already on fire iti s not safe to fight the fire Keep the shipping papers with you to g ive to emerg ency personnel as soon as they arriv e Warn oth er pe ople of the dange r and keep them away If you discover
72. ship ment prope rly according to law For example This is to certify th atthe aboven amed materials are properly cl assified descr ibed packag ed marked a nd labeled and are in pr oper cond ition for transportation according to the applicable regulations or the Department of Transportation or here byd eclare th atthe conte nts of this consignment are fully and accurately described above by the proper shipping name and are classified packaged marked and labeled placarded and are in all respects in proper con dition for trans portb y according to applicable internationalan d nati onal government regulations words may be inserted here to indicate mo de of transportation rail aircraft motor vehicle vessel Shipping paper A shipping order bill of lading manifest or other shi pping document serving a similar purp ose an dco ntaining the information required by Sec 172 202 172 203 and 172 204 Technical name A recognized chemical name or microbiological name currently use d in sci entific and technical handbooks journals and texts Transport vehicle A cargo carrying vehicle such as an a utomobile van tractor tru ck semi trailer tank car or rail ca r used for the tran sportation of cargo by an y mode Each cargo carrying bo dy trailer rail car et c is asep arate trans port vehicle UN standard packaging A sp ecification packaging conforming to the stan dards in the UN recommendations
73. sult knowing wh attodo_ be fore du ring and after loading or unloading students is critical This section will give you spec ific procedures to help you avoid un safe conditions which could result in injuries and fatalities du ring and after loadin g and unloading students The info rmation in thi s sectioni sin tended t o provide a broad overview but is not a definitive set of actions It is imperative that you earn and obey Section 10 School Buses the state laws and regul ations governi ng loading unloading operations in your state 10 2 1 Approaching the Stop Each school district establishes official routes and official school bu s stops A Il st ops sh ould be approved by the school district prior to making the stop You should never change the location of a bus stop without written app roval from the appropriate school district official You must u se extreme ca ution when approaching a school bus stop You a re in a ve ry demanding situation when entering th ese areas It is critica that you und erstand and follow all state and lo cal laws and regulations re garding app roaching a school bus stop This would involve the proper use of mirrors a Iternating fla shing light s and when equipped th e movea ble stop si gnalarm and crossing control arm When approaching the stop you should e Approach cautiously at a slow rate of speed e Look for ped estrians traffic or othe r obje cts before during and a
74. sup plies and d rugs You ca nca rrysm alla mounts ofsomeothe r hazardous m aterials if the ship per cannot se nd them any other way Buses must never carry e Division 2 3 poison ga s liquid Class 6 poison tear gas irritating material e More th an 100 po unds of solid Class 6 poisons e Explosives in the spa ce occupied by people except small arms ammunition e Labeled radioactive m aterials inth esp ace occupied by people e More tha n 500 po unds total ofa llowed hazardous m aterials and no mo rethan 100 pounds of any one class Riders sometimes board a bus with an unlabeled hazardous material Do not allow riders to carry on common hazards such as car batteries or gasoline 4 2 3 Standee Line No rider ma y stand fo rward of th erear ofthe driver s seat Buse s designed to allo w standing must have atwo inch line onthe floor orsome other means of showing riders where they can not stand This is called the standee line All standing riders must stay behind it 4 2 4 At Your Destination When arriving at the de stination o r in termediate stops announce e The location e Reason for stopping e Next departure time e Bus number Remind riders to ta ke carry ons with them if they get off the bu s If the aisle is on a lo wer level than the seats remind riders of the step down It is best to tell them before coming to a complete stop Charter bus drivers sho uld not allow riders on the bus until
75. sure lines are sup ported so they won t be damaged while driving the tractor Step 6 Unlock Fifth Wheel e Raise the release handle lock e Pull the release handle to open position Page 6 9 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Keep legs and feet cl ear ofthe rea rtractor wheels to avo id se rious in juryin case th e vehicle moves Step 7 Pull Tractor Partially Clear of Trailer e Pull tractor forward until fifth wheel c omes out from under the trailer e Stop with tractor fram e under trailer prevent s trailer fro m falling to gro und if landin g gear should collapse or sink Step 8 Secure Tractor e Apply parking brake e Place transmission in neutral Step 9 Inspect Trailer Supports e Make sure ground is supporting trailer e Make sure landing gear is not damaged Step 10 Pull Tractor Clear of Trailer e Release parking brakes e Check the area and drive tractor forward until it clears Subsections 6 3 and 6 4 Test Your Knowledge 1 What might happen if the trailer is too high when you try to couple 2 After coupling how much space should be between the upper and lower fifth wheel 3 You should look into the back of the fifth wheel to see if it is locked onto the kingpin True or False 4 To drive you need to raise the landing gear only until it just lifts off the pavement True or False 5 How do you know if your trailer is equipped with antilock brakes These questions m
76. take a ction b ased on you r plans In this way you will be a prepared defensive driver who will improve your own safety as well as the safety of all road users Subsections 2 7 and 2 8 Test Your Knowledge 1 How do you find out how many seconds of following distance space you have 2 If you are d riving a 30 foot vehicle at 55 mph how many se conds of following distance should you allow 3 You sho uld decrea se your following distance if somebody is f ollowing you too closely True or False 4 If you swing wide to the le ft before turning right another driver may try to pass you on the right True or False 5 What is a hazard Page 2 21 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 6 Why make emergency plans when you see a hazard These questions may be on the test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 2 7 and 2 8 2 9 Distracted Driving Whenever y ou are drivi ng a vehi cle and you r attention is not on the road you re putting yourself your passengers other vehicles and pedestrians in danger Distracted driving can result when you perform any ac tivity that may shift your full attention from the driving task Taking your eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel presents obvious drivi ng ri sks Me ntal activities that take your mind away from driving are just as dangerous Your eyes can gaze at objects in the driving scene but fail to see them be cause you r attention is d
77. the grade You mustu se th e bra king ef fect of the engine a s t he p rincipal way of controlling yo ur speed o n do wngrades T he braki ng e ffect of the engine is greatest when itis ne ar the gove rned roms and th e tran smission is in th e lo wer ge ars Save your brakes so you will be abl e to slow or stop a s required by road and traffic conditions Shift your transmi ssiont oalowge ar befo re starting do wn the g rade andu set he prope r braking te chniques Plea se read carefully the section on going do wn I ong stee p d owngrades safely in Mountain Driving 2 6 7 Roadway Work Zones Speeding traffic is the nu mber one cause of inju ry and death in roa dway wo rk zo nes O bserve the posted speed limits at all ti mes when approaching and d riving througha work zone Watch you r speedometer and dont all ow your speed to creep up asyou drive throug hlong sections of road construction Decre ase your speed for adve rse weather or road co nditions Decrease your sp eed even furthe rwhen aworkeri scl ose to the roadway Section 2 Driving Safely Subsections 2 4 2 5 and 2 6 Test Your Knowledge 1 How far ahead does the manual say you should look 2 What are two main things to look for ahead 3 What s your most important way to see the sides and rear of your vehicle 4 What does communicating mean in safe driving 5 Where should your reflectors be placed when stopped on a divided highway 6 What thre
78. the air los s rate is too much Check for air lea ks a nd fix before driving th e vehicl e Otherwise you co uld lo se yourb rakes while driving Check Air Compressor Governor Cut in and Cut out Pressures Pumping bythe air compressor should start at about 100 psi and stop at about 125 p si Che ckman ufacturer s specifications Run the e ngine at a fa st idle The air governor should cut out the air co mpressor at about the manufacturer s spe cified pressure The air pressure sh own by your gauge s will sto p rising With t he engine idling step on and off the brake to reduce the ai rtan kpressure Th compressor sh ould cut inat abo utthe manufacturer s spe cified cut i n pre ssure T he pressure should begin to rise If the air go vernor doe s not wo rk as de scribed above it may need to be fixed Ag overnor that does not work properly may not ke ep enough air pressure for safe driving Test Parking Brake Stop the vehi cle put the parking brake on and gently pull against it in a low gear to test that the parking brake will hold Test Service Brakes Wait for normal air pressure rel ease the pa rking b rake move th e vehicle forward slowly about five mph and apply the brakes firmly using th e brake pedal Note a ny vehicle pulli ng too ne sid e un usual feel or delayed stopping action This te stm ay sho w yo u problem s whi ch you otherwise wo uldn t kn ow about until you nee ded the brakes on the road
79. to practice the following safety tips e As a general rule keep as much space as possible bet ween your vehicle a nd large trucks Do not cut in front of a truck just be cause you see open space there That spa ce is the truck s cushion of safety because of its longer stopping di stance If you have to stop suddenly it will be very difficult for the truck to avoid hitting you Also if the truck has a long hood the driver may not be able to see you at all Do not linger alongside a truck you may be in the trucke rs blind spot The size and configuration of many trucks especially those with trailers create large blind spots for the truck driver If you cannot see a truck driver s face inone_ of his mirro rs the truck driver cannot see y ou and probably does not know that you are there If you are following a truck and cannot see the truck s side mirrors you are driving too close The driver cannot see you so back off e Always give trucks plenty of room whe n they are turning The rel ationship betwe en the cab mirrors and traile r change con stantly during a turn cre ating v arying blind spots Also trucks need extra space to turn because of their size Remember trucks don t drive like cars Generally speaking the bigger the truck is e The bigger its blind spots The more room it needs to maneuver The longer it takes to stop The longer it takes to pass it The more likely you re going to be t
80. your mirrors e f you are blocked on both sides a move to the right may be best At least you won tforce anyone into an opp osing traffic lane anda possible head on collision Leaving the Road In some em ergencies you may have to drive off the road It may be less ri sky than facing a collision with another vehicle Most shoulders are strong enou gh to support the weight ofa large vehicle and the refore offer an available escape route Here are some guidelines if you do leave the road Avoid Braking If possible avoid using the brakes until your speed has dropped to about 20 mp h Section 2 Driving Safely Then brake very gently to avoid skid ding on a loose surface Keep One Set of Wheels on the Pavement if Possible This helps to maintain control Stay on the Shoulder Ifthe shoul deris clear stay on it until your vehi cle has come toa stop Signal and check your mirrors before pulling back onto the road Returning to the Road If you are forced to return to the road before you can stop use the following procedure e Hold the wheel tightly and turn sharply enough to get right back on the road safely Don t try to edge g radually back o n the roa d If you do your tire s mi ght gra b un expectedly and you could lose control e When both front tires are o nthe pave d surface countersteer im mediately T he two turns should be mad easa single steer countersteer move 2 17 2 How to Stop Quickly and
81. 00 feet behind andahe ad of the vehicle on the shoulder or in the lane you stopped in See Figure 2 9 One Way or Divided Highway Figure 2 8 Section 2 Driving Safely Two Way or Undivided Highway Figure 2 9 Back beyond any hill curve or other obstruction that prevents other drivers from seeing the vehicle within 50 0 fe et If line of sight view i s obstructed due to hill or curve move the rear most triangle to a point back down the road so warning is provided See Figure 2 10 Page 2 13 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual OBSTRUCTED VIEW lt 100 500 gt Figure 2 10 When putting out the triangles hold them between yourself an d theo ncoming traffic fo ryouro wn safety So other drivers can see you Use Your Horn When Needed Your horn can let others know you re there It can h elp to avoid a crash Use y our horn when need ed Ho wever it can startle others and could be d angerous when used unnecessarily 2 6 Controlling Speed Driving too fast is a major cause of fatal crashe s You must adj ust your spe ed depending on driving conditions These include traction curves visibility traffic and hills 2 6 1 Stopping Distance Perception Dista nce Reaction Dista nce Braking Distance Total Stopping Distance Perception Distance Thisisthe distance yo ur vehicle trave Is from the time youre yes seea hazard u ntil your brai n recogni zes it The perception ti
82. 5 Commercial Driver s License Manual Subsections 2 11 2 12 2 13 and 2 14 Test Your Knowledge 1 You should use low beams whenever you can True or False 2 What should you do before you drive if you are drowsy 3 What effects can wet bra kes cause How can you avoid these problems 4 You sho uld let air outof hot tires so the pressure go es ba ck to norm al True or False 5 You can safely remove the radiator cap as long as the engine isn t overheated True or False These questions may be on the test If you can t answer all of them re read subsections 2 11 2 12 2 13 and 2 14 2 15 Railroad highway Crossings Railroad highway grade crossings areasp ecial kind of interse ction where the road way crosse s train tr acks Thes ecr ossings are alw ays dangerous Every su ch crossing must be approached with the exp ectation that atraini s coming 2 15 1 Types of Crossings Passive Crossings This type of crossi ng does not have any type of tra ffic co ntrol d evice The decision to stop or pro ceed rests entirely in your hands Passive crossings require you to recognize the crossing search for any train u sing the tra cks and decide if there is sufficient clear space to cross safely Passi ve crossin gs have yello wei rcular advance warning signs p avement markings a nd crossbucks to assist you in recognizing a crossing Active Crossings This type of crossingh asa traffic control device in stalled
83. Commercial Driver s License Manual 4 5 Prohibited Practices Avoid fueling your bus with riders on board unless absolutely necessary Never refuel in aclo sed building with riders on board Don t tal k with ride rs or enga gein any othe r distracting activity while driving Do nottow orpusha_ disabled b us with ri ders aboard the vehicle unless getting of fwouldbe unsafe Only tow or p ush the bus tot he nearest safe spot to discha rge p assengers F ollow yo ur employer s guidelines o ntowin go rpu shing disabled buses 4 6 Use of Brake door Interlocks Urban mass transit coaches may have a brake and accelerator interlock system The inte rlock applies the bra kes and holds the throttle in idle positio n when the rear door is open The interlock releases when you close the rear doo r Don otuse thi s safety feature in place of the parking brake Section 4 Test Your Knowledge 1 Name some things to check in the interior of a bus during a pre trip inspection 2 What a re some ha zardous mate rials y ou can transport by bus 3 What a re some ha zardous mate rials y ou can t transport by bus 4 What is a standee line 5 Does itma tterwh ereyo umak ea disruptive passenger get off the bus 6 How far fro m a rail road cro ssing should you stop fi When must you stop bef ore cro ssing a drawbridge 8 Describe f rom memo ry the p rohibited practices listed in the manual 9 The rear door of a transit
84. Compartment Checks Check Air Compressor Drive Belt if compressor is belt driven f the air compressor is belt driven check the condition a nd tightness of the belt It should be in good condition 5 3 2 During Step 5 Walkaround Inspection Check Slack Adjusters on S cam Brakes Park on level ground and chock the wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving Turn off the pa rking brakes so you can move the sla ck adjusters Use gl oves and pull hard on each slack adjuster that you can reach If a slack adju ster moves more than about one in ch where th e pu sh ro d attach es to it it probably ne eds a djustment Adjust itorh ave it adjusted Vehicles with too much brake slack can be very hard to stop Out of adjustment brakes are the mo st common problem foun di nro adside inspections Be safe Check the slack adjusters All vehicles built since 1991 have auto matic slack adjustors Even thou gh automatic slack adj ustors adjust them selves during full b rake a pplications they must be checked Automatic ad justers shouldn othave to be manually a djusted except whe n performing maintenance on the brake s and during installation of the sl ack adjusters In a vehicle equipped with automatic a djusters when the pu shrod st roke exceeds the legal brake adjustme nt limit it is an indication that a me chanical problem exists in the adjuster it self ap roblem witht he related foundation brake components or that the adju ster was im
85. If the brakes are wet use the brakes lightly while driving in a low gear to heat and dry them If your vehicle doe s not have automa tic air tan k drains drain your airtanks atth eendof each working da y to remove moisture and oil Otherwise the brakes could fail Never leave your vehicle unattended without applying the parking brakes or chocking the wheels Your vehicle might roll away and cause injury and damage Subsection 5 4 Test Your Knowledge 1 Why should you be in the proper gear before starting down a hill 2 What facto rs can cause brakes to fade or fail 3 Theu seof bra kes onalo ng steep downgrade i so nlya supplementt o the braking effect of the engine True or False 4 Ifyou are away from your vehicle only a short time youd o not need to u sethe parking brake True or False 5 How often should you drain air tanks 6 How do you brake when you drive a tractor trailer combination with ABS 7 You still have normal brake functions i f your ABS is not working True or False These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsection 5 4 Section 5 Air Brakes Page 5 10 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 6 COMBINATION VEHICLES This Section Covers Driving Combinations Combination Vehicle Air Brakes Antilock Brake Systems Coupling and Uncoupling Inspecting Combinations This section provides information needed to pass the tests fo
86. LOUISIANA COMMERCIAL DRIVER S LICENSE MANUAL CDL Study Manual COPYRIGHT AAMVA All Rights Reserved Revised Version 2005 This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under Cooperati ve A greement No DIFH61 97 X 00017 Any opinions findings conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the Author s and do not neces sarily reflect the view of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Table of Contents Page Louisiana has 5 classes of driver s license i i CDL Requirements jii CDL Renewals Office Locations iv CDL Full Service Office Locations V MO E A 1 1 DEVINO O ON ea E E E AA 2 1 Transporting Cargo Safely 0 0 cccccccssssssssssnnnnnnnnmmmnnesessessesesee 3 1 Transporting Passengers Safely cece ccccccccscscseeesssseeeeteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeee 4 1 AIP BraAK OS oooiicccccccccccccccccscccssccssccssesssvesssecssesssesssvessuesssesssvsessesstessseesstesstesssessseetstesstesstessesseeee 5 1 Combination Vehicles ooo ccc cccccccccccccssecsssecessecesstessssecssseessstessssesssseessssesee 6 1 Doubles and Triples 7 1 Tank Vehicles ooo ccccccccccccccccccccscccssccstesssecssessssessusssteessessseessvessuesstesssessstesstesssesssesseesseee 8 1 Hazardous Materials 11111iseeserernn 9 1 700610 Ac U ee na Te E 10 1 Pre Trip Vehicle INSPECTION siisii 11 1 Basic Vehicle Control Skills Te St oooocccccccccccccseecccsseecsstessssteseeeeee 12 1
87. N INHALATION HAZARD in the driver s cab or sleep ero r with food material forhuman_ or animal consumption The re are spe cial rule s for loading and unloading Class 2 materials in cargo tanks You must have special training to do this Class 7 Radioactive Materials Some packages of Class 7 Radioactive materials b ear a n umber called the t ransport ind ex The shi pper lab els these pac kages Radioactive II or Radioac tive Ill and p rints th e pa ckage s transport ind ex on the label Radiation surrounds each package passing through all nearby pa ckages Tod eal with thi s problem the numberof packages you can load together is controlle d Their closeness to peo ple animals and unexposed film is also controlled The transport ind ex tells the degree of control needed during transportation T he total tra nsport index of all packages in asin gle vehicle must not excee d 50 Table At o this section sh ows rules fore ach transport ind ex It sho ws how close you can oad Class 7 Radioactive materials to people animals Page 9 11 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual or film Fo r example you can t leave a pa ckage with a t ransport in dex of 1 1 withi n t wo fe et of people or cargo space walls Do Not Load Table Animal or human food unless the poison package is over packed in an approved way Foodstuffs are anything you swallow However mouthwash toothpaste and skin creams are not foodstuff Division 5 1 Oxidi
88. Page 5 7 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Subsections 5 2 and 5 3 Test Your Knowledge What is a dual air brake system What are the slack adjusters How can you check slack adjusters How can you test the low pressure warning signal 5 How can you check that the spring brakes come on automatically 6 What are the maximum leakage rates ee These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 5 2 and 5 3 5 4 Using Air Brakes 5 4 1 Normal Stops Push the brake pedal down Control the pressure so the vehicle comes to a smooth safe stop If you have a manual transmission don t push the clutch in until the engine rpm is down close to idle When stopped select a starting gear 5 4 2 Braking with Antilock Brakes When you b rake hard on slippe ry su rfaces in a vehicle without ABS your wheels may loc k up When your steering wheels lo ck up you lose steering control When yo ur other wheels lock up you may skid jackknife or even spin the vehicle ABS helps you avoid wheel loc k up The computer senses im pending locku p redu ces th e braki ng pressure to a safe level and you maintain control You may or may not be able to stop faster with ABS but yo u should be able to s teer around an obstacle while braking and avoid skids caused by over braking Having ABS on only the trac tor only the trailer or even on only one axle still gives you m ore c
89. Pre trip Inspection A pre trip inspec tion will help you find pro blems that could ca usea cra shor breakdown During a Trip For safety you should e Watch gauges for signs of trouble e Use your senses to che ck for problem s look listen smell feel e Check critical items when you stop gt Tires wheels and rims gt Brakes gt Lights and reflectors gt Brake and electrical connections to trailer gt Trailer coupling devices gt Cargo securement devices Post trip Inspection and Report You should do an after trip inspection at the end of the trip day or tour of d uty on ea ch vehicle you operated It may include filling out a vehicle conditio n report listin g any problems you find The inspection report helps a motor carrier know when the veh icle n eeds repairs Page 2 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 2 1 3 What to Look For Tire Problems e Too much or too little air pressure e Bad wear Y ou need at east 4 3 2 inch tread depth in every major groove on front tires You need 2 32 inch on other tires No fabric should show through the tread or sidewall e Cuts or other damage e Trea d separation e Dual tires that come in contact with each other or parts of the vehicle e Mismat ched sizes e Radial and bias ply tires used together e Cut or cracked valve stems e No truck or t ruck tractor shall operate with re caps onthe steering tires whi ch have a load capacity of 4920 pound
90. Prevention Pay attention to the following e Pre trip Inspection M akea complete inspection of the el ectrical fuel and exhaust systems tires and cargo Be sure to check that the fire extinguisher is charged Section 2 Driving Safely e In Route Inspec tion C heck the tires wheels and truck body for signs of heat whenever you stop during a trip e Follow Safe Procedures Follow correct safety procedures for fueling the vehicle usin g brakes han dling flare s and other activities that can cause a fire e Monitoring Check the instruments and gauges often for sig ns of overh eatinganduseth e mirrors to look for signs of smoke from tires or the vehicle e Caution Use norm al caution inh andling anything flammable 2 21 3 Fire Fighting Knowing how to fight fires is important Drivers who didn t kno w what to do have made fires worse Know how the fire extingu isher works Study the instructions printed on the extinguisher before you need it He re are some procedures to follo w in case of fire Pull Off the Road The first step is to get the vehicle off the road and stop In doing so e Parkin an open area away from buildings trees brush other ve hicles or anything that might catch fire e Don t pull into a service station e Notify eme rgency services of your p roblem and your location Keep the Fire from Spreading Before trying to put out th e fire make sure that itd oesn t spread any furthe
91. Pull ups You will not be penalized for initial pull ups or for safely stopping and exiting the vehicle to check the external po sition of the vehicle However an exce ssive number of pull ups exits or encroachments will result in autom atic failure of the basic skills test Vehicle Exits You may be permitted to safely stop an d exit the vehicle to check th e external position of the vehicle When d oing so you mu st place the ve hicle in neutral and sett he parking brake s Then when exiting the vehicle you must do so safely by facing the vehicle and maintaining three points of contact with the vehicle at all times If you do not safely secure the vehicle or safely exit the vehicle it may re sult in an a utomatic failure of the basic control skills test Final Position It is im portant that you f inish each exercise exactly as the examiner has in structed you If you don t maneuver the vehicle into its final position as described by the examiner you will be penalized and could fail the basic skills test Section 12 Basic Control Skills 12 2 EXERCISES 12 2 1 Straight Line Backing You may be askedtob ack yourve hiclein a straight line between two rows of cones with out touching or crossing over the exercise boundaries See Figure 12 1 12 2 2 Offset Back Right You may be asked to back into a space that is to the right re ar of your vehi cle You are to back into that space without stri kingthe si deorre
92. S MATERIALS This Section Covers e The Intent of the Regulations Bulk Tank Loading Unloading and Marking Driver Responsibilities Driving and Parking Rules Communications Rules Emergencies Loading and Unloading Hazardous materials are products that pose a risk to health safety and prope rty during transportation The term often is shorten ed to HAZMAT which you may see on road signs or to HM in government regulatio ns Hazardous materials include explosives various types of ga s solids flammable and combustible liquid and other materials Be cause of the risks i nvolved and th e potential con sequences these ri sks i mpose all levels of g overnmentre gulate the handling of hazardous materials The Hazardous M aterials Reg ulations HM R is found in parts 171 180 of title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations T he c ommon r eference for these regulations is 49 CFR 171 180 The Haza rdous Materials Tabl e in these regulations contains a list of these items However this listis not all in clusive Whether or not a material is consi dered h azardous is b ased on its characteristics andthe shipp er s decision on whether or not the mate rial meets a definition of a hazardous material in the regulations The regulati ons require vehicle stran sporting certain types or qu antities of hazard ous mate rials to display diamond shaped sq uare on point warning signs called placards This sectionisde signed to assi st
93. Side Lights d Reflectors Frame Landing Gear Tander Release Trader Axles a Suspension Brakes Tires Rear of Trader and Lights Reflectors Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Straight Truck or Bus Front of Velucle Lights Retlectors Engine Compartment amp Steering Components steering xe ae Suspension Brakes a Tires Drrer Door Fuel Area Under Velucle n Dre Shatt Exhaust Frame Passenger Items Buses Only School Bus terms Schools Bus Only side of Vehicle amp Lights Reflectors Dre Axle s a Suspension Brakes n Tires Rear of Vehi le amp Lishts Reflectors Page 11 8 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 12 Basic Vehicle Control Skills Test This Section Covers e Skills Test Exercises e Skills Test Scoring Your basic control skills could be tested using one ormo re of the followin g exerci ses off road or somewhere on the street during the road test e Straight line backing e Offset back right e Offs et back left e Parallel park driver side e Parallel park conventional e Alley dock These exercise saresh owninFi gures 12 1 through 12 6 12 1 SCORING e Cro ssing Boundaries encroachments e Pull ups e Vehicle Exits Encroachment The examiner will sco rethe number of times you to ucho r cro ss overa n exercise b oundary line with any portion of your vehicle Each encroachment will count as an error
94. ULTIPLE TRACKS Figure 2 17 Flashing Red Light Signals At many high way rail gra de crossin gs th e cro ssbuck signha s flashing red lights and bells When the lights begin to flash sto p A train is approa ching You are required to y ield the right of way to th e train If there is more than one tra ck make sure all tracks are clear before crossing See Figure 2 18 Gates Many railroad highway cro ssings have gates with flashing red lights and bells Stop when the lights begin to flash and before the gate lowers across th e road la ne Remain stopped until th e gates go up and the lights have stopped flashing Proceed when it is safe See Figure 2 18 Section 2 Driving Safely GATES LIGHTS Figure 2 18 2 15 3 Driving Procedures Never Race a Train to a Crossing Never attempt to race a train to a crossing It is extremely difficult to judge the speed of an approaching train Reduce Speed Speed must be redu cedin accordance with your ab ility to see approaching trains in any direction and speed must be held to a point which will permit y outo stop short of the tracks in case a stop is necessary Don t Expect to Hear a Train Because of noise inside your vehicle you cannot expect to hear the train horn until the train is dang erously close to the crossing Don t Rely on Signals You should not rely solely upon the pre sence of warning signals gates o r flagmen to warn ofthe approa cho f trains Be esp
95. Written route plan e Acopy of FMCSR Part 397 9 6 11 Equipment for Chlorine A driver transporting chlorine in cargo tanks must have an ap proved g as mask in the vehicl e The driver mu stalsohave an emergency kit for controlling leaks in dome cover plate fittings on the cargo tank Section 9 Hazardous Material 9 6 12 Stop Before Railroad Crossings Stop before a railroad crossing if your vehicle e s placarded e Carries any amount of chlorine e Has ca rgot anks wh ether load ed or empty used for hazardous materials You must activate your 4 ways within 100 feet of the nearest rail Your stop should be within 15 to 50 feet before the nearest rail Proceed only when you are sure no train is coming Don t shift gears while crossing the tracks 9 7 Hazardous Materials Emergencies 9 7 1 Emergency Response Guidebook ERG The De partment of Tran sportation has a guidebook f or firefighters poli ce and in dustry workers o n how to p rotect the mselves and the public from hazardous materials T he gui dei s indexed by p roper shipping name and hazardous materials i dentificationnumbe r Emerge ncy personnel lo ok for the se things onthe shippi ng paper That is why it is vital that the prop er shipping n ame identification numb er label and placards are correct 9 7 2 Accidents Incidents As a p rofessional driver your job at th e scene of an accident is to e Keep people away from the
96. a dand secure the ca rgo yourself you are responsible for e Inspecting your cargo e Recognizing overloa ds and p oorly balanced weight e Knowing your ca rgo i s properly secured and does not obscure your view ahead or to the sides e Knowing you rcargo doesn otre strict your access to emergency equipment If you intend to carry hazardous material that requires pla cards on you r vehicle yo u will also need to have a hazardous materials endorsement Section 9 of this man ual has the information you need to pass the hazardous materials test 3 1 Inspecting Cargo As part of your pre tri p inspection make sure the truck is not overloaded and the cargo is balanced and secured properly After Starting Inspect the cargo and its securing devices a gain within th e first 50 miles afte r beginning a trip Make any adjustments needed Re check Re check th ecargoan dsecuri ng devices as often as necessary during a trip to keep the load secure A good habit is to inspect again Section 3 Transporting Cargo Safely e After you have driven for 3 hours or 150 miles e After every break you take during driving Federal state and local regulations for commercial vehicle weight securing cargo covering loads and where you can drive large vehicles vary from place to place Know the rules where you will be driving 3 2 Weight and Balance You are responsible for not being overloaded The following are some definitions o
97. a kes tire s spring s and shock absorbers on heavy vehicles are de signed to wo rk be st wh enth e vehicle is fu Ily loaded Empty trucks require gre ater stop ping distan ces because an empty vehicle has less traction Page 2 14 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 2 6 2 Matching Speed to the Road Surface You can t steer or brake a vehicle unless you have traction T raction is frictio n between the tires a nd the roa d Th ere a re som e roa d co nditions that reduce traction and call for lower speeds Slippery Surfaces It will take longer t o stop and it will be harder to turn without skidding when the road is sli ppery Wet roads cand ouble sto pping distance You must drive slower to be able to stop inthe same distance as on a dry roa d Reduce speed by a bout one third e g slo w from 55 to about 35 m ph ona_ wet road On packed snow reduce speed by a half or more If the surface is icy reduce speed toa crawl and stop driving a s soon as you can safely do so Identifying Slippery Surfaces Sometimes it s hard to know if the road is slippery Here are some signs of slippery roads e Shaded Areas Shady pa rts ofthe ro ad will remain icy and slippery long after op en areas have melted e Bridges When the temperature drops bridges will freeze before the road will Be especi ally careful when the tempera ture is close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit e Melting Ice Slight melting will make ice wet Wet ice is
98. a llen on the road can b e haza rds They canbea_ danger to your tire s and wheel ri ms Th ey can da mage electrical an d brake line s They canbe caught between du al tires a nd cause severe dama ge Some obstacles that appear to be harmless can be very dang erous F or ex ample cardboard boxe s may be emp ty but they may also co ntain some solid orhea vyma terialc apable ofc ausing damage Th e sam e is true of pa per and clot h sacks It is i mportant to remain alert for objects of Page 2 19 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual all sorts so you can see them early enough to avoid them without making sudden unsafe moves Off Ramps On Ramps Freeway a nd turnpi ke exits can be particularly dangerous for commercial vehicles Off ram psa ndon ra mps often have speed limit signs posted Remember these speeds may be safe for automobiles but may not be safe for larger vehicles or heavily loaded vehicles Exits that go downhill and turn at the same t ime can be especially da ngerous Th e do wngrade ma kes it difficult to reduce speed Braking and turning at the same time canbe a da ngerous p ractice M ake sure you are going slo wly enough b efore you get on the curved part of an off ramp or on ramp 2 8 3 Drivers Who Are Hazards In order to protect you rself and others you must know when othe rd rivers may do so mething hazardous Some cl ues to this type of hazard are discussed below Blocked Vision People who can
99. ailroad tracks 2 15 6 Special Situations Be Aware T hese trailers can get stuck on raised crossings e Low slung units lo wboy car carrier moving van possum belly livestock trailer e Single axle tractor pulling a long trailer with its landing gear setto accommodate at andem axle tractor If for any reason you get stuck on the tracks get out of the vehicle and away from the tracks Check signposts o rsignalh ousing atthe crossin g for emergency notification i nformation Call9 110r other emergency number Give the location of the crossing using all identifiable landmarks especially the DOT number if posted 2 16 Mountain Driving In mountain driving gravity plays a maj or role On any upgrade gravity slows you down The steeper the grade the longer the grade and or the heavier the load the more you will have to use lower gears to climb hills or mountains In coming down long steep do wngrades g ravity cau ses th e spee d of your vehicl e to increa se You must select an appropriate safe speed then use al ow gear and Section 2 Driving Safely proper braking techniques You should plan ahead and obtai n information about any ong ste ep grades alo ng your pla nned route o f travel If possible talk to other drivers who are f amiliar with the grades to find out what speeds are safe You must go slowly en ough so you r brakes can hold you back without getting too hot If the brakes become too hot
100. ain Driving Driving Emergencies Antilock Braking Systems Skid Control and Recovery Accident Procedures Fires Alcohol Other Drugs and Driving Staying Alert and Fit to Drive Hazardous Materials Rules This section contains knowledge and safe driving information t hat all com mercial drivers should know You must pass a test on this information to get a CDL This sectio n does n ot have spe cific information o n air brakes combi nation vehicle s doubles or passenger vehicl es When pre paring for the P re trip Insp ection Test you must review the materi alin Section 11inad_ dition to the information in this section This section does have basic information on hazardous materials HazMat that all drivers should know If you need a HazMat endorsement you should study Section 9 Section 2 Driving Safely 2 1 Vehicle Inspection 2 1 1 Why Inspect Safety is the mosti mportant re ason y ou in spect your vehicle safety for yourself and for other ro ad users A vehicle defect found during an inspection could save you p roblems late r You coul d have a breakdown on the road t hat will cost time and dollars or even worse a cra sh cau sed by the defect Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their ve hicles Fede ral and state in spectors al so may inspect your vehicles If they judge the vehicle to be unsafe they will put it out of service until it is fixed 2 1 2 Types of Vehicle Inspection
101. air escape when the brakes are released gt Check airb rake system pressure gau ge for signs of major air loss e When you are sure trailer brakes are working start engine e Make sure air pressure is up to normal Step 9 Lock Trailer Brakes Pull out the air supply knob o r move the tracto r protection valve co ntrolfrom norm al to emergency Step 10 Back Under Trailer e Use lowest reverse gear e Back tractor slowly under trailer to avoid hitting the kingpin too hard e Stop when the kingpin is locked i nto the fifth wheel Step 11 Check Connection for Security e Raise trailer landing gear slightly off ground e Pull tracto r gently forwa rd while th e trailer brakes are still locked to check that the trailer is locked onto the tractor Step 12 Secure Vehicle e Put transmission in neutral e Put parking brakes on e Shutoff engine andta kekeywith you so someone else won t move truck while you are under it Page 6 8 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Step 13 Inspect Coupling e Use a flashlight if necessary e Make surethereis no space between upper and lower fifth wheel If there is spa ce something is wrong kingpin may be on top of the clo sed fifth whe el jaws and t railer would come loose very easily e Gounder trailer and look into the back of the fifth wheel Make sure t he fifth whe el jaws have closed around the shank of the kingpin e Check that the locking lever is in t
102. akes could be da maged by th e combined forces of the springs and the air pressure Many brake systems are d esigned so this will not happ en But not all systems are setup that way and tho se that are may not always work It is much bette r to develop Page 5 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual the habit of not pushing the bra ke pedal d own when the spring brakes are on Modulating Control Valves In some vehicles a control handle on the dash board may be u sed to apply the spring brakes gradually This is called a modulating valve It is spring loaded so you have a feel for the braking action The more you move the control leve r the ha rder the spring brakes come on Th ey wo rk this way so you can control the spring b rakes ifthe service br akes fail W hen parking a vehicle with a modulatin g control valve move the lever as far as it will go and hold it in place with the locking device Dual Parking Control Valves When main ai r pressure is lost the spring brakes come on Some vehicles such as buses have a separate air tan k which can be used to release the spring brakes Thisi s so youcanm ovetheve hicleina n emergency One of the va Ives is a p ush pull type and is used to put on the spring brakes for parking The othe r valve is sp ring loade din the out position When you push the control in air from the separate air tank releases the spring brakes so you can move When you release the button the spring br
103. akes come on again There is only enough air in the separate tank to do this a few times Therefore plan carefully when movin g Otherwi se you may be stop ped in a dange rous lo cation when the separate air supply runs out See Figure 5 3 5 1 16 Antilock Braking Systems ABS Truck tr actors with a ir brakes b uilt on or a fter March 1 1997 and oth erai rb rakes vehi cles trucks buses tr ailers and converter dollies built on o r after March 1 1998 are re quired to be equipped with antilock brake s Many commercial vehicles b uilt before th ese dates have be en voluntarily equipped with ABS Check the certification abel for th e date of man ufacture to determine if your vehic le is equipped with ABS ABS is ac omputerized sys tem that keeps your wheels fr om lo ckingup d uringha rdbr ake applications Vehicles with ABS have yellow malfunction lamps to tell you if something isn t working Tractors trucks and buses will have y ellow ABS malfunction lamps on the instrument panel Trailers will have yellow ABS malfunction lamps on the left si de either on the front orre ar corner Dollies manufactured on or after March 1 1998 are required to have a lamp on the left side Section 5 Air Brakes TRACTOR PROTECTION VALVE amp EMERGENCY TRAILER BRAKE OPERATION Tractor protection valve e Provides air supply e Closes automatically if air supply drops when driving The parking brakes when applied close the
104. al may gaint oomu ch speed on downgrades Stopping distance increases Brakes can fail when forced to work too hard During bad weather or in mountains it may not be safe to operate at leg al maximum weights Take this into account before driving 3 2 3 Don t Be Top heavy The height of the vehicle s center of gravity is very important for safe handling A high center of gravity cargo piled up high or heavy cargo on top means you are more likely to tip over It is most dangerous in curve s or if you have to swervet o avoid a hazard It is very important to distribut e the ca rgo so it is as low as possible Put the heaviest parts of the cargo under the lightest parts 3 2 4 Balance the Weight Poor weight balance can ma ke ve hicle ha ndling unsafe Too much weight on the steering axle can cause hard steering It can dam age the ste ering axle and tires Under loaded front axles caused by shifting weig ht too far to the rea r can make the steering axle weight too li ght to stee r safely Too little weight on the drivin g axles can cause poor traction The drive wheels may spin ea sily During bad weather the truck m ay not be ab le to keep going Weight that is loa ded sothereis a high center of gravity causes greater chance of rollover On flat bed vehicles there is also a greater chance that the load will shift to the side orf all off See Figure 3 1 3 3 Securing Cargo 3 3 1 Blocking and Bracing Bl
105. al Driver s License Manual special hazardous materials cargo such as rocket fuel Find out about pe rmits exem ptions and special routes for the places you drive 9 1 The Intent of the Regulations 9 1 1 Contain the Material Transporting haza rdous materials ca n be risky The regulations are intended to protect you those around you and the environment They tell shippers how to pa ckage the materials safely and drivers ho w to load transpo rt and unloadth e material These are called containment rules 9 1 2 Communicate the Risk To comm unicate t he ri sk shipp ers must wa rn drivers and others abo ut t he material s ha zards The regulations req uire ship pers to put hazard warning la bels on pa ckages provide pro per shipping papers emergency response information and pla cards The sest eps communicate the hazard to the shipper the carrier and the driver 9 1 3 Assure Safe Drivers and Equipment In order to get a hazardous materials endorsement ona CDL you mu st pa ssa written test ab out transporting hazardous materials To pass the test you must know how to e Identify what are hazardous materials e Safely load shipments e Properly pla card yo ur ve hicle in a ccordance with the rules e Safely transport shipments Learn the rules and follo w the m Foll owing the rules redu ces the ri sk of injury from hazard ous materials Ta king shortcuts by brea king rule s is unsafe Rule
106. an 400 kg 882 pounds and am aximum capacity of 450 L 119 gallons or lessa s areceptacle fora solid or 3 A water capacity greater than 454 kg 1 000 pounds or less as a receptacle fora gas as defined in Sec 173 115 N O S Not otherwise specified Outage or ullage Th eamountb ywhich a packaging fa Ils sh ort of being liqui d full usually expressed in percent by volume Portable tank Bulk packaging except a cylinder having a water capacity of 1 000 p ounds or less designed p rimarily to b e loade d onto oro n or temporarily attached to a transport vehicle or ship ande quipped with skids moun tings o r accessories t o facilitate h andling of th e tank by mechanical means It does notin clude aca rgo tank tank car multi unit t ank car tank or trailer carrying 3AX 3AAX or 3T cylinders Proper shipping name Then ame ofthe hazardous m aterials sh own in Rom an print not italics in Sec 172 101 Section 9 Hazardous Material P s i or psi Pounds per square inch P s i a or psia Pou ndsp er squarei nch absolute Reportable quantity RQ The quantity specified in Column 2 ofthe Appen dix to Sec 1 72 101 for any materi al identifiedi n Col umn 1 ofthe Appendix RSPA Th eRe search and S pecial Prog rams Administration U S Department of Transportation Washington DC 20590 Shipper s certification A statem enton a shipping paper si gned b y the shi pper saying he she prepa red the
107. and Recovery A skid hap pens whenever the tires lose their grip on the road This is caused in one of four ways Over braking Braking too hard and locking up the wheels S kids al so can occur when usin g the speed retarder when the road is slippery Over steering Turning the wheels more sharply than the vehicle can turn Over acceleration Supplying too much power to the drive wheels causing them to spin Driving Too Fast Most serious skids result from driving too f ast for road con ditions Drivers who adjust their driving to con ditions don t over accelerate and don t have to over b rake or over steer from too much speed 2 19 1 Drive wheel Skids By far the m ost common skid is one in which the rear wh eels lose tracti onthro ugh exce ssive brakingo ra cceleration Sk ids causedb y acceleration usually ha ppenoni ceorsn ow Taking your foot off the accelerator can easily stop them If itis very slippery pus h the c lutch in Otherwise the engine can keep the wheels from rolling freely and regaining traction Rear wh eel braking skids occu r whe nthe rea r drive wheel s lock Beca use lo cked wheels have less traction than rollin g whe els the rear wheel s usually slide sideways in an attempt to catch up with the front wheels In a bus or straight truck the vehicle will slide sideways ina spin out With vehicles towing trailers a drive wheel skid can let the trailer p ushthe to wing vehi cle side ways cau
108. ation e Liftmustb e fully retracted and latched securely 11 2 7 Tractor Coupling Air Electric Lines e Listen for air leaks Che ck that air ho ses and electrical lines are n ot cut chafed spli ced or worn steel braid should not show through e Make sure airan dele ctrical lin es are not tangled pin ched or dragging a gainst tracto r parts Catwalk e Check that the catwalk is solid clear of objects and securely bolted to tractor frame Mounting Bolts e Look for loo se or mi ssing mounting b rackets clamps bolts or nuts Both the fifth wh eel and the slide mounting must be solidly attached e Onother types of coupling systems i e ball hitch pintle hook etc insp ect all couplin g components and mo unting brackets for missing or broken parts Locking Jaws e Look into fifth wheel gapand check that locking ja ws are fully closed around the kingpin e Onother types of coupling systems i e ball hitch pintle hoo k etc insp ect the lockin g mechanism f or mi ssing o r b roken pa rts and make sure it is locked securely If present safety cable s or chain s must be secure and free of kinks and excessive slack Platform Fifth Wheel e Check for cracks or bre aksinth ep latform structure whi ch supports the fifth whe el skid plate Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Release Arm Fifth Wheel e If equipped make sure the release arm is in the engaged position and the safety latch i
109. ave poor lighting On most roads you will prob ably have to depe nd entirely on your headlights Less light m eans you wi Ilnotbeab letose e hazards as well as in daytime Road users who do not have ligh ts are h ard to see Th ere are ma ny accidents at night involv ing pede strians jogge rs bicyclists and animals Even when there are lights the road scene can be confusing Traffic signals and hazards can be hard tose ea gainsta ba ckground of signs shop windows and other lights Drive slower when lighting is poor or confusing Section 2 Driving Safely Drive slowly enough to be sure you can stop in the distance you can see ahead Drunk Drivers Drunk dri vers and dri vers un der the influence of drugs are a hazard to themselves and to yo u Be espe cially alert a round the cl osing times for bars and taverns Watch for drivers who have trouble staying in their lan eor maintaining speed who stop without reason or sho w other signs of b eing under the influence of alcohol or drugs 2 11 4 Vehicle Factors Headlights At night your headlights will usually be the main source of lig ht for you to see by and for others to see you You can tsee nearly as much with you r he adlights as y ou see i n th e daytime With low beams you can see ahead about 250 feet and with high beams about 350 500 feet You must adjust your speed to keep your stopping distance within your sight distance This means going slowly enough to be
110. ay be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 6 3 and 6 4 6 5 Inspecting a Combination Vehicle Use the seven step insp ection pro cedure described in Section 2 to inspect your combination vehicle Th ere arem ore things toin specton a combination vehicle than ona single vehicle For example tires wh_ eels lights reflectors etc Section 6 Combination Vehicles However there are also some new things to check These are discussed below 6 5 1 Additional Things to Check During a Walkaround Inspection Do these checks in addition to those already listed in Section 2 Coupling System Areas e Check fifth wheel lower gt Securely mounted to frame gt No missing or damaged parts gt Enough grease gt No visible space between upper and lower fifth wheel gt Locking ja ws around the sh ank not the head of kingpin See Figure 6 8 gt Release arm prop erly se ated and safety latch lock engaged Kingpin Figure 6 8 e Check fifth wheel upper gt Glide pl ate securely mo unted to tra iler frame gt Kingpin not damaged e Air and electric lines to trailer gt Electrical co rd firmly pl uggedina_ nd secured gt Air lines properly connected to glad hands no air leaks properly secured with enough Slack for turns gt Alllines free from damage e Sliding fifth wheel gt Slide not damaged or parts missing gt Prope rly greased Page 6 10 2005 Co
111. basic description The packaging type and theu nit of measurement may be abbreviated For example 10 ctns Paint 3 UN1263 PG II 500 Ibs The shipper of hazardo us wastes must p ut the word WASTE before the p roper shipping name of the mate rialonth e shipping pa per h azardous waste manifest For example Waste Acetone 3 UN1090 PG Il A non hazardous material may not be described by using a hazard class or an identification number 9 3 6 Shipper s Certification When the shi pper packages hazardous materials he she ce rtifies that the packa ge has be en prepared a ccording to the rules T he si gned shipper s ce rtification appears ont heo riginal shipping paper The only exceptions are wh ena shipper is a private carrier transporting their o wn product and whe n the package is provided by the carrier fo r example a cargo ta nk Unle ss a package Is clearly unsafe or does not comply with the HMR you may accept the ship per s certification con cerning proper pa ckaging Some carriers have additional rules a bout transportin g hazardous materials Follow your em ployer s rules when accepting shipments 9 3 7 Package Markings and Labels Shippers p rint requi red markings directly on the package an attache d label or tag An importa nt package markingis the name ofthe hazardous materials Itis the same name asthe one onthe shipping paper The requirements for marking vary by packa ge size and material b eing t
112. bei nspected on every tire gt Treadd epth Ch eck fo r minimum t read depth 4 32 on steering axle tires 2 32 on all other tires gt Tire condition Check that tread is ev enly worn and look for cuts or other damage to tread or side walls Also make sure that valve caps and stem s are not missing broken or damaged gt Tire inflation Check for proper inflation by using a tire gauge Note You will not get credit if you simply kick the tires to check for proper inflation Hub Oil Seals Axle Seals See that hub oil grease seals and axle seals are not leaking and if wheel has a sight glass oil level is adequate Lug Nuts Check that all lug nuts are present free of c racks and distortions and show no signs of looseness such as rust trails or shiny threads Make sure all bolthole sarenotcracke dor distorted Spacers If equipped che ck that spa cers are not bent damaged or rusted through Spacers should be evenl y centered with the dual wheels and tires evenly separated Note Be pre pared to perfo rm the same wheel inspection on every axle power u nit and trailer if equipped Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Note If your vehicle has budd rims you should check for no gap between rims tires evenly spaced and no debris in between tires or rims 11 2 5 Side of Vehicle Door s Mirror s e Check that door s are no t damaged a nd that they open and close properly from the outside
113. bers are preceded by the letters UN or NA The letters NA are a ssociated with proper shipping nam es that are only used within the United States and to and from Ca nada The id entification number must appear ont he shi pping papera s part ofthe shipping description an dalsoap pear onthe package It also mu st appear on cargo tanks a nd other bulk p ackaging Po lice a nd firefighters u se this num ber to quickly identify the haza rdous materials Page 9 5 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Column 5 shows the packing g roup in Roman numeral assigned to a material Column 6 shows the h azard warning label s shippers must put on packag es of hazard ous materials Some products require use of more than one label due to a dual h azard being present No label i s ne eded whe re th e table shows the word NONE Column 7 lists the additio nal spe cial provisions that apply to this material When there is an entry in this col umn you must refer to the federal regulations for specific in formation The nu mbers 1 6 in this column mean the hazardous material is a poison inh alation ha zard PIH PIH material s have sp ecial requi rements for shipping pap ers marking and placards Column 8i sathre e part colum n sh owing the section nu mbers cov eringthe packagin g requirements for each hazardous material Note Columns 9 and 10 do not apply to transportation by highway Appendix A to 49 CFR 172 101 The List of
114. bove 2 7 3 Space to the Sides Commercial vehicles are often wide a nd take up most of a lane Safe drivers will manage what little space they have You can do this by keeping your vehicle centered in yo url ane and av oid driving alongside others Staying Centered in a Lane You need to keep your ve hicle ce nteredinthe la neto ke ep safe clearance on either si de If your vehicl e is wid e you have little room to spare Page 2 17 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Traveling Next to Others There are two dang ers in traveling alongside other vehicles e Another d river may cha nge lane s sudde nly and turn into you e You may be trapped when you need to change lanes Find an open sp ot whe re you aren t near other traffic When traffic is heavy it may be hard to find an open spot If you must travel near oth er vehicles try to keep as much space as possible between you and them Also dro p b ack or pull forward so that you are sure the other driver can see you Strong Winds Strong winds ma ke it difficult to stay in your lane The problem is usually worse for lighter ve hicles This problem can be espe cially bad coming out of tunn els Don t d rive alon gside others if you can avoid it 2 7 4 Space Overhead Hitting overh ead obj ects is ada nger Make sure you always have overhead clearance e Don t assume that the heights p osted at bridges and overpasses are correct Re paving or pa cked sn
115. build the air pressure to govern ed cut out 12 0 125 psi gt Shut off the engine chock your wh eels if necessary relea se the t ractor protecti on valve and parking brake pu sh in f ully apply the foot bra ke and hold it for one minute Check the air gau ge to see if the air pressure drops more than three pounds inon emi nute sin gle vehicle o r four pounds i none minute com bination vehicle gt Begin fanni ng offthea ir pressu re by rapidly applying an d rele asing the fo ot brake Lo w air warning devices bu zzer light flag shoulda ctivate before air pressure drops below 60 psi gt Continue to fan off the air pressu re At approximately 40 psion a tractor trailer combination vehicle the t ractor protection valve and parking brake valve should close pop out O n othe r combination vehi cle types and single vehicle types the parking brake valve should close pop out Safety Belt e Check that the safety belt is securely mounted adjusts not cut or frayed and latches properly Page 11 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Lights Reflectors e Check that all external ights a nd re flective equipment arecl ean functionala ndn ot broken Light and reflector checks include gt Clearance li ghts redo nre ar am ber elsewhere gt Headlights high and low beams gt Taillights gt Turn signals gt Four way flashers gt Brake lights gt Red refle ctors on rea r andamb er
116. cape ramp If there is one there ll be signs telling you about it Use it Ramps are usually located a few miles from the top of the downgrade Every year hundr eds of drivers avoid injury to themselves or damage to their vehicles by using escape ramps Some escape ramps use soft gravel that resi sts the motion of the vehicle an d brings it to a stop Others turn uphill using the hill Section 2 Driving Safely to stop th e vehicle and soft gravel t o hold it in place Any driver who loses br akes going downhill should use an escape ramp if it s available f you don t use it your chances of having a serious crash may be much greater Ifnoe scape ra mpi s a vailable ta ke the east hazardous escape route you can such as an open field or a sid e road that flattens out or turns uphill Make the move as soon as you know your brakes don t work The lon ger you wait th e faste r the vehicle will go and the harder it will be to stop 2 17 4 Tire Failure Recognize Tire Failure Quickly kn owing y ou have a tire failure will let you have m ore time t o react Having jus ta few extra seconds to remember what iti s you re supposed tod o can help you The major signs of tire failure are e Sound The loud bang ofa blowout is an easily recognized sign Because it can take a few se conds for your vehicle tore act you might think it was some other vehicle But any time you hea r a tire blow you d be sa fest to assume it is y
117. carded vehicle not laden with explosives within five feet of the traveled pa rt of the road o nly if your work requi res it Do so only briefly Some one must al ways watch the vehicle when parked on a publi c roadway or shoulder Do not uncouple a traile r and leave it with hazardous materials on a public street Do not park within 300 feet of an open fire 9 6 3 Attending Parked Vehicles The person attending a placarded vehicle must e Beinthev ehicle awake and not inthe sleeper berth or within 100 feet of the vehicle and have it within clear view e Be aware of the hazards of the materials being transported e Know what to do in emergencies e Be able to move the vehicle if needed 9 6 4 No Flares You mig ht break down and have to use sto pped vehicle signals Use reflective trian gles o r red electric lights Never use burning signals such as flares or fuses around a e Tank used for Class 3 Flammable Liquids or Division 2 1 Flammable Gas whether loaded or empty e Vehicle oaded with Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B Explosives 9 6 5 Route Restrictions Some states and co unties req uire permit s to transport ha zardous m aterials o r wastes T hey may limit the routes you can use Local rules about routes and permits change often Itis your job as driver to find out if you need permits or must use special route s Make su re you have all need ed papers before starting If you work fo
118. cations ABS is an addition to your normal brakes It does not decrea se or increa se your normal bra king capability ABS only acti vates when wheels are about to lock up ABS does not necessarily shorten your stopping distance but it does help you ke ep the vehicle under control during hard braking 2 18 1 How Antilock Braking Systems Work Sensors det ect pote ntial whe ello ck up An electronic control unit E CU will then decrease brake pressure to avoid wheel lockup Brake pre ssureisa _ djusted to provide the maximum braking without danger of lockup ABS works far faster than the driver can respond to potential wheel lockup At all other times the brake system will operate normally 2 18 2 Vehicles Required to Have Antilock Braking Systems The Department of T ransportation requires that ABS be on e Truck tractors with air brakes built on or after March 1 1997 e Other ai rb rake vehi cles t rucks buses trailers and converter dollies built on or after March 1 1998 e Hydraulically braked trucks and buses with a gross ve hicle weight ratin g of 10 000 Ibsor more built on or after March 1 1999 Many commercial vehicles built before these dates have been voluntarily equipped with ABS 2 18 3 How to Know If Your Vehicle Is Equipped with ABS Tractors trucks and buses will have y ellow ABS malfunction lamps on the instrument panel Trailers will have yellow ABS malfunction lamps on the
119. cle symbol to warn you Thisisa_ red triangle with an orange center Watch for it Drivers Signaling a Turn May Be a Hazard Drivers signaling a turn may slow more than expected or stop Ifthey are making a tight turn into an alley or driveway they may go very slowly If pedestrians or other vehicles bl ock them they may have to stop on the roadway Vehicles turning left may have to stop for oncoming vehicles Drivers in a Hurry Drivers may _ feel you r commercial vehicle is preventing them from getting where they want to go on time Such d rivers may pass yo u withouta safe gap inth eon coming traffic cuttin g too clo se infront of you Drive rs entering the road may pull in front of you in order to avoid being stuck behin d you causi ng you to brake Be aware of this and watch for drivers who are in a hurry Impaired Drivers Drivers who are sleepy have had too much to drink are on dru gs or who are ill are hazards Some clues to these drivers are e Weaving across the road or drifting from one side to another e Leaving the road dropping right wheels onto the shoulder or bum ping across a curbin a turn e Stopping atthe wro ng time sto pping ata green light or waiting for too long at a stop e Open window in cold weather e Speeding up or slowing down suddenly driving too fast or too slow Be alert for drunk drivers and sleepy drivers late at night Section 2 Driving Safely Driver Body Movement as a Cl
120. clearances and students at the side of the bus These mirrors present a view of people and objects that does not a ccurately refle ct their si ze and distance from the bus You should position these mirrors to see The entire si de of the bu suptothemirro r mounts e Front of the rear tires touching the ground e Atleasto ne traffic lane on either side of the bus Figure 10 3 sho ws how both the outside leftan d right side convex mirrors should be adjusted 10 1 5 Outside Left and Right Side Crossover Mirrors These mirrors are mounted on both eft and right front corners of the bus T hey are used to see the front bumper danger zone area directly in front of the bus that is not visible by direct vision and to view the danger zone area to the left side and Section 10 School Buses LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE CONVEX MIRRORS Figure 10 3 right side of the bus including the service door and front wh eel area T he mirror p resents a view of people and objects that does not accurately reflect their size and distance from the bus The driver muste nsure thatthe se mirrors are prope rly adjusted Ensure that the mirrors a re pro perly a djusted so you can see e The entire area in front ofthe busf rom the front bumper at groun d level to a p oint where direct vision is possible Dire ct vision and mirror view vision should overlap e The right and left front tire stou ching the ground e The area from
121. cover your hazardous materials shi pments slowly leaking from the vehicle Thereisno phonea round What should you do 8 What i s the Emergency Response G uide ERG These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 9 6 and 9 7 9 8 Hazardous Materials Glossary This glossary presents def initions of ce rtain terms used in this section Aco mplete glossary of terms can be found in the federal Ha zardous Materials Rules 49 CFR 171 8 You should have an up to date copy of these rules for your reference Note You will not be tested on this glossary Sec 171 8 Definitions and abbreviations Bulk packaging Packaging other than a vessel or a barge including a transport vehicle or freight Page 9 18 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual container in which hazardous materials are loaded with no inte rmediate form of contai nmment and which has 1 A maximum capacity greater than 450 L 119 gallons as a receptacle for a liquid 2 A maximum net mass greater than4 00 kg 882 pounds or a maximum capacity greater than 450 L 119 gallons as a receptacle for a solid or 3 Awater capacity greater than 454 kg 1000 pounds as a receptacle for a gas as defined in Sec 173 115 Cargo tank A bulk packaging which 1 Is a tank intended primarily for the carriage of liquids or gases and includes appurtenances reinforcements fittings a nd closures fo r tank se
122. cured just like any other cargo You cannot insp ect sealed loads but you sho uld check that you don t exceed gross weight and axle weight limits 3 4 Cargo Needing Special Attention 3 4 1 Dry Bulk Dry bulk tanks require special care because they have a high center of gravity and th e load ca n shift Be extremely cautious s low and careful going around curves and making sharp turns Section 3 Transporting Cargo Safely 3 4 2 Hanging Meat Hanging meat su spended beef po rk lamb ina refrigerated truck can b e a very unstable load with a high ce nter of gravity Particular cautioni s needed on sharp curves such as off ramps and on ramps Go slowly 3 4 3 Livestock Livestock can move a round in a trail er ca using unsafe han dling With le ss thana full load use false b ulkheads to ke eplivesto ck bun ched together Ev en when bu nched special ca re is necessary be cause live stock can lean on curves This shifts the center of gravity and makes rollover more likely 3 4 4 Oversized Loads Over length over width a nd or overwe ight loads require spe cial tran sit p ermits Driving is usually limited to certain times Special equipment may be necessary such as wi de loa d si gns flashing lights flags etc Such lo ads may requi re a poli ce escort or pil ot vehicl es bearing warning signs and or flashing lights The se special loads require special driving care Section 3 Test Yo
123. d Bicyclists Can Also Be Hazards Walkers joggers and bicyclists may be onthe road with their back to the t raffic so they can t see you Sometim esthey wear p ortable stereos with hea dsets so th ey can thea r you either T his canbe dangerous On rainy days pedestrians may not see you beca use of hats o r umbrellas They may be hurrying to get out of the rain and may not pay attention to the traffic Distractions People who are di stracted are hazards Watch for where they are looking If they are looking elsewhere they can t see you But be alert even when they are looking at you They may believe that they have the right of way Children Children tend to act quickly without checking traffic Children playing with o ne another may not look for traffic and are a serious hazard Talkers Drivers o r pe destrians tal king to one another may not be payi ng close attention to the traffic Workers People working on or near the roadway are a ha zard clue The wo rk creates a distraction for other drivers and the workers themselves may not see you Ice Cream Trucks Someone selling ice cream is a hazard clue Children may be nea rby and may not see you Disabled Vehicles Drivers changing a tireo r fixing an en gine often d o not pay atten tion to the danger that road way traffic is to them They are often careless Jacked up wheels or ra ised hoods are hazard clues Accidents Accidents a re pa rticularly ha zardous
124. d able to do so There are special attendance rules for cargo tanks transporting propane and anhydrous ammonia Close all ma nholes and valves before moving a tank of hazardous materials no matter how small the amount in the tan k or how short th e distance Manholes and valves mu st be clo sed to prevent leaks It is illegal to move a cargo tank with open valves or covers unless it is empty according to 49 CFR 173 29 9 5 3 Flammable Liquids Turn off your engin e before loading or unloading any flamma ble liqui ds Only ru nth e engi ne if needed to o perate a p ump Ground a cargo tank correctly bef ore filling it throug han open fillin g hole Ground the tank be fore op ening the filling hole and maintain the ground until a fter clo sing the filling hole 9 5 4 Compressed Gas Keep liquid discharge valves on a compressed gas tank clo sed except whe n loading and unloading Unless your engine runsapu mpf orp roduct transfer turn it off when loading or u nloading If you use th eengine t urn it off after prod uct transfer before you unh ook the hose Unh ook all loading unloading connections b efore cou pling uncoupling or moving a cargo ta nk Always chock trailers and semi trailers to prevent motion whe n uncoupled from the power unit Section 9 Hazardous Material Subsection 9 5 Test Your Knowledge _ What are cargo tanks 2 How isap_ ortable tan k different froma cargo tank 3 Your engi n
125. d is worn T he grooves in a tire ca rry away the water if they aren t deep they don t work well Road surfaces where water can collect can create conditions that cau sea vehicle toh ydroplane Watch for clear reflec tions tire s plashes and raindrops on the ro ad T hese are ind ications of standing water 2 6 3 Speed and Curves Drivers mu st adju st their speed for curves in th e road If you take a curve too fast two things can happen Th e tires can ose their traction and continue straight ahead so you skid of f the road Or the tires may keep their traction and the vehicle rolls over Tests have shown that trucks with a high center of gravity can roll o ver at the posted speed limit for a curve Slow to asa fe speed before you ente r acu rve Braking ina curveisd angerous be cause it is easier to lo ck the wheels and cause a skid Slow down as ne eded Don t ev er exce ed the poste d speed limit for the curve Beinagear that will let you accelerate slightly in the curve This will help you keep control 2 6 4 Speed and Distance Ahead You shoul d always be a bleto stop within the distance you can see ahead Fog rai n or othe r conditions may require that you slo w down to be able to stop in the distance you can see At night you can t see as far with low beam s as you ca n with high be ams When you must use low bea ms slow down 2 6 5 Speed and Traffic Flow When you re driving in heavy traffic
126. d precautions needed for flammable liquids or gases Do not allo w smoking open flame or welding Warn others of the hazards of fire of inhaling vapors or coming in contact with the poison A vehicle involved in a leak of Division 2 3 Poison Gases or Division 6 1 P oisons must be ch ecked for stray poison before being used again If a Division 6 2 Infectious Substances package is damaged in handling or transportation you should immediately contact you rsu pervisor Packa ges that appea r to be dama gedor show sig nso f leakage should not be accepted Class 7 Radioactive Materials Ifr adioactive material is involved in a leak o r broken package tell your dispatch eror supervisoras s oona s possible If there is a spill orif an internal container mi ght be dam aged do no t touch or inhale the material Do not use the vehicle until it is cleaned and checked with a survey meter Class 8 Corrosive Materials If corrosives spill or lea k d uring tran sportation be careful to avoid further d amage o rinju ry whe nha ndling the containers Parts of the ve hicle e xposed to a corrosive liqu id must be thoro ughly wash ed with water After unloading wash o ut the interio ras soon as possible before reloading If continuing to tran sport a lea king tank would be unsafe get off the road If safe to do so contai n any liquid leaking fro m the veh icle Keep bystanders away from the liquid and its fumes Do everything p ossibl
127. d rive your full attention Don t allow yourself to b ecome di stracted by talking on your cell phone eating etc e Bereali stic about yourt ravel time Expect delays because of traffic con struction or bad weather and make allowances e lf you re going to be later than you expected deal with it Take a deep breath and accept the delay e Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt Try to imagine why he or she is driving that way Whatever th eir reason it ha s nothi ng to do with you e Slow down and keep your followin g distance reasonable e Don t drive slowly in the left lane of traffic e Avoid gestures Keep you hands on the wheel Avoid makin g any gestu res that migh t anger another d river even seeminglyh armless expressions of irritation like shaking your head e Bea cautious and courteous driver If another driver seems eager to get in front of you say Be mygu est Thi s resp onse will soon become a habit and you won t be as offended by other drivers actions 2 10 3 What You Should Do When Confronted by an Aggressive Driver e First and foremost make every attempt to get out of their way e Putyourp rideinthe back seat Do not challenge them by sp eeding up or attempting to hold your own in your travel lane e Avoid eye contact e Ignore gestures and refuse to react to them e Report ag gressive drivers to the app ropriate authorities b y providing avehicle description license number lo
128. dentification numb er ofthe ha zardous materials if you know them Section 9 Hazardous Material This is a lot for someone to remember It is a good idea to write it all down for the person you send for help The e mergency re sponse team must kno w these thing stofind yo uan dtoh andlet he emergency They may have to travel miles to get to you This informatio n will help them to bring the right equipment the first time without h aving to go back for it Never move your vehi cle if doing so will cause contamination or da mage the veh icle Keep downwind a nd a way fro m roa dside rests tru ck stops cafes and bu sinesses Never try to repa ck leaking co ntainers Unle ss you have the trainin g and eq uipment to repai r leaks safely don t try it Call your dispatcher or supervi sor for instru ctions and if needed emergency personnel 9 7 4 Responses to Specific Hazards Class 1 Explosives If yourvehicleha sa breakdown or accident while carrying explosive s warn others of the danger Keep bystanders away Do not allow smoking or open fire near the vehicle If there isa fire warn everyone of the dang er of explosion Remove all explosives before separating vehicles involved in a collision Place the explosives at least 200 feet from the vehicles and occupied buildings Stay a safe distance away Class 2 Compressed Gases If compressed gas is lea king fro m your vehi cle wa rn ot hers of the danger Only permit t
129. departure time This will help prevent theft or vandalism of the bus Page 4 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 4 3 On the Road 4 3 1 Passenger Supervision Many charter and intercity carriers have passenger comfort and safety rule s Mention rules ab out smoking drinking or use of radio and tape players at the start of the trip Explaining the rules at the start will help to avoid trouble later on While driving scan the interior of your bus as well as the road ahead to the side s and to the rea r You may hav e to remi nd riders ab out rules o r to keep arms and heads inside the bus 4 3 2 At Stops Riders can stumble when getting on or off and when the bus starts or stops Caution rid ers to watch their step wh en le aving the bu s Wait fo r themto sitdowno rb race them selves befo re starting Sta rtingan dst oppingshou Idbea s smooth as possible to avoid rider injury Occasionally you m ay have a drunk or disruptive rider You must ensure this rider s safety as well as that of others Don t discharge such riders where it would be un safe for them It may be safer at the next sch eduled stop o r a well lig hted area where there a reo ther peo ple Many carriers h ave guidelines for handling disruptive riders 4 3 3 Common Accidents The Most Common Bus Accidents Bus accidents of ten happ enatinterse ctions Use caution even if a signal or stop sign controls other traffic School and ma
130. djustment must be checked frequently 2 16 4 Proper Braking Technique Remember The use of brakes o n a long and o r steep do wngrade is only a suppl ement to the braking effect of the engine Once the vehicle is in the prop er ow ge ar the following i s the prope r braking technique e Apply the brake s just hard enou gh to feela definite slowdown e When you rsp eedha sbee n reduced to approximately five mph below yo ur safe speed rele ase the brake s Thi s brake application should la st for about three seconds e When your speed has increased to your safe speed repeat steps 1 and 2 For example if your safe speed is 4 0 mph you would nota pply the brake s until your spee d reaches 40 mph You now apply the brakes hard enough to gradually reduce your speed to 35 mph and then release the brakes Repeat this as often as necessary until you have reached the end of the downgrade Escape ram ps have b een builton many stee p mountain downgrades Escape ramps are made to stop ru naway vehicles safely witho ut injuring drivers and passengers Escape ramps use a long bed of loo se soft mate rialto slow aru naway vehicle sometimes in com bination with an upgrade Know escape ramp locations on your route Signs show d rivers whe re ra mp are lo cated Escape ramps save lives equipment and cargo Subsections 2 15 and 2 16 Test Your Knowledge 1 What factors determine your selection of a safe spe
131. drive rs behind yout osee hazards ahead If you see a hazard that will require slowing down warn the drivers behind by flashing your brake lights e Tight Turns Most ca r drivers don t know how slowly you have to go to make a tight tu rn ina large vehicle Give drivers behind you warning by braking early and slowing gradually e Stopping on the Road Truck and bus drivers sometimes stop in the road way to unloa d cargo or passengers orto stopata railroad crossing Warn follo wing drivers by flashi ng your brake lights Don t stop suddenly e Driving Slo wly Drivers of ten do not realize how fast they are catching up to a slow vehicle until they are very clo se If you must drive slowly alert following drivers by tu rning o n your eme rgency flash ers if itis legal La ws regarding th e use of flash ers differ fro m on e state to another Check the laws of the states where you will drive Don t Direct Traffic Some drivers try to help out others by sig naling when it is safe to pass You should not do this You could cause an accident You could be blamed and it could cost you many thousands of dollars 2 5 2 Communicating Your Presence Other d rivers may not notice your ve hicle eve n when it s in plain sight To help prevent accidents let them know you re there When Passing Whenever you are about to pass a vehi cle pedestrian or bicy clist assume they don t see you They could suddenly move in f ront of you When i
132. e There might be an airle aki n the syste m Cont rolled braking is possible only while en ough air remains in the air tan ks The spring bra kes will come on when the air pressure drops into the range of 20 to 45 psi A he avily loaded vehicle will take a lo ng distance to stop because the spring brakes do not work on allaxles Lightly loaded v ehicles or vehicles on slippery roads may skid o ut of control when the spring brakes come on Itis much safer to stop while there is enough air in the tanks to use the foot brakes 5 4 8 Parking Brakes Any time you park use the parking brakes except as noted be low Pull the pa rking brake control knob out to a pply the parking brakes push it in to release T he cont rol will be a yello w diamo nd shaped knob labeled pa rking b rakes on newer Page 5 9 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual vehicles On older vehicles it may be a round blue knob or som e other shape including a lever th at swings from side to side or up and down Don t use the parking brakes if the brakes are very hot from just having come down a steep grade or if the brakes are very wet in freezing temperatures If they are u sed while th ey are very h ot they can be dam aged by the hea tt lf they are used in freezing tem peratures wh en the bra kes are very wet they ca n freeze so t he vehicle cannot move Use wheel chocks to hol d the vehi cle Let hot brakes cool before using the parking brakes
133. e angle toe ach oth er A turn ofthe gladha nd attached to the hose will join and lock the couplers When coupli ng make su re to coupl e the pro per glad han ds together To help avoid mistake s colors are so metimes used Blue is used forth e service lin es and re d for the emerge ncy sup ply lines Sometimes metal tags are attac hed to the lines with th e words se rvice and emergency stamped on them See Figure 6 6 If you do cross the ai r lines supply air will be sent to the se rvice line in stead of going to charge the trailer air tanks Ai r will not be available to rel ease the trailer sp ring brakes parking b rakes If th e spring brakes d on t release when yo u pu sh the trailer ai r supply co ntrol check th e air line connections Older trailers do not have spring brakes If the air supply in the trailer air tank has leaked away there willbe no emergency brakes and the trail er wheels will turn freely If you crossed the air lines you could drive away but you wouldn t have trailer brakes This would be very dangerous Always test the trailer brakes before driving with the hand valve or by pulling the air supply tractor protection valve control Pull gently again st them in a low ge arto make sure the brakes work Some vehicl es have d eaden d o r dummy couplers to which th e ho ses ma y be a ttached when they are not in use This will prevent water and dirt from getting into the cou pler and the ai r line
134. e presented to the CDL office fori ssuance Tampering with this envel ope may result in invalidation of your test CDL RENEWALS CDL driver s license Current complete Physical Examination DPSMV 2219 or it s equivalent Proof of liability insurance on personally owned vehicle s Testing i s requi red for renewal of Hazardous Materi als endorsement Hazmat testing is only conducted at a full service CDL issuing office Fingerprint background check must be within most recent 180 days Fees Cash only e Application fee initial and renewal 15 00 e CDL driver s license fee 41 00 51 00 for Orleans parish e Endorsements 5 00 each e Parish fee if applicable up to 3 00 Questions 225 925 6146 or www expresslane org CDL RENEWAL ONLY OFFICES Oakdale 229 South 10 St 71263 IV CDL FULL SERVICE OFFICES Homer 822 West Main St 71040 Minden 301 Morris Drive 71055 Natchitoches 10 Bienville Square 71457 Reserve 4034 West Airline Hwy 70084 Winnsboro 2601 Loop Rd 71295 2005 Model Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 1 INTRODUCTION This Section Covers e Commercial Driver License Tests e Driver Disqualifications e Other Safety Rules There is a federal requirement that each state have minimum standards for the licensing of commercial drivers This ma nual provide sdriverli cense testing information ford rivers who wisht o have a commercial driver license CDL This manual does NOT
135. e warning devices to signal at 80 85 psi 5 1 12 Stop Light Switch Drivers behind you must be warned when you put your brakes on The air brake system does this with an ele ctric switch that works by ai r pressure The switch turns on the brake lights when you put on the air brakes 5 1 13 Front Brake Limiting Valve Some older vehicles made before 1975 havea front brake limiting valve and a control in the cab The controlis usually marke d n ormal and slippery When you putthe con trolin the slippery po sition the li miting valve cut s the normal air pressure to t he front brakes by half Limiting valves were used to reduce the chance of the front wh eels skidding on sli ppery surfa ces However they actually reduce the stopping power of the vehicle Front whe el braking is good under Section 5 Air Brakes all conditions Tests have shown front wheel skids from braking are not likely even on ice Make sure the co ntrolis inthe normal po sition to have normal stopping power Many vehicles have auto matic front wheel limiting valves They reducetheairtothef rontb rakes except when the brakes are put on very hard 60 psi or more appli cation pressure These valves cannot be controlled by the driver 5 1 14 Spring Brakes All trucks truck tra ctors and buse s must be equipped with eme rgency bra kes a nd p arking brakes They must be held on by mechanical force because air pressure can eventually
136. e 49 CFR 178 345 1 c 178 337 1 or 178 338 1 as applicable 2 Is permanently attached to or forms a p art of a motor ve _hicle o ris not perm anently attached to a motor vehi cle b ut which by reason of its size construction or attachment to a motor vehicle is lo aded o ru nloaded without b eing rem oved fromthe motor vehicle and 3 Is notfabri cated un der asp ecification for cylinders p ortable ta nks tank cars o r multi unit tank car tanks Carrier A person engaged in the t ransportation of passengers or property by ls Land or waterasa common contract or private carrier or 2 Civil aircraft Consignee The business or person to whom a shipment is delivered Division A subdivision of a hazard class EPA U S Environmental Protection Agency FMCSR The Fe deral Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Freight container a reusable container having a volume of 64 cubi cfeet or more d esigned and constructed to permit bei ng lifted with its co ntents intact an d in tended primarily for containment of packages in unit form during transportation Fuel tank A tank other than a ca rgo tank used to tran sport flammable o r combustible liqui do r compressed gas for the p urpose of supplying fuel for propulsion of the transport vehicle to which it is attached or for the opera tion of other equipm ent on the transport vehicle Section 9 Hazardous Material Gross weight or gross mass
137. e Make sure pintle hook is latched e Safety chains should be secured to trailer s e Be sure lig ht cords are fir mly in sockets on trailers 7 3 2 Additional Things to Check During a Walkaround Inspection Do the se checks in ad dition to sub section 5 3 Inspecting Air Brake Systems 7 4 Doubles Triples Air Brake Check Check the brake s ona double or triple trailer a s you would any com bination vehi cle Subsection 6 5 2 explai ns howto ch eck air brakes on combination vehicles Yo u mustal so maketh e following checks on your double or triple trailers 7 4 1 Additional Air Brake Checks Check That Air Flows to All Trailers Double and Triple Trailers Use the tractor parking brake and or chock the whe els to hold the ve hicle Wait for air pressu re to reach normal then push in the red trailer air supply knob This will supply air to the eme rgency sup ply lines Use the traile r handbrake to provide air to the service line Go to the rear of the rig Open the emergency line shut off valve at the rear of th e last trailer You should hear ai r e scaping sho wing the entire systemi s charged Clo se the e mergency line valve Ope n the service line valve toche ck thatse rvice pressure go es through all the trailers thi s test assumes that the trailer h andbrake or the service brake pedal is on and then close the valve If you do NOT h ear air e scaping from b oth lines check that the shut off valves onth e
138. e Parts of an Air Brake System There are many parts to an air brake system You should know about the parts discussed here 5 1 1 Air Compressor The air compressor pumps air into the air storage tanks reservoirs T hea ir compressor is connected to the engine through gears or a v belt The compressor may b eairco oled orm ay be cooled by the engine cooling system It may have its own oil su pply or be lubricated by engine oil If the compressor has its o wn oil supply che ck the oil level before driving Section 5 Air Brakes 5 1 2 Air Compressor Governor The governor controls when the air compressor will pump air into the air storage tanks When air tank pressure rises to th e cut out level around 1 25 pounds _per square inch or p si th e governo r stops the co mpressor from pumping air When the tank pressure falls to the cut in p ressure around 100 psi the governor all ows the compressor to start pumping again 5 1 3 Air Storage Tanks Air storage tanks are used to hold compressed air The numb er and si ze of air tanks varies among vehicles The tanks will hold enough air to all ow the bra kes to be used several time s even if the compressor stops working 5 1 4 Air Tank Drains Compressed air usually has some water and some compressor oil in it which is b ad for the air brake system For example the water can freeze in cold weather and cause brake failure The water and oil tend to c
139. e are more things that can go wrong and dou bles triples are less stable t han othe r commercial v ehicles Som e areas of concern are discussed below 7 1 1 Prevent Trailer from Rolling Over To prevent trailers from rolling over you must steer gently and go slowly around corners on ramps off ramps and curves A safe speed on a curve for a straight truck or a single trailer combination vehicle may be too fast for a set of doubles or triples 7 1 2 Beware of the Crack the whip Effect Doubles and triples are more li kely to turn ove r than oth er combination v ehicles be cause of the crack the whip effect You mu ststeerg ently when pulli ng trailers The last trailer i na combination is most likely to turn over If you don t understand the crack the whip ef fect study subsection 6 1 2 of this manual 7 1 3 Inspect Completely There are m ore critical p arts to check when you have two or t hree trailers Che ck them all Follow the procedures described later in this section 7 1 4 Look Far Ahead Doubles and triples must be driven ve ry smoothly to avoid rollo ver or jackkn ife Therefore look far Section 7 Doubles and Triples ahead so yo ucan slow downor change lan es gradually when necessary 7 1 5 Manage Space Doubles and triples take up more space than other commercial vehicles They are not only longer but also ne ed more spa ce be cause th ey ca n tb e turned or sto pped suddenly Allow mo
140. e missing it will put the vehicle out of service but any defe ct could be dangerous See Figure 2 3 e Broken leaves in a m ulti leaf spring or leaves that have sh ifted so they might hit a tire or other part e Lea king shock absorbers e Torque rod or arm u bolts spring hangers or other axle positioning parts that are cracked damaged or missing e Air suspen sion systems thata re damaged and or leaking See Figure 2 4 e Any loose cracked broken or mi ssing frame members STEERING SYSTEM Steering Wheel Tie Rod Power Steering Cylinder Steering Arm Hydraulic Fluid Reservoir a P i Drag Link Gear Box Pitman Arm Spindle Steering Knuckle Figure 2 1 Page 2 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual KEY SUSPENSION PARTS Vehicle Frame Frame Bearing Plates Front Axle Hanger gt Po if h Auxiliary Spring A f i TCT Spring Shackle Main Spring Yr 1511 gt Torque Rod Figure 2 2 SAFETY DEFECT BROKEN LEAF IN SPRING Broken Leaf Figure 2 3 Section 2 Driving Safely AIR SUSPENSION PARTS Height Control Valve shock Absorber Frame Reinforcement Upper Bellows Support Spacer Ws Lower Bellows Axle Seat Support Plate FRONT Figure 2 4 Exhaust System Defects A bro ken exhau st system can let poiso nf umes int ot heca bor sleeper berth Look for e Loose bro ken or missing exhau st pipes mufflers tailpipes or vertical stacks e Loose
141. e runs a pu mp use d du ring delivery of compresse d g as Shoul d you turn off the engin e before or after unhooking hoses after delivery These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsection 9 5 9 6 Hazardous Materials Driving and Parking Rules 9 6 1 Parking with Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B Explosives Never park with Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B explosives within five feet of the traveled part of the road Except for short periods of ti me nee ded for vehicle operation necessities e g fueling do not park within 300 feet of e A bridge tunnel or building e A place where people gather e An open fire If you must park to do your job do so only briefly Don t park on private property unless the owner is aware of the danger Someone must always watch the parked v ehicle You may let som eone el se watch it for you only if your vehicle is e On the shipper s property e On the carrier s property e On the consignee s property You are allowed to le ave your vehi cle unattended ina safe ha ven A safe haven isa nap proved place for parking unattended vehicles loaded with explosives Designation of authorized safe havens is usually made by local authorities Page 9 13 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 9 6 2 Parking a Placarded Vehicle Not Transporting Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B Explosives You may park a pla
142. e si de L ook u nder the vehicl e for fre sh oil coolant gre ase or fuel leaks Ch eckthe area around the vehicl efo rh azards tovehicl e movement peopl e othe r vehicle s o bjects low hanging wires limbs etc Vehicle Inspection Guide Step 1 Vehicle Overview Review Last Vehicle Inspection Report Drivers may have to make ave hicle inspection re port in writing each day The motor carrier must repair any items in the report that affect safety and certify on the repo rtthatrepai rs were mad e or were unnecessary You mu st sign th e rep ort only if defects were noted and certified to b e repaired or not needed to be repaired Step 2 Check Engine Compartment Check That the Parking Brakes Are On and or Wheels Chocked You may have to raise the hood tilt the cab secure loose things so they don t fall and break something or open the engine compartment door Check the following e Engine oil level e Coolant level in radiator condition of hoses e Power steering fluid level hose condition if so equipped e Windshield washer fluid level e Battery c onnections a nd tie d owns battery may be located elsewhere e Automatic transmission fluid level may require engine to be running e Check belts for tightne ss and excessive wear example alternator water pump air compressor learn how much give th e belts should ha ve w hen ad justed r ight a nd c heck each one Belts shoul d deflect no m ore than 2 to
143. e sure the traile r el ectrical plu g is firmly seated and locked in place Header Board e If equipped check the header b oard to see that it is secure free of damag e and strong enough to contain cargo e f equipped the canvas or tarp carrier must be mounted and fastened securely Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection e Onenclosed trailers check the f ront area for signs of damage such as cracks bulges or holes 11 4 2 Side of Trailer Landing Gear e Check that the landing gear is fully raised has no missing parts crank handle is secure and the support frame is not damaged e If power operated check for air orh ydraulic leaks Doors Ties Lifts e Ifequipped che cktha tdoorsa re not damaged Check that do ors o pen clo se and latch properly from the outside e Check that ties straps chains and binders are secure e fequipped witha cargo lift look for leaking damaged or missing parts and explain how it should be checked for correct operation e Liftshould be fully retracteda nd I atched securely Frame e Look for cracks broken welds hole s or other damage tot he fra me cross me mbers box and floor Tandem Release Arm Locking Pins e If equipped make sure the locking pi ns are locked in place and release arm is secured 11 4 3 Remainder of Trailer Remainder of Trailer e Please refer to Se ction 11 2 of this manual for detailed inspection pro cedures reg arding the fol
144. e things add up to total stopping distance T If you go twice as fast will your stopping distance increase by two or four times 8 Empty trucks have the best braking True or False 9 What is hydroplaning 10 What is black ice These questions may b e on the test f you can t answer them all re read subsections 2 4 2 5 and 2 6 2 7 Managing Space To be a saf e driver you need sp ace all aroun d your vehicle When thi ngs go wrong space gives you time to think and to take action To have space available whe n something go es wrong you n eed to mana ge space While this is true forall drivers itis very imp ortant for arge vehicles Th ey take up more sp ace and they require more space for stopping and turning 2 7 1 Space Ahead Of all the spa ce around your vehicle it is the are a ahead of the vehicle the space you re driving into that is most important The Need for Space Ahead Youn eed spa ce ahead in case you must suddenly stop According to accid ent reports the vehicle that trucks a nd buses most often run int o is the on e in front of them The most fre quent cau seis followin g too closely Remember if the vehicle a head of you i s smaller than yours it can probably stop faster than you can Yo u may cra sh if you are followin g too closely Page 2 16 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual How Much Space How much space should you keep in front of you One good rule say
145. e to prevent injury to yoursel f and to others 9 7 5 Required Notification The National Re sponse Center h elps co ordinate emergency resp onse to chemical ha zards Itis a resource to the police and firefighters It maintains a 24 hour toll free line You or your em ployer must phone when any of the following occur as a direct result of a hazardous materials incident Section 9 Hazardous Material A person is killed An injured person requires hospitalization Estimated property damage exceeds 50 000 The general public is eva cuated for more than one hour e Oneormore major tran sportation arte ries or facilities are closed for one hour or more e Fire bre akage spilla ge or su spected radioactive contamination occurs e Fire brea kage spilla ge or suspected contamination o ccuri nvolving shipm ent of etiologic agents bacteria or toxins e A situation exists of su cha nature e g continuing danger to life exists at the scene of an incident that in the judgment of the carrier should be reported National Response Center 800 424 8802 Persons telepho ning th e Nation alRespon se Center should be ready to give e Their name e Name and address of the carrier they work for Phone number where they can be reached Date time and location of incident The extent of injuries if any Classification name and q uantity of hazardous materials i nvolved if su ch information is available e Typ
146. e vehicle e Check pip es conn ections and hoses fo r leaks especially around joints e Check manhole covers and vents Ma ke sure the cove rs have ga skets an dthey clo se correctly Keep the vent s clear so the y work correctly Section 8 Tank Vehicles 8 1 2 Check Special Purpose Equipment If your vehicle has any of the following equipment make sure it works e Vapor recovery kits e Grounding and bonding cables e Emergency shut off systems e Built in fire extinguisher Never drive a tank ve hicle with o pen valveso r manhole covers 8 1 3 Special Equipment Check the emergency equipment required for your vehicle Find out what equipment you re required to carry and make sure you have it and it works 8 2 Driving Tank Vehicles Hauling liqui ds in ta nks requi res sp ecial skills because oft he hig h center of g ravity and liq uid movement See Figure 8 1 CG B 60 78 High Figure 8 1 8 2 1 High Center of Gravity High cente r of gravity m eans that much of the load s weight is carried high up off th e road T his makes the vehicle top heavy and easy to roll over Liquid tan kers a re e specially ea sy to roll over Tests have shown that tankers can turn over at the speed limits poste d for curve s Ta ke hi ghway curves and on ramp off ramp curves well below the posted speeds 8 2 2 Danger of Surge Liquid surge results from movement of the liquid in partially filled tank
147. ecially alert at crossings that do not have gates or flashing red light signals Double Tracks Require a Double Check Remember that a traino none tra ck may hide a train on the other tra ck Look both ways befo re crossing After one train has cleared a crossing be sure no other trains are near before starting across the tracks Yard Areas and Grade Crossings in Cities and Towns Yard areas and grade crossings in cities and towns a re justa s da ngerous as rural g rade crossings Approach them with as much caution Page 2 32 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 2 15 4 Stopping Safely at Railroad highway Crossings A full stop is required at grade crossings whenever e Then ature of the cargo makesa stop mandatory under state or federal regulations e Such a stop is otherwise required by law When stopping be sure to e Check for traffic behind you while st opping gradually Use a pullout lane if available e Turn on your four way emergency flashers 2 15 5 Crossing the Tracks Railroad cro ssings with steep approaches can cause your unit to hang up on the tracks Never pe rmit traffic conditions to trap youin a position where you have to stop on the tracks Be sure you can get all thew ay across the tracks before you start across It takes a typical tra ctor trailer unit at least 14 se conds to cle ar a sin gle track and more than 15 seconds to clear a double track Do not shift gears while crossing r
148. ed when goin g downa long steep downgrade Z Why should you bein the p roper g ear before starting down a hill 3 Describe th e prope rb raking techni que wheng oingdo wn alon g steep downgrade 4 What type of vehicles can get stu ck on a railroad highway crossing 5 How long does it take for a typical tractor trailer unit to clear a double track These questions may be on the test If you can t answer th em all re rea d su bsections 2 15 and 2 16 2 17 Driving Emergencies Traffic emergencies occur wh en two v ehicles are about to colli de Vehicle e mergencies occur whe n tires br akes or other critical pa rts fa il F ollowing the safety practices in this man ualca n help prevent eme rgencies But if an emergency doe s happen your chan ces of avoiding a crash de pend upon how well you take action Actio ns you can take are discussed below 2 17 1 Steering to Avoid a Crash Stopping is not always the safest thing to do in an emergency When you don t have e nough room to stop you may have to steer a way from what s ahead Remember you can almost always turn to miss an obstacle more quickly than you can stop However top he avy vehicle s and tra ctors with multiple trailers may flip over Section 2 Driving Safely 0 Page 2 34 Page 2 34 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Keep Both Hands on the Steering Wheel In order to turn quickly you must have a firm grip on the steering
149. ee ahead Use high beams when it is safe and legal to do so Use them when you are n ot within 500 feet of a n approaching vehicle Also don t let the inside of your cab get too bright This makes it harder to see outside Keep the interior light off and adjust your instrument lights as low as you can to still be able to read the gauges If You Get Sleepy Stop Driving at the Nearest Safe Place People often don t realize how cl ose they are to falling asl eep even when their eyelid s are falling sh ut If you can safely do so loo kat yourself ina mirror If you look sleepy or you ju st feel sle epy stop d riving You are in a very dangerous condition Th e only safe cure is to sleep Section 2 Driving Safely 2 12 Driving in Fog Fog can occur ata ny time Fog o n highways can be extremely dangerous Fog is often unexpected and vi sibility can deteriorate rapidly You should watch for foggy conditions and be ready to reduce your speed Do not assume that the fog will thin out after you enter it The b est advice for drivi ng in fo g is don t It is preferable that you pull off the road into a rest area or truck stop until visibility is better If you must drive be sure to consider the following e Obey all fog related warning signs e Slow down before you enter fog e Use low be am headlig hts and fog lig hts for best visibility even in d aytime and be alert for other drivers who may h ave forgotten to turn on their
150. el your left turn signal 13 1 7 Curve When approaching a curve e Check traffic thoroughly in all directions e Before entering th e curve reduce speed so further braking or shifting is not required in the curve e Keep vehicle in the lane e Continue checking traffic in all directions 13 1 8 Railroad Crossing Before rea ching the crossing all comm ercial drivers should e Decelerate brake smoothly and shift gears as necessary e Look and listen for the presence of trains e Check traffic in all directions Do not stop change gears pass another vehicle or change lanes while any part of your vehicle is in the crossing If you are driving a bus a school bus or a vehicle displaying pl acards you should b e p repared to observe the following procedures at every railroad crossing unless the crossing is exempt e As the vehicle approaches a railroad crossing activate the four way flashers within 100 to 500 feet of the rail e Stop the vehicle within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail e Listen and ookin both directions al ong the track for an approaching train and fo r signals indicating the approach of a train If op erating Section 13 On road Driving Page 13 2 Page 13 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual a bus you may also b e required to open the window and door prior to crossing tracks e Keep hands onthe steering wheel as the vehicle crosses the track
151. ency e Protect riders from inju ry if carry ons fall or shift 4 2 1 Hazardous Materials Watch for cargo or baggage containing hazardous materials M ost ha zardous mate rials cann ot be carried on a bus The Fed eral Hazard ous Material s T able sho ws which materials are hazardous They pose a risk to health safety and prope rty during tran sportation The rules re quire shippers to mark containers of hazardous material withthe mate rial s nam e identification number and hazard label There are nine different four in ch d iamond shaped ha zard labels See Figure 4 1 Watch for th e diamo nd shaped la bels Do not transport any haza rdous material unless you are sure the rules allow it Hazard Class Definitions Class Ammunition Dynamite Fireworks 2 Gases Propane Oxygen Helium 1 Explosives Gasoline Fuel Acetone Flammable 4 Solids Matches Fuses Ammonium Nitrate Hydrogen Peroxide 3 Flamm 5 Oxidiz rs Uranium Plutonium 8 orrosives Hydrochloric Acid Battery Acid 7 Radi oactive l Pesticides 6 Poison S i Arsenic Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials ORM D Other Regulated Material Domestic None Combustible Fuel Oils Lighter Liquids Fluid Figure 4 1 Formaldehyde Asbestos Hair Spray or Charcoal Section 4 Transporting Passengers Safely 4 2 2 Forbidden Hazardous Materials Buses may carry small arms amm unition la beled ORM D emergency ho spital
152. eofinci dentandn atureofha zardous materials i nvolvementand wh ether a continuing danger to life exists at the scene If a reporta ble quantity of haza rdous substance was involved the caller should give th e name of the shipp er andthe qua ntity ofthe hazardous substance discharged Be prep ared to give your employe r the req uired information as well Ca _rriers mu st ma ke detaile d written reports within 30 days of an incident CHEMTREC 800 424 9300 The Chemi cal Tra nsportation Emerg ency Center CHEMTREC in Washington also h as a 24 hour toll free line CHEMT REC was created to provide emergency person nel wi th techni cal information about the physical p roperties of hazardous materials T he National Re sponse Center an d CHEMTREC are in cl ose comm unication If you call eithe r on e they w ill tell the other about the problem when appropriate Page 9 17 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Radioactive Separation Table A of MINIMUM DISTANCE IN FEE TT O NEAREST UNDEVELOPED FILM 0 2 2 4 4 8 8 12 Over 12 Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs none fooobo jo 0 1 to rqe Po 1 1 to sr sober e o 5 1 to foo tep J s b 10 1 to eed p p TO PE OPLE OR CARGO COMPARTMENT TOTAL TRANSPO PARTITIONS INDEX 20 1 to 30 1 to wre ures de 40 1 to see pee O Figure 9 10 Do not leave radioac tive yellow II or yellow IIl labeled package s nea r people anim als or film long
153. er e Makes sure the shipper has identified marked and labeled the hazardous materials properly Refuses leaking packages and shipments Placards his vehicle when loading if required Safely transports the shipment without delay Follows all special rules about tran sporting hazardous materials e Keeps ha zardous mate rials shipping papers and em ergency re sponse informatio n in the proper place e Driver is re sponsible for the remova of all placards once the load has terminated Page 9 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 9 3 Communication Rules 9 3 1 Definitions Some words and phrases have special meanings when talking about hazardous materials Some of these may differ from m eanings you are used to The words and phrases in this section may be on your test The meanings of other important words are in the glossary at the end of Section 9 A mater ial s hazar d classr eflects ther isks associated with it There are nine different hazard classes The types of ma terials included in the se nine classes are in Figure 9 1 Hazardous Materials Table g 2 9 Name of Class or Division Mass Explosives Dynamite Projection Hazards Flares Mass Fire Hazards Display Fireworks Very Insensitive Ammunition Extreme Insensitive Blasting Agents Explosive Devices Flammable Gases Propane Non Flammable Helium Gases Poisonous Toxic Gases Flammable Liquids Fluorine Compressed Flammable Gases
154. er s License Manual gt Check wiper blades for damage stiff rubber and securement Lights and reflectors gt Parking clearance and identification lights clean operating and proper color amber at front gt Reflectors clean and proper color amber at front gt Front turn signals lights clean operating and proper color amber or white on signals facing forward Right Side Right f ront check all ite ms as do neon left front Primary an dsecond ary safety cab engaged if cab over engine design Right fuel tank s gt Securely mounted not damaged or leaking gt Fuel crossover line secure gt Tank s contain enough fuel gt Cap s on and secure Condition of visible parts gt Rear of engine not leaking gt Tran smission not leaking gt Exhaust system secure not leaking not touching wires fuel or air lines Frame and cross members no bends or cracks Air lines and electrical wiring secured against snagging rubbing wearing Spare tire carrier or rack not damaged if SO equipped Spare tire and or wheel securely mounted in rack Spare tire and wheel adequate proper size properly inflated Cargo securement trucks gt Cargo properly blocked braced tied chained etc gt Header board adequate secure if required gt Side boards stakes strong enough free of damage properly set in place if so equipped gt Canvas or tarp if required
155. er than shown in Figure 9 10 Classes of Hazardous Materials Hazardous materials are categ orized into nine major hazard classes and additional categories for consumer co mmodities a nd combustible lig uids The cla sses of haza rdous material s are listed in Figure 9 11 Hazard Class Definitions Table B Class ClassName Example _ Ammunition 1 Explosives Dynamite Fireworks Gasoline Fuel Acetone Flammable 4 Matches Fuses Solids Ammonium Oxidizers Nitrate Hydrogen Peroxide 2 Gases Propane Oxygen Helium 5 Pesticides 6 Poison S Arsenic 7 Radi oactive rani Plutonium Section 9 Hazardous Material Battery Acid oo Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials Formaldehyde Asbestos ORM D Other Regulated Material Domestic Mene Combustible Fuel Oils Lighter Liquids Fluid Figure 9 11 Hair Spray or Charcoal Subsections 9 6 and 9 7 Test Your Knowledge 1 If your placarded trailer has dual tires how often should you check the tires 2 What is a safe haven 3 How clo se to the traveled part of the roadway can you park with Division 1 2 or 1 3 materials Explosive B 4 How clo se can yo u pa rktoab ridge tunnel or building with the same load 5 What type of fire extinguish er must placarded vehicles carry 6 You re hauling 100 pounds of Division 4 3 dangerous when wet m aterials Do you need to sto p beforea railroad highway crossing T At a rest area you dis
156. es you to yield the right of way to the train If there is no white line painted on the pavement you must stop the bus befo re the cro ssbuck sign Page 10 7 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual When the road crosses over more than one set of tracks a sig n below the crossbuck indicates the number of tracks See Figure 10 7 Flashing Red Light Signals At many high way rail gra de crossin gs th ecro ssbuck signha_ s flashing red lights and bells When the lights begin to flash sto p Atrainis approa ching You are required to y ield the right of way to th e train If there is more than one tra ck make sure all tracks are clear before crossing See Figure 10 8 Gates Many railroad highway cro ssings have gates with flashing red lights and bells Stop when the lights begin to flash and before the gate lowers across the road la ne Remain stopped until th e gates go up and the lights have stopped flashing Proceed whe n it is safe If the gate stays down after the trai n passe s do not drive arou nd the gate Inste ad call your dispatcher See Fi gure 10 8 10 4 3 Recommended Procedures Each state has aws and re gulations governing how schoolbuse smu stope rate atrailro ad highway cro ssings Itis impo rtantfor you to understand and ob ey these state lawsa nd regulations In gene ral school buses must stop at all cro ssings and en sureiti s safe befo re proceeding acrossth etracks T he specific procedures re
157. etting hung up halfway across 2 7 6 Space for Turns The space around a tru ck or b us is important in turns Bec ause of wide t urning and _ offtracking large vehi cles can hit ot her vehicl es or obj ects during turns Right Turns Here are some rules to help preve nt right turn crashes e Turn slowly to give yourself and others more time to avoid problems e Ifyouared riving a tru ck orb us that cannot make the right turn wit hout swinging into another ane turn wide as you complete the turn Keep the rear of your vehicle close to the curb This will stop other drivers from passing you on the right e Don t turn wide to the left as you start the turn A following driver may think you are turning left and try to pass you on the right You may crash into th e other vehicle as yo u complete your turn e lf you mustcro ss into th e oncoming ane to make a turn watch out for vehi cles coming toward you Give them room togob yorto stop However d on tb acku pfo r them because you might hit someone be hind you See the figure 2 13 Jug Handle INCORRECT Button Hook CORRECT Figure 2 13 Left Turns On al eft turn make sure you have reached the center of the intersection before you Page 2 18 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual start the left turn If you turn too soon the left side of your vehicle may hit another vehicle because of offtracking If there are two turning lanes always take the righ
158. explained to all students This includes knowing how to ope rate the vario us emergency exits and the impo rtance of li stening toa nd f ollowing all instructions given by you Some tips to determine a safe place e A safe place will be at least 100 feet off the road in the d irection of on coming traffic Thi s will keep the students from being hit by debris if another vehicle collides with the bus e Lead stu dents up wind of the busif fireis present e Lead students as far away from railroad tracks asp ossible andinth edire ction of any oncoming train e Lead students upwind of the bus at least 300 feet if there is ari sk from spilled h azardous materials e If the bus is in the direct path of a sighted tornado an d evacuatio n is ordered escort students to a nearby ditch or culvert if shelter in a building is not re adily available and direct them to lie f ace down h ands coveri ng their head They should be far enough away so the bus cannot topple on them Avoid a reas th at are subject to flash floods General Procedures Determine if evacuation is in the best interest of safety e Determine the best type of evacuation gt Front rear orsi ded oor evacu ation or some combination of doors gt Roof or window evacuation e Secure the bus by gt Placing transmission in Park or if the re is no shift point in Neutral Setting parking brakes Shutting off the engine Removing ignition key Activating hazard war
159. f adjusting brakes Lights and reflectors gt Side marker lights clean operating and proper color red at rear others amber gt Side marker reflectors clean and proper color red at rear others amber Rear Lights and reflectors gt Rear clearance and identification lights clean operating and proper color red at rear gt Reflectors clean and proper color red at rear gt Taillights clean operating and proper color red at rear gt Right rear turn signal operating and proper color red yellow or amber at rear License plate s present clean and secured Page 2 6 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Splash guards present not damaged properly fastened not dragging on ground or rubbing tires e Cargo secure trucks e Cargo properly blocked braced tied chained etc e Tailboards up and properly secured e End gates free of damage properly secured in stake sockets e Canvas or tarp if required properly secured to prevent tearing billowing or blocking of either the rearview mirrors or rear lights e If over le ngth or over width ma ke sure all signs an d or additional li ghts flags are safely and properly mounted and all required permits are in driver s possession e Rear doors securely closed latched locked Left Side e Check all items as done on right side plus gt Battery ies if not mounted in engine compartment Battery box es securely mounted to
160. f alternating flashing red lights Turning on left turn signal Checking all mirrors again Allowing congested traffic to disperse e When itis safe pull away from the unloading area VVVV 10 2 5 Special Dangers of Loading and Unloading Dropped or Forgotten Objects Always focus on students as they approa ch the bus an d watch for any who disappear from sight Students may drop ano bject near the bus du ring loading and unloading S topping to pick upth e object or returning to pick up the object may cause the student to disappear from the driver s sight at a very dangerous moment Students sh ould be told to leave any dropp ed objectand move toa p oint of safet y out of the danger zone s and attem pttogetth e driver s attention to retrieve the object Handrail Hang ups Students have b een injured or killed when clothing accessories or even parts of their bo dy get ca ught in the handrail or door as they exited the bus You should closely observe all students exiting the bus to confirm that they are in a safe location prior to moving the bus 10 2 6 Post trip Inspection When your route or school activity trip is finish ed you should conduct a po st trip in spection of the bus You should walk through the bus and around the bus looking for the following e Articles left on the bus e Sleeping students e Open windows and doors e Mechanical operational problems with the bus with special attention
161. f weight you should know 3 2 1 Definitions You Should Know Gross Vehicle Weight GVW The total weight of a single vehicle plus its load Gross Combination Weight GCW The total weight of a powered unit plus trailer s plu s the cargo Gross Vehicle Weight Rating GVWR The maximum GVW specified by the manufacturer for a single vehicle plus its load Gross Combination Weight Rating GCWR The maximum GCW specified by the manufacturer for a specific combination of vehicles plus its load Axle Weight The weight transmitted to the ground by one axle or one set of axles Tire Load The maximum safe wei ght a tire can carry ata specified pressure This rating is stated on the side of each tire Suspension Systems Suspension systems have a manufacturer s weight capacity rating Coupling Device Capacity Coupling devices are rated for the maximum weight they can pull and or carry 3 2 2 Legal Weight Limits You must keep weights within legal lim its States have maxim ums for GV Ws G CWs and axle weights Often maximum axle weights are set by a bridge fo rmula A bri dge formul a p ermits ess maximum axle weig ht for axles that are cl oser together Thi s is to prevent overloa ding brid ges and roadways Overloading can h ave ba d e ffects on s teering braking an d speed control Overloa ded tru cks have to go very slowly on upgrades Worse they Page 3 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manu
162. fter coming to a stop e Continuously check all mirrors e Ifthe scho olbu sis so equi pped activate alternating fl ashing amber warning lig hts at least 100 fe et but nom ore than 500 feet or approximately 5 10 seconds before the school bus stop or in accordance with state law e Turn on right turn signal indicator a bout 100 300 feet or a pproximately 3 5 second s before pulling over e Continuously che ck mi rrors tomo nitor the danger zones for students traffic an d other objects e Move as fa ras po ssible to the right onthe traveled portion of the roadway e Bring school bus toa ful stop with the front bumper at least 10 feet away from students at the designated stop This force s the students to walk to the bus so you have a better view of their movements e Place tran smission in Park or if there is no Park shift point in Neutral and set the parking brake at each stop e Open service door if possible eno ugh to activate alternating re d lights when traffic is a safe distance from the school bus e Make afinal check to see that all traf fic ha s stopped b efore completely openin g th e door and signaling students to approach Page 10 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 10 2 2 Loading Procedures e Perform a safe stop as described in subsection 10 2 1 e Students should wait in a desi gnated location forthe sch oolb us fa cingthe bu sasit approaches e Students should board t he b us only wh e
163. g and uncoupling steps are li sted be low The re a re difference s bet ween different rigs so learn the details of coupling and uncoupling the truck s you will operate 6 4 1 Coupling Tractor Semitrailers Step 1 Inspect Fifth Wheel e Check for damaged missing parts e Check to see that mo unting to tractori s secure no cracks in frame etc e Be sure that the fifth wheel plate is greased as required Failure to keep the fifth whee plate lubricated could cau se steering p roblems Page 6 7 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual because of friction b etween the tra ctor and trailer e Check if fifth whe elisi n proper position for coupling gt Wheel tilted down toward rear of tractor gt Ja ws open gt Safety unlocking handle in the a utomatic lock position gt If you have a sliding fifth wheel make sure it is locked gt Make sure the trailer kingpin is not bent or broken Step 2 Inspect Area and Chock Wheels e Make sure area around the vehicle is clear e Be sure trailer wheels are chocked or spring brakes are on e Check that cargo if any is secure d against movement due to tractor being coupled to the trailer Step 3 Position Tractor e Put the trac tor directly in front of the trailer Never ba ck underth etraileratan angle because you might p ush the trailer sideways and break the landing gear e Check po sition usi ng o utside mi rrors by looking down both sides of the traile
164. g in dim light Most people have noticed this when walking into a dark movie theater Glare Drivers can be blinded for a short time by bright light It tak es time to recover from this blindness Older drivers are especially bothered by glare Most people have been temporarily blinded by camera flash units or by the high beams of an oncoming vehicle It can t ake several seconds to recover from glare Even two seconds of glare blindness can be dangerous A vehicle going 55 mph will trav el more than half the distance of a football field during that time Don t look directly at bright lights when driving Look at the right side of the roa d Watch the sidelines when som eone coming toward you has very bright lights on Fatigue and Lack of Alertness Fatigue b eing tired and lack of alertness are big ger problems at night Th e b ody s nee df or sleepi s beyond a person s con trol Mo st p eople are le ss ale rt at night especially after mid night This is parti cularly true if you have be en driving fora long time Drivers may not see hazards as soon or react as quickly so the chance of a crash is greater If you are sleepy the only safe cure is to get off the road and get some sleep If you don t you risk yo ur life and the lives of others 2 11 3 Roadway Factors Poor Lighting Inthe daytime the reisu sually enough light to see well This is not true at night Some area s may have bright _ street lights but many areas will h
165. g towed You must check that all shut off Section 6 Combination Vehicles valves are in the open position except the ones at the back of the last trailer which must be closed 6 2 8 Trailer Service Parking and Emergency Brakes Newer trailers have spring br akes just lik e tr ucks and truck tra ctors However converte r dollies and trailers built before 1975 are not requi red to have spring b rakes Tho seth atdo noth ave sp ring brakes have emergency brakes which work from the air stored in the trailer air tank The emergency brakes come on whenever ai rp ressurei nthe emergency li nei slo st These traile rsh ave n o parking b rake The eme rgency bra kes co me on whenever the air supply knob is pulled out or th e trailer is di sconnected A majo rl eakinth e emergency line will cause the tractor protection valve to close and the t railer emergency brakes to come on But the brakes will hold only as long as there i sairpre ssurei nthe traile r air tank Eventually the ai r will eak away and then the re will be no brakes Therefore it is very important for safety that you u se wheel chocks when you p ark trailers without spring brakes You may not notice a major leak in the service line until you try to put the brakes on Then the air loss from the leak will lower the air tank pressure quickly If itgoeslo wenou gh the trailer emergency brakes will come on Subsection 6 2 Test Your Knowledge 1 Why should yo
166. ge gears while crossing the tracks e You donot have to stop but must slo w down and carefully check for other vehicles gt At streetcar crossings gt Where a policeman or flagman is directing traffic gt Ifa traffic signal is green gt Atc rossings ma rkedas e xempt o r abandoned 4 3 6 Drawbridges Stop at Drawbridges Stop at drawbridges that do not have a signal light or traffic control attendant Stop at least 50 feet before the draw of the bridge Look to make sure the draw is completely closed before crossing You do not need to stop but must slow down and make sure it s safe when e There is a traffic light showing green e The bridge has an attend ant or traffic office r who controls traffic whenever th e bridg e opens 4 4 After trip Vehicle Inspection Inspect your bus atthe endof each shift If you work for an interstate carrier you must complete a written inspection report for ea ch bus driven The report mu st specify each bus and list any defe ct that would affect safety or result in a breakdown If there are no defects the report should say so Riders some times dama ge safety rel ated parts such as han dholds se ats emerge ncy exits and windows If you report this damage at the end ofa shift mechanics can mak e repairs before the bus goes out ag ain Mass transit drive rs should also make sure passenger signaling devices and brake door interlocks work properly Page 4 3 2005
167. h ange g earsa s necessary 13 1 3 Urban Rural Straight During this p art of the test you aree xpected to make regular traffic che cks and mai ntain a saf e following distan ce You r vehicle should be centered in t he proper lane rig ht most lane and you should keep up with the flow of traffic but not exceed the posted speed limit 13 1 4 Urban Rural Lane Changes During the multiple lane portion of the urban and rural sections you will be asked to change lanes to the left and then back to the right You should make the necessary traffic ch ecks first then use Page 13 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual proper signals and smoothly change lanes when it is safe to do so 13 1 5 Expressway Before entering the expressway e Check _ traffic e Use proper signals e Merge smoothly into the proper lane of traffic Once on the expressway e Maintain proper lane positio ning vehicle spacing and vehicle speed e Continue to che ck traffic thoroug hly in all directions You will be instructed to change lanes e You must make necessary traffic checks e Use proper signals e Change lanes smoothly when itis safe todo SO When exiting the expressway e Make necessary traffic checks e Use proper signals e Decelerate smoothly in the exit lane e Once onthe exit ra mp you must continue to decelerate within thel anem arkingsa nd maintain ad equate spa cing b etween your vehicle and other
168. have in judging a motorcycle s speed a nd distance space between the two vehicles should be in creased to avo id sudde n braking Both cycli sts and drivers a re more likely to make incorrect decisions if there i s not enough stopping di stance or abili ty to see an dre act to conditions This eads to accidents A cyclists chances of i njury are gr eater if forced to avoid obstacles ahead as well as a driver following too closely The single headlight a nd si ngle tail lightof a motorcycle can blen d int o the lights of other vehicles This can cause yout omisju dge distance Always dim your headlights for a motorcycle just as required for other vehicles SHARING THE ROAD WITH BIG TRUCKS It takes special driving skills and kn owledge to drive safely with an d around big tru cks Yo u cannot drive around the big truck the way you drive around other vehicles The most important tip is to give a wide clearance berth to the big truck Itis known that colli sions bet ween larg e trucks and lighter ve hicles f requently re sult i n d eath in th e driver or occupants of the other vehicles Page 2 29 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Big trucks are different because they have a much longer stopping distance than other vehicles and longer still o n wet ro ads The ability of the truck driver to controlth e truckd uring emergency braking is very limited Drivers of smaller ve hicles as well asla rger vehicles need
169. he lock position e Check that the safety latch i s in po sition over locking lever On so me fifth wheel s the catch must be put in place by hand e fthe coupl ingisn trig ht don tdri ve the coupled unit get it fixed Step 14 Connect the Electrical Cord and Check Air Lines e Plug the ele ctrical co rdi nto the trailer and fasten the safety catch e Check both air lines and electrical line for signs of damage e Make sure ai rand el ectrical lines will not hit any moving parts of vehicle Step 15 Raise Front Trailer Supports Landing Gear e Use low g ear range if so equipped to begin raising the landing gear Once free of weight switch to the high gear range e Raise the landing gear all the way up Never drive with landing gear only part way up as it may catch on railroad tracks or other things e After rai sing landi ng g ear se cure th e cran k handle safely e When full weight of trailer is resting on tractor gt Check for enough clearance between rear of tractor frame and anding gear When tractor turns sharply it must not hit landing gear gt Check that therei sen ough clearance between the top of the tractor tires a nd the nose of the trailer Step 16 Remove Trailer Wheel Chocks e Remove an d store wheel ch ocksin a safe place Section 6 Combination Vehicles 6 4 2 Uncoupling Tractor Semitrailers The followi ng step s will help you to unco uple safely Step 1 Position Rig
170. he road Also check your mirrors and wiper blades for ice If they have ice the road most likely will be icy as well Adjust Turning and Braking to Conditions Make turns as gently as possible Don t brake any harder than necessary and don t use the engin e brake or sp eed reta rder They can cau se the driving wheels to skid on slippery surfaces Adjust Speed to Conditions D on t p ass s lower vehicles unle ss n ecessary Go slowly and wat ch far enough ahead to keep a steady speed Avoid having to slow down and speed up Take curves at slower speeds and don t brake while in curves Be aware that a s the tempe rature rises to the point where ice begins to melt the road becomes even more slippery Slow down more Adjust Space to Conditions Don t drive alongside other vehicles Keep alo nger follo wing distance When you see a traffic jam a head slow down or sto p to wait fo ritto clea r Try ha rd to anticipate stops ea rly and sl ow down gra dually Watch for sn owplows as well as salt and sand trucks and give them plenty of room Wet Brakes When driving in heavy rain ord eep standing water your b rakes will get wet Water i n the bra kes can ca use the brakes to be wea k to apply unevenly or to g rab This can cause lack of braking power wheel lock ups pulling to one si de or the other and jackknife if you pull a trailer Avoid driving throug h de ep pud dles or flowi ng water if possible If not you should e
171. he loser in a collision Following In good ro ad and we ather conditions you sho uld leave a gap of atleast 4 fouro r more seconds between your vehicle and the truck in front of you and an even longer gap when conditions are poor This will prevent road spray pi cked up by the truck s wheels affecting y our visibility The truck may also blo ck your view of the road ahead so hanging back will increase your field of vision and Section 2 Driving Safely give you more stopping distance if the truck brakes suddenly to avoid a hazard you can t see Because of the size of trucks another driver s view of you may be re stricted At interse ctions and in slow traffic ensure you stay far en ough away for other drivers to see you When following at night keep your headlights on low beam The truck s many side mirrors will reflect high beam lights right into the driver s eyes Passing If you are pa ssing a truck always pass on the left side and make sure to allow plenty of room before switching back in front of the truck Never ever cut in front of a large truck Merging Courtesy When traveling in the rig ht lane cou rtesy dictates that you move over to all ow a truck to merge Be careful when pulling behind a truck whi ch has just entered the highway it take s alot ongerfor a large truck to get up to speed Respect the No Zone SEE AND BE SEEN NO ZONE 0 NO ZONE 0 NO ZONE 0 Page 2 30 200
172. he te mperature i s within the proper range while you are driving Engine Coolant Before starting out mak e sure the engine cooling system has enough water and antifreeze according to th e engine ma nufacturer s directions Antifreeze helps the engine under hot conditions as we llas cold conditions When driving ch eck the wate r temperature or coolant temperature gauge from time to time Make sure that it remai ns in the n ormal range If the gaug e goes a bove the hig hest safe te mperature the re may be something wrong that could lead to engine failure and possibly fire Stop driving as so on as safely possible and try to find out what is wrong Some vehicles have sig ht glasses see through coolant overf low containe rs or coolant recove ry containers These permit you to check the coolant level while the engine is hot If the container i s not part of the pre ssurized system the cap can be Section 2 Driving Safely safely removed and coolant added even when the engine is at operating temperature Never remove the ra diator cap or any part of the pressurized system until the sy stem has coole d Steam and boiling water can spray under pressure and cause severe b urns If you can touchth e radiator cap with your bare hand it is probably cool enough to open If coolant ha s to be add ed to a syste m without a recovery tank or overflow tank follow these steps e Shut engine off e Wait until engine has cooled e Pro
173. hicle spa ce of a motorcycle and its position in tra ffic Motorcy cles are allowed the full width of a lane in which to maneuver Section 2 Driving Safely Because a motorcycle has the right to a full traffic lane pass it just a s you would any ot her vehicle Don t pass too fast or too close The wind blast of large fast m oving vehicles can blow a motorcycle out of control Intersections are the most likely place sfo r car motorcycle collisions to occur This usually is the result of a driver NOT SEEING the motorc ycle and turnin g into th e motorcycle s p ath Misinterpreting a cyclists intentions can also le ad to problems A cyclist will change lane position to prepare for upcoming traffic conditions The cyclist will move to one side of the lane in preparation for a turn or possibly to move away from a haza rd unseen by other motorists Do nota ssumethe cyclist s int ention until the maneuver S unmistakably started sucha satu rn into an intersection or driveway Also turn si gnals do not automatically shut off on a motorcy cle and cyclists occasionally forget to cancel them after a turn is completed Make sure you know what the cyclist is going tod o BEFORE you move into the motorcycle s path When driving behind a motorcycle allow 4 four or more se conds fo llowing dis tance T his pr ovides the cyclist enough room to maneuver or stop in an emergency Due to its vu _Inerable nature and the difficulty motorists
174. hip e Arewanted orun deri ndictment for certain felonies Page 1 3 2005 Model Commercial Driver s License Manual e Have a conviction in military or civilian court for certain felonies e Have been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution e Are considered to p ose ase curity threata s determined bythe Transportation Security Administration 1 3 Other CDL Rules There are ot her federal and state rules that affect drivers operating CMVs in all states Among them are e You cannot have more than one license If you break this rule a cou rt may fine you up to 5 000 or put you in jailand keep your home state license and return any others e You must notify your employer within 3 0 days of convictio n for any traffic violation s exce pt parking This is true no matter what type of vehicle you were driving e You must no tify your motor vehicl e licensing agency within 30 day s if you are convicted in any othe r ju risdiction of any traffic vi olation except parking This is true n o matter what type of vehicle you were driving e You must notify your emp loyer if you r license is suspen ded revoked or can celed or if you are disqualified from driving e You must give your employer information on all driving job s you have he ld for the past 10 years You must do this when you appl y fora commercial driving job e Noonecan drive a commercial motor vehicle without a CDL A cou rt may
175. his will set the trailer emergency brakes if the slack adjusters are correctly adjusted Chock the wheel s if you have any doubt about the brakes Page 7 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual For the safe st han dling onthe road the mo re heavily loaded semitrailer should be in first position behind the tractor The lighter trailer sh ould be in the rear A converter gear on a dolly is a coupling device of one ortwo axles anda fifth wh eel by whi ch a semitrailer can be coupled to the rear of a tra ctor trailer co mbination fo rming ad ouble bottom ri g See Figure 7 1 Air and Electrical Connections Lead Trailer Rear Trailer Fifth Wheel Ring Hitch N _ a Figure 7 1 Position Converter Dolly in Front of Second Rear Trailer Release doll y bra kes by openi ng th eairtan k petcock Or if the dolly has spring brakes use the dolly parking brake control If the distance is not too great wheel the dolly into position by hand so it is in line with the kingpin Or use the t ractor and first semit railer to pick up the converter dolly e Position com bination as close as possible to converter dolly e Move dolly torearoffirst semitrailer and couple it to the trailer e Lock pintle hook e Secure dolly support in raised position e Pull dolly into position as close as possible to nose of the second semitrailer e Lower dolly support e Unhook dolly from first trailer e Wheel dolly into po
176. hose involved in removing the hazard or wreckage to get close You must notify the shipp er if comp ressed gas is invol ved in any accident Unless yo u are fu eling machinery us edin road construction or maintenance do not transfer a flammable compressed gas fromo ne tank to another on any public roadway Class 3 Flammable Liquids Ifyou are transporting a flammable liquid and have an accident or your vehi cle brea ks do wn prevent bystanders from gatheri ng Warn p eople of the danger Keep them from smoking Never transport a lea king cargo tan k farther than needed to reach a safe place Get off the roadway if you ca n do so safely Don t t ransfer flamma ble liquid from one vehi cle to anothero na publi c roadway except in an emergency Class 4 Flammable Solids and Class 5 Oxidizing Materials If a flammable solid or oxidizing ma terial spill s warn othe rs ofthe fire Page 9 16 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual hazard Do not open smolde ring p ackages of flammable solids Remove them from the vehicle if you can safely do so Also rem ove unb roken packages if it will decrease the fire hazard Class 6 Poisonous Materials and Infectious Substances Itis your job to prote ct yourself other people and pro perty from harm Remember that many p roducts classed as poi son are also flammable If you think a Divisio n 2 3 Poiso n Gases or Division 6 1 Poison Materials might be flammable take the adde
177. ible pull off the road in a safe legal place when maki ng receiving a call on communication equipment e f possible turn the cell phone off until your destination is reached e Position the cell phone within easy reach e Pre program cell phones with commonly called numbers e If you have to place a call find a safe place to pull off the road Don otplacea_ call while driving e Some jurisdictions require that only hands free devices can be used while driving Even these devices are un safeto usewhen youa re moving down the road e lf you must use yo ur cellph one kee p conversations short Develop ways to get free of long winded friends and associates while on the road Never use the cell phone for social visiting e Hang up in tricky traffic situations e Do not use the equip ment when app roaching locations with heavy traffic ro ad construction heavy pede strian traffic or seve re weather conditions e Do not attempt to type or read mess ages on your satellite system while driving 2 9 3 Watch Out for Other Distracted Drivers You need to be able to recognize other drivers who are engaged in any form of driving distraction Not recognizing other distracted drive rs can prevent you from perceiving or reacting correctly in time to prevent a crash Watch for e Vehicles that may drift over the lane divider lines or within their own lane e Vehicles traveling at inconsistent speeds e Drivers who are pre occu
178. ical breakdown Subsection 2 1 Test Your Knowledge The vehicle inspection report tells the motor carrier about problems that may need fixing Keep a copy of your report in the vehicle for one day That way the next driver can lea rn about any p roblems you have found 1 What i s the most impo rtant rea son for doing a vehicle inspection 2 What thing s shoul d you che ck during a trip 3 Name some key steering system parts 4 Name some suspension system defects 9 What three kinds of emergency equipment must you have 6 What is the minimum tread depth for front tires For other tires 7 Name some things you should ch eck on the front of your vehicle du ring the walkaround inspection 8 What should wh eel bearing seal s be checked for 9 How many red reflective triangle s sho uld you carry 10 How do yo u test hydraulic brakes for leaks 11 Why put the starte r swit ch keyin y our pocket during the pre trip inspection These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsection 2 1 2 2 Basic Control of Your Vehicle To d rive av ehicle safely you mu stb e able to control its speed and direction Safe operation of a commercial vehicle requires skill in Section 2 Driving Safely e A ccelerating e Steering e Stopping e Bac king safely Fasten your seatbelt when on the road Apply the parking brake when you leave your vehicle 2 2 1 Accelerating
179. icense Manual e Page numbers if the shipping paper has more than on e page The first page m ust tell the total number of pages Fo r example Page 1 of 4 e Aprop er shipping description for each hazardous material e A shipper s certification signed by the shipper saying they prepared the shipment according to the rules 9 3 5 The Item Description If a ship ping paper describes both hazardous and non hazardous products the ha zardous mate rials will be either e Des cribed first e Highlighted in a contrasting color e Identified by an X placed before the shipping name in a co lumn captioned HM The letters RQ may be used instead of X if a reportable quantity is present in one package The b asic description of hazardou s mate rials includes the proper shipping name hazard class or division the identification number and the packing group if any in that ord er The pa cking group is displayed i n Ro mann umerals an d may be preceded by PG Shipping na me ha zard class and i dentification number must not be abbreviated unless specifically authorized in the ha zardous materials regulations The description must also show e The total quantity and unit of measure e The letters RQ if a reportable quantity e Ifthe letters RQ appe ar the name of the hazardous substance e For all materials with the letter G Generic in Column 1 thete chnical nameofth hazardous material Shipp
180. ides and Rear It s important to know what s going on behind and to the sides Check your mirrors regularly Check more often in special situations Mirror Adjustment Mirror adjustment should be checked prior to the sta rt of any trip a nd can only be ch ecked a ccurately w hen th e tra iler s ar e straight You should check and adjust each mirror to show some part of the vehicle This will give you a refe rence point for jud ging the p osition of the other images Regular Checks You needtoma_ kere gular checks of your mirrors to be aware of traffic and to check your vehicle Traffic Check your mi rrors for vehi cles on eithe r side and in back of you In an emergency you may need to know whether you can make a quick lane Section 2 Driving Safely change Use your mirror stospot overtakin g vehicles There are blind spots that y our mirrors cannot show you Che ck your mirrors regularly to know where other vehicles are around you and to see if they move into your blind spots Check Your Vehicle Use the mirrors to keep an eye on your tires It s one way to spot a tire fire If you re carrying op en cargo you ca nuseth e mirrors to check it Look for loose straps ropes or chains Watch for a flapping or ballooning tarp Special Situations Special situ ations require more than regular mirror checks T hese are lan e changes turns merges and tight maneuvers Lane Changes You need to check your mirrors to
181. if the material doesn t meet the hazard class definition A Means th e h azardous ma terial described in Column 2 is subjectto the HMR only when offered or intended for tran sport by air unless itis a hazardous substance or hazardous waste W Means th e h azardous ma terial described in Column 2 is subjectto the HMR only when offered or intended for transportation by wateru nless itis a haza rdous substance ha zardous waste o rma rine pollutant D Means the pro per shipping nam eis appropriate f or de scribing materi als for domestic t ransportation but may not be proper for international transportation 1 Identifies a p roper shipping nam e that is used to describe materials in international Page 9 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 49 CFR 172 101 Hazardous Materials Table Hazardous Materials Hazard Symbols Description amp Proper Class or Shipping Names Division oe ee Acetaldehyde ammonia pO Identification Numbers Packaging 173 Special Provisions 172 1010 Exceptions aon Bulk Bulk 7 8A 8B 8C Appendix A to 49 CFR 172 List of Hazardous Substances and Reportable Quantities Hazardous Substances Synonyms Phenyl mercaptan Benzinethiol Thiophenol Phenylmercuric Mercury acetato 0 acetate phenyl N Phenylthiourea l Reportable Quantity RQ Pounds Kilograms 100 45 4 100 45 4 Phosphorodithioic acid Phosgene O O diethyl S 10 4 54 ethyl
182. ights and reflectors Strobe light if equipped gt Stop arm light if equipped gt Alternately flashing amber lights if gt v equipped Alternately flashing red lights Page 11 5 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Stop Arm e f equipped check the stop arm to see that it is mounted securely to the frame of the vehicle Also check for loose fittings and damage Passenger Entry Lift e Check thatthe entryd ooris not damaged operates sm oothly and closes securely from the inside e Handrails are secure a ndthe_ step light is working if equipped e The entry ste ps must be clear with the treads not loose or worn excessively e f equipped with a handicap lift look for leaking da maged or missin gpartsan d explain how lift should be checked for correct operation Li ft mustbe fully retra cted and latched securely Emergency Exit e Make sure thatallem ergency exits are not damaged operate sm oothly and close securely from the inside e Checkthat anyem ergencyexit warning devices are working Seating e Look for b roken seat fra mes and check that seat frames are firmly attached to the floor e Check that seat cu shions a rea _ ttached securely to the seat frames 11 4 Trailer 11 4 1 Trailer Front Air Electrical Connections e Check thatt railer air connectors are sealed and in good condition e Make sure glad hands are locked in place free of damage or air leaks e Mak
183. ined by the amount of alcohol yo u drink more alcoh ol me ans hig her BAC ho w fast you d rink faste r drinking means higher BAC and you r weight a small pe rson doesn t have to drink as much to re ach the same BAC Alcohol and the Brain Alcohol affects more and more of the brain as BAC builds up T he first p art of the brain affected controls judgment and self control One of the b ad things about this is it can keep drinkers from knowing they are getting drunk And of course good judgment and self control are absolutely necessary for safe driving As BAC con tinues to b uild up muscle control vision an d coordination are affe cted more and more Effects on driving may include e Straddling lanes e Quick jerky starts e Not signaling failure to use lights e Running stop signs and red lights elmprop er passing These effects mean increased chances of a crash and chances of losi ng your drive r s licen se Accident statistics show that the chance of a crash is much greater for drivers who have been drinking than for drivers who have not Effects Of Increasing Blood Alcohol Content Blood Alcoh ol Content is th e amou nt of alcoh ol in your blood recorded in milligrams of alco hol per 100 millimeters of bloo dor milligrams Your BA C depends onthe am ount of blood which i ncreases with weight and the amount of alcohol you consume over time how fast you drink The faster you drink the hig her your BAC as
184. ing pa pers alsom ustli sta n emergency response tel ephonen umber T he eme rgency response telephone number is the responsibility of the shipp er Itca nb eused by emergency responders to obtain information about any hazardous material s inv olved ina spill or fire Some ha zardous materi alsdon otneed a telephone n_ umber You shoul d check the regulations for a listing Shippers also mu st provide emergency respon se information to the motor carrier for each hazardous material being shipped The emergency response information must be able to be used away from the motor vehicle and must provide information on how to safely han dle incidents involving the material It must include information on the ship ping name of Section 9 Hazardous Material the hazard ous mate rials risks toh ealth fire explosion a nd initial me thods of han dling spills fires and leaks of the materials Such information can be on the shipping paper or some other document that inclu des the ba sic description and technical name of the hazardous material Or it may be in a guidance book such as the Emergency Re sponse Guid ebook ERG Motor carriers may assist shippers by keeping an ERG on each vehicl e carrying haza _ rdous materials The driver must provide the emergency response information to any federal state or local authority respondi ngto aha zardous material s incident or investigating one Total quantity must appear before or after the
185. ing pape r A shipping pa perforha zardous mat erials m ust always be easily recognized Other people must be able to find it quickly after an accident e Clearly di stinguishh azardousm __aterials shipping pa pers fro m others by ta bbing them or keeping them on top of the stack of papers e When you are behind the wheel keep shipping papers within your re ach with your se at belt on orina pouch on the driver s door They must be ea sily seen by so meone entering the cab e When n otb ehind the wheel le ave shipping papers in th e d river s door pouch or on the driver s seat e Emergency response information must be kept in the same location as the shipping paper e Papers for Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B Explosives Acarrierm ustgiveea_ chd river transportin g Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B explosives a copy of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations FMCSR P art 397 The carrier mu st also give written instructions on what to do if de layed orin an accident The written instructions must include e The names and telephone numbers of people to conta ct in cluding ca rriera gents or shippers e The nature of the explosives transported e The precautions to ta ke in emergencies such as fires accidents or leaks Drivers must sign a receipt for these documents You mustb e familiar with and have in your possession while driving the e Shipping papers e Written emergency instructions e
186. irror Page 2 11 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual FIELD OF VISION USING A CONVEX MIRROR Driver Wa View Area View FAYE Figure 2 7 2 5 Communicating 2 5 1 Signal Your Intentions Other drivers can t know what you are going to do until you tell them Signaling wh at you inte nd to d o i s i mportant for safety Here are some general rules for signaling Turns There are thre e good rules for using turn signals e Signal early Signal well b efore you turn It is the best way to keep others from trying to pass you e Signal continuously You need both ha nds on the wheel to turn safely Don t cancel the signal until you have completed the turn e Cancel your signal Don t forget to turn off your turn signal after you ve turned if you do n t have self canceling signals Lane Changes Put your turn sign al on before changing la nes Change lane s slowlyan d smoothly Th at way a dri ver you didn t see may have a chance to honk his her horn or avoid your vehicle Section 2 Driving Safely Slowing Down Warn drivers b ehind you whe n you see you ll need to slow down A few light taps on the brake pedal en ough to flash the bra ke lights should warn following drivers Use the four way emergency fla shers for time s when you are driving very slowly or are stopped Warn other drivers in any of the following situations e Trouble Ahead The si ze of your vehicle may make ith ard for
187. isorder center if you suffer from frequ ent daytime sleepiness have difficulty sleepi ng at night take frequent naps fall asleep at strange times sn ore loudly gasp and choke in your sleep and or wake Page 2 43 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual up feeling a s though you have not had enough sleep 2 23 2 While You Are Driving Keep Cool A hot poo rly ventilated v ehicle can make you sleepy Kee pthe window orve nt cracked o pen oru se the air conditi oner if you have one Take Breaks Short breaks can keep you alert But the time to taketh emis before you feelre ally drowsy o rtired Stop of ten Wal k a round an d inspect yo ur vehicl e It may hel pto do some physical exercises Be sure to take a mid afternoon break and plan to sleep between midnight and 6 a m Recognize the Danger Signals of Drowsy Driving Sleep is not vol untary If you re drowsy you can fall asleep and never even know it If you are drowsy you are likely to have micro sleep s brief naps that last around four or five seconds At 55 miles an hour that s more than 100 yards and plenty of tim e fora crash Even ify oua re not aware of bei ng drowsy if you havea sleep debt you are still at risk Here are afew ways to tell if you re about to fall asleep If you experience any of these danger signs take t hem as a warnin g that you could fall asleep without meaning to e Youreyesclo seor go outof focus by themsel
188. istracted elsewhere Activities that can dist ract your attention inclu de talking to p assengers adjusting the radi o CD player o rcli mate cont rols eating d rinkingo r smoking reading maps or other lite rature picking up something that fell reading billboards and other road adve rtisements watching othe r people an d vehicles including aggressive drivers ta Iking ona cell ph one or CB radi o usin g telema tic device s suchas navigation systems p agers e tc daydreaming or being o ccupied with o ther mental distractions 2 9 1 Don t Drive Distracted If drivers re act a half second sl ower because of distractions crashes double Here are some tips to follow so you won t become distracted e Review and be totally familiar with al safety and usage features on any in vehicl e electronics i ncluding yo ur wi reless o r cell phone before you drive e Pre p rogram radio stations e Pre load you favorite CDs or cassette tapes e Clear the vehicle of any unnecessary objects e Review maps and plan your route before you begin driving e Adjust all mi rrors for b est all ro und vi sibility before you start your trip e Don t attempt to read or write while you drive e Avoid smoking eating a nd drinking while you drive e Dont engagein complex oremot _ ionally intense conversations with other occupants Section 2 Driving Safely 2 9 2 Use In vehicle Communication Equipment Cautiously e When poss
189. ivers mu st have a sch ool bus S endorsement which re quires ad ditional kno wledge test and possibly skills test See Section 10 4 1 Vehicle Inspection Before driving your bu s you mu st b e sure it is safe You must review the inspection report made by the previous d river Only if defects repo rted earlier have been certified a sre paired o r not needed to be repai red sho uld yo u sig nthe previous d river s re port This i s you r certification that the defects reported earlier have been fixed 4 1 1 Vehicle Systems Make sure these things are in good wo rking order before driving e Service brakes including air hose couplings if your bus has a trailer or semitrailer e Parki ng brake e Steering mechanism e Lights and reflectors e Tires front wheels must not have recapped or regrooved tires e Hor n e Windshield wiper or wipers e Rear vision mirror or mirrors Section 4 Transporting Passengers Safely e Coupling devices if present e Wheels and rims e Emerge ncy equipment 4 1 2 Access Doors and Panels As you che ck the outsid e of the bus close any open emergency exit s Also cl ose anyop en access p anels forb aggage re stroom service engine etc before driving 4 1 3 Bus Interior People som etimes dam age unattended buses Always check the interior of the bus before driving to ensure rider safety Aisles and stairwells should always be clear The following
190. k and turn toward the driver s side you can watch the rear of your vehicle by looking out the side window Use driver side backing even if itm eans going around the block to p utyourvehi cle in this position The added safety is worth it Use a Helper Use a helper when you can There are blind spots you can t see That s why a helper is im portant The hel per sh ould sta nd ne ar the back of your vehicle where you can see the helper Before you begin backing work out a set of han d signals that you both understand Ag ree on a signal for stop 2 3 Shifting Gears Correct shifting of gears is important If you can t get your vehi cle into the right gear while driving you will have less control Section 2 Driving Safely 2 3 1 Manual Transmissions Basic Method for Shifting Up Mosthe avy vehicles with manual transmissions require double clutching to cha nge g ears T hisi stheba_ sic method e Release accelerator push in clutch and shift to neutral at the same time e Rele ase clutch e Let engine and gears slow down to the rom required for the next gear this takes practice e Pushin clutch and shift tothe higher gear at the same time e Release clut ch and p ress accelerator at the same time Shifting gea rs u sing d ouble clutching req uires practice If you remain too long in neutral you may have difficult y putting the vehicle int othe next gear If so d on t try to forc e it Retu rn to neutral
191. ke sure the wiper blad es pre ss ag ainstthe wi ndow hard enough to wipe the windshield clean otherwi se they may not swe ep off snow p roperly Make sure the windshield washer works and there is washing fluid in the washer reservoir Use win dshield wa sher antifree ze to prevent freezing of the wa sher liquid If you can t see well enough while driving for ex ample if your wipers fail stop safely and fix the problem Tires Make sure you hav e enough tread on your tires The drive tires must provide traction to push the rig over wet pavement and through snow The steering tire s mu st hav etractio nto stee rthe vehicle Eno ugh trea d is espe cially i mportant in winter conditions You must have at least 4 32 inch tread depthin every major g roove on front tires and at le ast 2 32 inch on other tires More would be better Use a gau ge to determine if you have enough tread for safe driving Tire Chains You may find yourself in conditions where you can t drive without chains even to get to a place of safety Carry the right number of chains and extra cro ss links Make sure they will fit your drive tire s Check th e ch ains fo r bro ken ho oks worn or b roken cross links and bent or bro ken side chains Learn how to put the chains on before you need to do it in snow and ice Lights and Reflectors Make sure the lights and reflectors a re cl ean Lights a nd reflectors are especially important d uring bad weather Ch eck fro
192. kes hard Oth erwise theb rakesc an overheat and lose their braking power Downshift before starting down the hill Make sure you are ina low enough gear usually lower than the gear required to climb the same hill Before Entering a Curve Slow down toa safe speed an d downshift tothe ri ghtg ear before entering the curve This lets you use some power through the curve toh elp the vehi clebe more stable while turning It also allows you speed up as soon as you are out of the curve 2 3 2 Multi speed Rear Axles and Auxiliary Transmissions Multi speed rear axles and auxiliary transmi ssions are used on many vehicles to provide extra gears You usu ally control them by a selector kn ob or switch on the gea rshiftleverof themai n transmission There a re many different shift patterns Learn the right way to shift gears in th e vehicle you will drive 2 3 3 Automatic Transmissions Some vehicles have auto matic transmissions You can select a low rang etogetgre ateren gine braking when going d own g rades The lower ranges p revent the transmissi on from shifting up beyond the selected gear unless the governor rpm is exce eded It is very important t o usethi s braking effect when going down grades 2 3 4 Retarders Some vehi cles have ret arders Retarde rs h elp slow a ve hicle red ucing the n eed for using your brakes They redu ce b rake wea r and give you another way to slow down There are four ba sic types of
193. l ow down to prevent a crash if the car suddenly cuts in front of you Seeing this hazard gives you tim e to che ck your mi rrors and signalalan echa nge Bein g prepared reduces the danger A driver who did not see the hazard until the slow carp ulled back o n the high way in front of him wo uld h ave to do something very sud denly Sudden brakin g ora quick lane change is much more likely to lead to a crash Learning to See Hazards There are often clues that will help you see hazards The more you drive the bette ry ou canlearnto see h azards This section will talk a bout hazards that you sh ould be aware of 2 8 2 Hazardous Roads Slow down and be very careful if you see a_ ny of the following road hazards Work Zones When people are working on the road it is a hazard There may be narrower lanes sharp turns or uneven surfaces Other drivers are often distra cted and d rive unsafely Workers an d construction vehicles may getinthe way Drive slowly and carefully ne ar work zones Use your four way flashers or brake lights to warn d rivers behind you Drop Off Sometimes the p avementdrop s off sharply near the edge of the road Drivin g too near the edge can tilt your vehicle toward the side of the road This can cause the top of your ve hicle to hit roadside objects signs tree limbs Also it can be hard to s teer as you c ross the drop off going off the road or coming back on Foreign Objects Things that have f
194. le ahead of you safe gap e Do not let your vehicle roll e Keep the front wheels aimed straight ahead When ready to turn e Check traffic in all directions Section 13 On road Driving e Keep both hands on the steering wheel during the turn Do not change gears during the turn e Keep checking your mirror to make sure the vehicle does not hit anything on the in side of the turn e Vehicle should not move into oncoming traffic e Vehicle should finish turn in correct lane After turn e Make sure turn signal is off e Get up to sp eed of traffic use turn sig nal and move into right most lane when safe to do so if not already there 13 1 2 Intersections As you approach an intersection e Check traffic thoroughly in all directions e Dec elerate gently e Brake smo othly and if necessary chang e gears e If necessa ry come to a complete stop no coasting b ehinda nyst opsi gns signal s sidewalks or stop lines maintaining a safe gap behind any vehicle in front of you e Your vehicle must not roll forward or backward When driving through an intersection e Check traffic thoroughly in all directions e Decelerate and yield to any pedestrians and traffic in the intersection e Donot change lane sor shift gears unnecessarily while proceeding thro ugh the intersection e Keep your hands on the wheel Once through the intersection e Continue checking traffic e Accelerate smoothly a nd c
195. leak a way Spring br akes ar e us ually u sed to meet th ese needs Wh en driving po werful springs are held back by air pre ssure ftheairp ressurei s removed the springs put on the brakes A parking brake control in the cab allows the driver to let the air out of the spring brakes This ets the springs put the brakes on A lea k in the air brake system which causes all the air to be lost will also cause the springs to put on the brakes Tractor and straight truck spring brakes will com e fully on when air pressure drops to a range of 20 to 45 psi typi cally 20 to 30 psi Do n ot wait for the brakes to come on automatically When the low air pressure warning light an d buzzer first come on bring the vehicle toa safe stop ri ght away while you can still control the brakes The braking power of spring brakes d epends on the brakes being in adjustment If the bra kes are not adju sted pro perly neither the regular brakes nor the emergency parking brakes will work right 5 1 15 Parking Brake Controls In newer veh icles with ai r brakes you put on the parking brakes using a diamond shaped yello w push pull control knob You pull the knob out to put the parking brakes spring brakes on and push it in to rele ase them On old er vehicles the pa rking brakes m ay be controlled by al ever Use th e parking brakes whenever you park Caution Never push the brake pedal down when the spring brakes are on If youd o the b r
196. ledge 1 Stopping is not always the safest thing to do in an emergency True or False 2 What a re so me advantag es of goin g right instead of left around an obstacle 3 What is an escape ramp 4 If a tire blows out you sho uld put the brakes on hard to stop quickly True or False 5 How do you know if your vehicle has antilock brakes 6 What is th e proper braking technique when driving a vehicle with antilock brakes 7 How do antilock brakes help you These questions may be on the test If you can t answer them all re re ad subsections 2 17 2 18 and 2 19 2 20 Accident Procedures When you re in an accide nt and not seri ously hurt you ne edto act top reventfurth erd amageor injury The basic steps to be taken at any accident are to e Protect the area e Notify authorities e Care for the injured 2 20 1 Protect the Area The first thing to do at an accident scene is to keep another accident from happening in the same spot To protect the accident area e f your vehicle is involved in the accident try to get it to the side of the road Thi s will help prevent a nother a ccident and all ow t raffic to move e f you re stop ping to help park away from the accident The area imm ediately aro und the Page 2 39 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual accident will be need vehicles e Put on your flashers e Set out reflective triangles to warn other traffic Make sure other
197. left side either on the front or rear corner Section 2 Driving Safely Dollies manufactured on or after M arch 1 1998 are required to have a lamp on the left side As a syste m che cko nnewer ve __hicles the malfunction lamp comes on at sta rt up fora bulb check and then goe s out quickly On older systems t he lamp c ould stay on un til you are driving over five mph If the lamp stays on after the bulb check or goes on once you are und er way you may have lost ABS control In the case o f towed units manufactu red before it was required by the Department of T ransportation it may be difficult to tell if the unitis equipped with ABS Look under the vehicl e for the ECU and wheel speed sensor wires coming from the back of the brakes 2 18 4 How ABS Helps You When you b rake hard on slippe ry su rfaces in a vehicle without ABS your wheels may loc k up When your steering wheels lo ck up you lose steering control When yo ur other wheels lock up you may skid jackknife or even spin the vehicle ABS helps you avoid wheel lock up and maintain control You may or may not be able to stop faster with ABS but you s hould be able to steer around an obstacle while braking and avoid skid s caused by over braking 2 18 5 ABS on the Tractor Only or Only on the Trailer Having ABS on only the trac tor only the trailer or even on only one axle still gives you more control over the vehicle during braking Brake
198. life for a second offense You will lose your CDL for life if you use a CMV to commit a felony involving controlled substances You will be put out of serv ice for 24 hours if you have any d etectable a mount of al cohol un der 04 1 2 3 Serious Traffic Violations Serious traffic violatio ns are exce ssive speeding 15 mph or more ab ove the poste d limit reckle ss driving improper or erratic lane changes following a vehicle too closely driving a CMV with improper class lice nse endorsement driving a CMV without the pro per licen se in yo ur po ssession and traffic offenses co mmitted in a CMV in con nection with fatal traffic accidents You will lose your CDL e For atleast 60 days if you have committed two serious traffic violations within athree yea r period involving a CMV e For atleast 120 days for three serious traffic violations within a three year period involving a CMV 1 2 4 Violation of Out of Service Orders You will lose your CDL Section 1 Introduction e Forat lea st 180 day s if you have co mmitted your first violation of an o ut of service violation order e For atleast two ye ars if y ou have com mitted two out of service violation orders in a ten year period e For atleast three years if you have committed three or more out of service violation orders in a ten year period 1 2 5 Railroad highway Grade Crossing Violations You will lose your CDL e For at least 60 days for yo
199. ll drivers lo ok a head b ut many do n tlook fa r enough ahead Importance of Looking Far Enough Ahead Because stopping or changing lanes can take a lot of distance knowing what the traffic is doing on all sides of you is very imp ortant You n eed to loo k well ahead to make sure you have room to ma ke these moves safely How Far Ahead to Look Most good drivers look at least 12 to 15seconds ahead That means looking ahead the di stance you will travel in 12 to 15 second s At lower speeds that s abouto ne Page 2 10 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual block At highway speed s it s about a quarte r of a mile If you re not looking t hat far ahea d you may have to stop too quickl yormake quick lane changes Looking 12 to 15 seconds ahead doesn t mean not paying attention to things that are closer Good drive rs shift thei r at tention b ack and fo rth near and far Figure 2 6 ill ustrates how far to lo ok ahead CITY DRIVING 12 15 Seconds is About One Block 12 15 Seconds is About 4 Quar Figure 2 6 Look for Traffic Look for vehicl es coming ont o the hig hway into you r lane or turnin g Watch for brake lights from slowing vehicles By seeing these things fa ren ough a head you can change your speed or change lanes if necessary to avoid a problem If a traffic light has been green for a long time it will probably change before you get the re Start slowing down and be ready to stop 2 4 2 Seeing to the S
200. ll engine braking effect With older trucks a rule for choosing gears is to use the same gea r g oing do wn ahi ll that you would need to climb the hill However new trucks have low friction parts and streamlined shapes for fuel economy They may a Iso have more powerful engines This means they can go up hills in higher Page 2 33 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual gears and have less fricti on and air drag to hol d them back going down hills Fort hat reason drivers of m odern trucks may have to use ower gears going down ahill than would be required to go up th e hill You sh ould know what is right for your vehicle 2 16 3 Brake Fading or Failure Brakes are designed so b rake shoes or pad s rub against the brake drum or disks to slow the vehicle Braking creates heat but brakes are designed to take a lot of heat However brakes can fade or fail from ex cessive heat caused by u sing them too much and not relying on the engine braking effect Brake fade isalso affected bya djustment To safely control a vehicle e very brake must do it s share of the work Bra kes out of adjustment will stop doi ng their share b efore tho se that are in adjustment The other brakes can th en overheat and fade an dthere will notbe eno ugh braking available to control the ve hicle Brakes can get out of adjustme nt quickly especi ally whe n they are used a lot also brake linings wear f aster when they are hot Therefore brake a
201. losives 1 1 1 2 Project Hazards Explosives 1 2 1 3 Mass Fire Hazards Explosives 1 3 2 3 Poisonous T oxic Poison Gas Gases 4 3 Spontaneously Combustible When Dangerous When Wet Wet 5 2 Organic Peroxide Type B liquid or solid Temperature controlled 6 1 Inhalation hazard Poison zone A amp B only 7 Radioactive Yellow Radioactive II label only Figure 9 7 Organic Peroxide You may use DANGEROUS pl acards inste ad of separate placards for each Table 2 h azard class when e You have 1 001 pounds ormoreoft woor more T able2hazard cla sses requiri ng different placards and e You have not loaded 2 205 pounds or more of any Table 2 hazard class material at a ny one place You must u se th e spe cific placard for this material e The da ngerous pl acardi san option nota requirement You can al ways pla card f or the materials If the words INHALATIO N HAZARD are on the shipping pa per or pa ckage you m ustdi splay POISON GAS or P OISON INHALATION placards in ad dition to any other placards needed by the product s hazard class The 1 000 pound exception does not apply to these materials Materials with a second ary ha zard of dang erous when wet m ust dis play th e DANGEROUS WHEN WET pl acard ina ddition toa ny oth er placards needed by the prod uc s hazard class The 1 000 pound ex ception to pl acarding does not apply to these materials Section 9 Hazardous Material Placard Table 2
202. lowing components gt Whe els gt Suspension system gt Brakes gt Doors ties lift gt Sp lash guards Page 11 6 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 11 5 Coach Transit Bus 11 5 1 Passenger Items Passenger Entry Lift e Check thate ntry doors operate smoothly and close securely from the inside e Check that handrails are se cureand if equipped that the step light s are working e Check that the entry steps are cl ear with the treads not loose or worn excessively e l fequipped witha handicap lift look for any leaking damaged or missing part and explain how it should be checked for correct operation e Liftshould be fully retracteda nd I atched securely Emergency Exits e Make sure thatallem ergency exits are not damaged operate sm oothly and close securely from the inside e Check that anyem ergencyexit warning devices are working Passenger Seating e Look for b roken seat fra mes and check that seat frames are firmly attached to the floor e Check that seat cu shions a rea ttached securely to the seat frames 11 5 2 Entry Exit Doors Mirrors e Check thate ntry exit doors are not da maged and operate smoothly from the outside Hinges should be secure with seals intact e Make sure that the passenger exit mirrors and all external mirrors and mirror brackets are not damaged and are mo unted securely with no loose fittings 11 5 3 External Inspection of Coach Transit
203. lve the pressure in t he service line will similarly change The servi ce line is connected to r elay valves These valves allow the trailer br akes tob ea pplied mo re qu ickly th an would otherwise be possible Emergency Air Line The emergen cy line also called the su pply line ha s two pu rposes First it supplies air to the trailer air tanks Seco nd the emergency line controls the emergency brakes on combination vehicles Loss of air p ressure in the emergency ine cau ses the traile remergen cy brakes to come on The pressure loss could be caused by a traile r b reaking lo ose th us te aring apart the e mergency air hose Ori t could be caused by a hose meta tubing or other pa rt breaking letting the air out When the emergency line lo ses pressure it a Iso causes t he tracto r Section 6 Combination Vehicles protection valve to clo se the air supply knob will pop out Emergency lines are often coded with the color red red ho se red couple rs or othe r parts to keep from getting them mixed up with the b lue service line 6 2 5 Hose Couplers Glad Hands Glad hands are coupling devices used to conn ect the service and emergency air lines from the truck or tractor to the trailer The couplers have a rubber seal which p revents air from esca ping Clean the couplers and rub ber seals before a connection is made When connecting the glad hands press the two seals together with the couplers at a 90 degre
204. m time to time during bad weather to make sure they are clean and working properly Windows and Mirrors Remove any ic e snow etc from th e win dshield wind ows a nd mirro rs before starting Use a wi ndshield scraper sn ow brush and windshield defroster as necessary Hand Holds Steps and Deck Plates Remove all ice and snow from hand holds steps and deck plates This will reduce the danger of slipping Radiator Shutters and Winterfront Remove ice from the radiator shutters Make su re the winterfront is not clo sed too tightly If the shutters freeze shut or the winterfront is closed too m uch the engine may overheat and stop Exhaust System Exhaust system lea ksa re especially dangerous when cab ventilation may be Section 2 Driving Safely poor windows rolled up etc Loose conne ctions could permit poisono us carbon m onoxide to leak into your vehicle Carbon monoxide gas will cause you to be sleepy In large enough amounts it can kill you Check the exhaust system for loose part s and for sounds and signs of leaks 2 13 2 Driving Slippery Surfaces Drive slowly and smoothly on slippery roads If iti s very slippery y ou shouldn t drive at all Stop at the first safe place Start Gently and Slowly When first starting get the feel of the road Don t hurry Check for Ice Check for ice on the road especially bridges and overpasses A lack of spray from other vehicles indicates ice has formed on t
205. mable liquids or Division 2 1 gases Also do not smoke or carry a lighted cigarette cigar or pipe within 25 feet of any vehicle which contains e Class 1 Explosives e Class 3 Flammable Liquids e Class 4 Flammable Solids e Class 5 Oxidizers 9 6 7 Refuel with Engine Off Turn off your engine before fueling a motor vehicle containing h azardous m aterials Someone m ust always be at the nozzle controlling fuel flow 9 6 8 10 B C Fire Extinguisher The power unit of placarded vehicles must have a fire extinguisher with aULratingof 10 B Cor more 9 6 9 Check Tires Make sure your tires are properly inflated Che ck placarded ve hicles with d ual tires atthe start of each trip and when you park You must check the tires each time you stop The only acceptable way to ch eck tire pre ssureis tou se a tire pressu re gauge Do not drive with a tire that is leaking or flat except to the neares t safe plac e to fix it Remove any overheated tire Place ita safe distance from your vehicle Don t drive until you correct the cause of Page 9 14 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual the overh eating Rem ember to follo w the rule s about pa rking and attend ing placarde d vehicle s They apply even wh en che cking re pairing o r replacing tires 9 6 10 Where to Keep Shipping Papers and Emergency Response Information Do not acce ptahazard ous mate rials ship ment without ap roperly p repared shipp
206. make sure no one is alo ngside you or abo ut to pass you Check your mirrors e Before you change lanes to make sure there is enough room e After you have sign aled to che ck that no one has moved into your blind spot e Right after yousta rtth elan e change to double check that your path is clear e After you complete the lane change Turns In turns check your mirrors to make sure the rear of your vehicle will not hit anything Merges When merging use your mirrors to m ake sure the gap in traffic i s large enough for you to enter safely Tight Maneuvers Any time youa re drivin gin close qu arters ch eck yo ur mirro rs often Make sure you have enough clearance How to Use Mirrors Use mirrors correctly by checking them quickly and understanding what you see e When you use your mirrors while driving on the road check qui ckly L ook back an d forth between the mirrors and the road ahead Don t focus onthe mirrors for too long Oth erwise you will travel quite a distance without knowing what s happening ahead e Many la rge vehicles have curved convex fisheye spot bugeye mirrors that show a wider a rea than flat mis rrors T his i s often helpful But everything appears small erin a convex mirror than it would if you were ooking at it directly Thin gs also se em farther a way than they re ally are It s important to reali ze this and to a llow for it Figure 2 7 shows the field of vision using a convex m
207. me foran a lert d river is abo ut 3 4 second At 55 mph yo utravel60 feet in 3 4 second or about 81 feet per second Section 2 Driving Safely Reaction Distance The distan ce tra veled from the time your brain tells your foot to m ove from the accelerator until your foot is actu ally pushing the brake pedal The average driver hasa reaction time of 3 4 second This accounts for an additional 60 feet traveled at 55 mph Braking Distance The dist ance it takes to stop once the brakes are put on At55m_ phon dry pavement with good brakes it can take a he avy vehicle about 390 feet to stop It takes about 4 1 2 seconds Total Stopping Distance At 55 mph it will take about six seconds to stop and your vehicle will travel about 450 feet The Effect of Speed on Stopping Distance Whenever you double you r spe ed it take s abo ut four times a s mu ch di stance to sto p and you r vehicle will have four times the destructive power if itcra shes High soe edsin crease stoppi ng distances greatly By slowing down a little you can gain a lot in redu ced braking distance See Figure 2 11 Stopping Distance Chart How Far Driver Vehicle Total The Rig Reaction Braking Stopping Will Distance Distance Distance Travel in One Second 15 mph 17 ft Figure 2 11 The Effect of Vehicle Weight on Stopping Distance The heavier the vehicle the more work the brakes must do to sto p it and the more heat they absorb But the br
208. mmercial Driver s License Manual gt Alllocking pins present and ocked in place gt If air powered no air leaks gt Check that fifth wheel is not s o far forward that tractor frame will hit anding ge ar or the cab hit the trailer during turns Landing Gear e Fully rai sed no missin g parts n ot bent or otherwise damaged e Crank handle in place and secured e f power operated no air or hydraulic leaks 6 5 2 Combination Vehicle Brake Check Do the se checks in ad dition to Section 5 3 Inspecting Air Brake Systems The followi ng se ction ex plains how t o che ck air brakes on combination vehicles Check the brakes onad ouble or tripl e tra ilera s you would any combination vehicle Check That Air Flows to All Trailers Us e the tractor parking brake and or chock the wheels to hold th e ve hicle Wa it fo ra ir pr essure to r each normal then pushin the red trailer air supply knob This will supply air to the emergency supply lines Use the trailer handbrake to provide air to the service line Goto the rear of the rig Open the emergency line shut off valve at the rear of the last trailer You should hear air escaping showing the entire system is charged Close the emergency line valve Open the service line valve to check that service pressure goes through all the trailers thi s test assum es that the trailerha ndbrakeo r the service brake pe dalis on andth en clo se the valve If you do NOT h ear
209. mshaft This turns the s cam so called because it is shaped like the letter S The s cam forces the brake shoe s away from one another and presses them against the inside of the brake drum When you re lease the brake p edal the s cam rotates back and a spring pulls the brake shoes away from the d rum letting the wheel s roll freely again See Figure 5 2 DRUM BRAKE Brake chamber Brake drum Slack adjuster Return spring Brake shoe lining Figure 5 2 Wedge Brakes In this type of brake the brake chamber p ush rod pu shesa wedge di rectly between the ends of two brake shoes This shoves them ap art and a gainst the insi de of the brake drum We dge brakes may have a single bra ke chamber or two brake chambers pushing wedges in at both en ds of the brake shoes Wedge type brakes may be self a djusting orm ay requi re manual adjustment Disc Brakes Ina ir operatedd isc brakes a ir pressure a ctson ab rake chamber and slack adjuster like s cam b rakes But instea d of the s cam a power screw is used The pressure of the brake chamber onthe slack adju ster turns the power screw The power screw clamps the disc or rotor between the b rake ining p ads of a calipe r similar to a large c clamp Wedge brakes and disc brakes are less common than s cam brakes 5 1 9 Supply Pressure Gauges All vehicles with air brakes have a pressure gauge connected to the air tank If the vehicle has a du al air brake s
210. n e Cro ssing the Track gt Check the crossin g sig nals ag ain be fore proceeding gt Ata multiple track crossing stop only before the first set of tracks When you are sure no train is approaching on any track close the service door and proceed across all of th e tracks until you have completely cleared them gt Cross the tracks inalo w gea r Do not change gears while crossing gt Ifthe gate comes do wn after youh ave started across drive th rough it eveni fit means you will break the gate 10 4 4 Special Situations Bus Stalls or Trapped on Tracks If your bu s stalls or is trapped on the tracks get everyone out and off the tracks imme diately Move everyone far from the bus at an angle which is both away from the tracks and toward the train Police Officer at the Crossing If a police office r is at the cro ssing obey directions If there is n o police office r and you believe the sign al is malfunctioning call you r dispatcher to repo rt the situation a nd ask fori nstructions on ho w to proceed Obstructed View of Tracks Plan your route so it provides ma ximum sight distance ath ighway rail grade crossings Do not attempt to cross the tracks unless you can see fa r enough down the track to know for certain that n o trains are approaching Passive crossings are those that do not have any type of traffic cont rol device Be espe cially careful at pas sive cro ssings Even if there are activ e rail
211. n signaled by the driver e Monitor all mirrors continuously e Count the number of stu dents at the b us stop and be sureallboardt he bus If possible know names of students at each stop If there isa student missing ask the othe r students where the student is e Havethe students boa rdthe schoolbu s slowly in single file and use the handrail The dome light should b e on while lo ading in the dark e Wait untilstudent sare seated and facing forward before moving the bus e Check allm irrors M ake certai nno oneis running to catch the bus e If you canno t account for a stude nto utside secure t he bus t aket he key a nd che ck around and underneath the bus e When all stu dents are accounted for prep are to leave by Closing the door Engaging the transmission Releasing the parking brake Turning off alternating flashing red lights Turning on left turn signal Checking all mirrors again Allowing congested traffic to disperse e When itis safe move the bus to ent er traffic flow and continue the route VVVVVV V The loa ding pro cedure i s esse ntially the sam e wherever yo u load students but th ere are slight differences Whe n stud ents are lo ading at the school campus you should e Turn off the ignition switch e Remove key if leaving driver s compartment e Position you rselfto superviselo adinga s required o r recommended by yo urstateo r local regulations 10 2 3 Unloading Procedure
212. n t mix drugs with driving at all Use of drugs can lead to traffic accidents resulting in death injury a ndp roperty damag e Furthermore it can lead to arre st fines and jail sentences It can al so mean the end of a person s driving career 2 23 Staying Alert and Fit to Drive Driving a veh icle for long hours is tiring Even the best of drivers will become less al ert However there are things that good drivers do to help stay alert and safe 2 23 1 Be Ready to Drive Get Enough Sleep Sleep is not like money You can t save it up ahead of time and you can t borrow it But just as with money you can g o into de bt with it If you don t sleep enough you owe more sleep to yourself This debt can only be paid off by Section 2 Driving Safely sleeping You can t overcome it with willpower and itwon tgo away by itse If The average pe rson needs seven or eig htho urs of sle ep every 24 hours Leaving on a long t rip when you re already tired is da ngerous If you have a long trip scheduled make sure that you get enough sleep before you go Schedule Trips Safely Try to arrange you r schedule so you are notin sl eep debt before a long trip Your body gets used to sleeping during certain hours If you are driving during those hours you will be ess alert If possible try to sch edule trips for the hours you ar e normally awake Many heavy moto r vehicle a ccidents occur bet ween midnight a
213. n the range of 20 to 45 psi When the tractor protection valve closes it stops any air from going out of the tractor It also lets the air out of the trailer emergency line This causes the trailer emergency brakes to come on with possible loss of control Emergency brakes are covered later 6 2 3 Trailer Air Supply Control The trailer air supply control on newer vehicles is a red eight sided knob which you use to control the tractor protection valve You push it in to supply the trailer with air and pull ito ut to shut the air off and put on the trailer emergen cy brakes The valve will pop out thu s closing the tracto r protection valve when the air pressure drops into the range of 20 to 45p si Tra ctorp rotection valve control sor emergency valves on older ve hicles may not operate automatically There may be a lever rather thana knob The normal positio nis used fo r pulling a trailer The em ergency position is u sed to shut the air off and put on the trailer emergency brakes 6 2 4 Trailer Air Lines Every combi nation vehi cle ha s two ai r lines the service line andthe emergency lin e They run between ea ch vehicle tractor to trail er trailer to dolly dolly to second trailer etc Service Air Line The service line also calle d the control line or sig nal lin e ca rries ai r which is controlled by the foot brake o rthe traile r hand brake Depending on how hard you p ress the foot brake or hand va
214. nd 6 a m Tired drivers ca n easily fall asleep atth esetim es especially if they don t regularly drive at tho se hours Trying to push on and finish a long trip at these times can be ve ry dangerous Exercise Regularly Resistance to fatigue and improved sleep are am ong the benefits of regula r exercise Try to incorporate exercise into your daily life Instead of sitting and watching TV in you r sleeper walk or jog a few laps around the parking lot A little bit of daily exercise will give you energy throughout the day Eat Healthy It is often hard fo r driv ers to find healthy food But with a li ttle extra effort you ca n eathe althy eveno n thero ad T ry to find restaurants with h ealthy balanced meals If yo u must eat at fast food restaurants pick lo w fat items Another simple way to reduce your caloric intake is to eliminate fattening snacks Instead try fruit or vegetables Avoid Medication Many medicines can make you sleepy Those that do have a label warning against operating vehicl eso r machinery Themo st common medicine of this type is an ordina ry cold pill If you have to drive wi th a cold you are better off suffering from the cold than from the effects of the medicine Visit Your Doctor Regular checkups literally can be lifesavers Illnesses suchas diab etes heart disease an d ski nand colon cancer can be detected easily and treated if found in time You should consult your physician or a local sleep d
215. ness is the shipper in Paint dealer Chemical su pply Sci entific su pply house Pest control or agricultural supplier Explosives munitions or fireworks dealer e Arethe ret anks with diamond lab elso r placards on the premises e Whattype ofpa ckageis being shippe d Cylinders a nd drums are oftenu sed for hazardous materials shipments e sa hazard class label proper shipping name or identification number on the package e Are there any handling precautions Section 9 Hazardous Material 9 3 9 Hazardous Waste Manifest When tran sporting ha zardous wa stes you must sign by han dand carry a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifes t The name and EPA regis tration number of the ship pers carriers and destination must ap pear on the manifest Ship pers mu st prepare date and si gn by handth e manife st Treat them anifesta s a shippin gp aper when transporting the wa ste Only give thewa ste shipment to another regi stered carrie ror disposal treatment facil ity Each carrie r transporting the shipme nt must si gn by hand the manifest After you deliver the shipment keep your copy of the manifest Ea ch copy mu st have al needed sig natures and d ates incl uding those of the person to whom you delivered the waste 9 3 10 Placarding Attach the approp riate pl acards to the vehicl e before you d rive it You are only allo wed to move an impro perly placa _ rded vehicle during an emergency in order to protect life o
216. ng beyond the exerci se boundary marked by a line or row of cones See Figure 12 6 Page 12 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Figure 12 1 Straight Line Backing t l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l O Figure 12 1 Section 12 Basic Control Skills Page 12 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Figure 12 2 Offset Back Right Figure 12 2 Section 12 Basic Control Skills Page 12 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Figure 12 3 Offset Back Left Figure 12 3 Section 12 Basic Control Skills Page 12 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Figure 12 4 Parallel Park Driver Side Figure 12 4 Section 12 Basic Control Skills Page 12 5 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Figure 12 5 Parallel Park Conventional Figure 12 5 Section 12 Basic Control Skills Page 12 6 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Figure 12 6 Alley Dock oe o am YN 4 E E a Figure 12 6 Section 12 Basic Control Skills Page 12 7 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 13 On road Driving This Section Covers e How You Will Be Tested You will d
217. ning lights e Iftime allo ws notify disp atch office of evacuation ocation co nditions a nd type of assistance needed e Dangle radio microphone or telep hone out of driver s window for later use if operable VVVV Page 10 6 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Ifnoradio or radio is inoperable dispatch a passing m otorist ora rea re sidentto callfor help Asa last resort dispatch two olde r responsible students to go for help e Order the evacuation e Evacuate students from the bus gt Donotmove a student you believem ay have suffere d ane ck or spin al injury unless hi s or her life i s in immedi ate danger gt Special procedures must be used to move neck spinal injury victims to prevent further injury e Directa student assistant to lead students to the nearest safe place e Walk through the bu sto ensure no students remaino n thebu s Retrieve e mergency equipment e Join waiting stude nts Account for all st udents and check for their safety e Protect the scene Set out emergency warning devices as necessary and appropriate e Preparein formation fo reme rgency responders 10 4 Railroad highway Crossings 10 4 1 Types of Crossings Passive Crossings This type of crossi ng does not have an y type of traffic controld evice You must sto p at these cro ssings a nd foll ow prope r procedures However th e deci sion to pro ceed rests entirely in you r hands P assive cro ssings require
218. normally When only the tractor has ABS you should be able to maintain steering control an d the rei sle ss chance of ja ckknifing But keep you r eye on the trailer and let up on the brakes if you can safely do so if it begins to swing out When only the trailer has ABS the tr ailer is less likely to swing out but if you lose steering control or start a tra ctor jackknife let up on th e brakes if you can safely do so until you regain control 2 18 6 Braking with ABS When you drive a vehic le with ABS yous hould brake as you always have In other words Page 2 37 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Use only the braking force necessary to stop safely and stay in control e Brake the same way re gardless of whether you have ABS on the bus tractor the trailer or both e As you slow down moni tor your tra ctor and trailer and back off the brakes if it is safe to do so to stay in control There is only one ex ception to this proce dure If you drive a straig ht tru ck o r combi nation with working ABS on all axles in an emergenc y stop you can fully apply the brakes 2 18 7 Braking If ABS Is Not Working Without ABS you still have normal brake functions Drive and brake as you always have Vehicles with ABS have yellow malfunction lamps to tell you if something isn t working As a syste m che cko nnewer ve _hicles the malfunction lamp comes on at sta rt up fora bulb check an d theng
219. not mean the fire cannot restart Class Type of Fires Type Wood Paper Ordinary Combustibles Extinguish by Cooling and Quenching Using Water or Dry Chemicals Gasoline Oil Grease Other Greasy Liquids Extinguish by Smothering Cooling or Heat Shielding using carbon Dioxide or Dry Chemicals Electrical Equipment Fires Extinguish with Nonconducting Agents such as Carbon Dioxide or Dry Chemicals DO NOT USE WATER a Fires in Combustible Metals Extinguish by Using Specialized Extinguishing Powders Figure 2 20 Class of Fire Type of Extinguisher Class of Fire Fire Extinguisher Type BorC Regular Dry Chemical A B C or D Multi Purpose Dry Chemical Purple K Dry Chemical BorC KCL Dry Chemical Dry P owder Sp ecial Compound BorC Carbon Dioxide Dry BorC Halogenated Agent Gas A Water Water With Anti Freeze AorB Water Loaded Steam Style B On Some A Foam Figure 2 21 Section 2 Driving Safely Subsections 2 20 and 2 21 Test Your Knowledge 1 What are some things to do at an accident scene to prevent another accident 2 Name two causes of tire fires 3 What kinds of fires isaB C extinguisher not good for 4 When using your extingui sher should you get as close as possible to the fire 5 Name some causes of vehicle fires These questions may be on the test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 2 20 and 2 21 2 22 Alcohol Other Drugs and Driving 2 22 1
220. nsmission e Do not grind or clash gears e Select gear that does not rev or lug engine e Do not shift in turns and intersections 13 1 12 Brake Usage e Do not ride or pump brake Section 13 On road Driving e Donotbrake harshly Brake smoothly using steady pressure 13 1 13 Lane Usage e Donotputv ehicle over curbs sid ewalks or lane markings e Stop behind stop line s cro sswalks or sto p signs e Complete atu rnin th ep roperla neon a multiple lane road vehicle should finish a eft turn i nthe I ane directly tothe right of the center line e Finish a right turn in the right most curb lane e Move to or remain in rig ht most lane unless lane is blocked 13 1 15 Steering Do not over or under steer the vehicle e Keep both h ands onthe steering wheel at all times unle ss shifting Once you completed shift return both hands to the steering wheel 13 1 16 Regular Traffic Checks e Che ck traffic regularly e Check mirrors regularly e Check mirrors and traffic before while in and after an intersection e Scan and check traffic i n high volu me areas and areas where pedestrians are expected to be present 13 1 17 Use of Turn Signals Use turn signals properly Activate turn signals when required Activate turn signals at appropriate times Cancel turn signals upon completion of a turn or lane change Page 13 3 American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
221. o es outqui ckly On old er systems t he lamp c ould stay on un til you are driving over five mph If the lamp stays on after the bulb check or goes on on ce you are und er way you may have lost ABS control on one or more wheels Remember i f your ABS malfunctions you still have regul ar bra kes Drive normally but get the system serviced soon 2 18 8 Safety Reminders e ABS won t allow you to drive fas ter follow more closely or drive less carefully e ABS won t prevent power or turning skids ABS should p reventbra ke induced skidso r jackknifes but not tho se ca used by spinning the drive wheels or going too fast in a turn e ABS won t necessarily shorten stopping distance A BS will hel p maintai n vehicle control but not always sho rten stopping distance e ABSwon tinc reaseordecreas e ultimate stopping power ABS is an add on to your normal brakes not a replacement for them e ABSwon t change the way you normally brake Unde r norm al bra ke conditions your vehicle will stop as it always stopped ABS only come s into play whena wheel wo uld normally have locked up beca use of over braking Section 2 Driving Safely e ABS won t compensate for bad brakes or poor brake maintenance e Remember The best vehicle safely feature is still a safe driver e Remember Drive so younever need to use your ABS e Remember If you need i t ABS could help to prevent a serious crash 2 19 Skid Control
222. ocking is used in the front back and or sides of a piece of cargo to keep it from sliding Blocking is shaped to fit snugly against cargo It is se cured to the cargo deckto prevent cargo movement Bracing is a lIsousedto preventmo vement of cargo B racing g oes fro m the upper part ofth e cargo to th eflooran d or walls of the cargo compartment Section 3 Transporting Cargo Safely LOADING CARGO Wrong Right d Wrong Right Wrong Right Figure 3 1 3 3 2 Cargo Tiedown On flatbed trailers or trailers without sides ca rgo must be secured to keep it from shifti ng or falling off In closed vans tiedowns can also be important to prevent cargo shifting that may affec tthe handling of t he vehicle T iedowns mu st be of the proper type and p roper strength Th e com bined strength of all cargo tiedowns mu stbe strong enough to lift one and one half times the weight of the piece of cargo tied down Pro per tied own equipment must be used including ropes straps chains and tensioning devices winches ratchets clinching compon ents Tiedowns must be attached to the vehicle correctly hooks bolts rails rings See figure 3 2 TIE DOWN DEVICES Cargo should have at least one tie down for each 10 feet of cargo Make sure you have enough tie downs to meet this need No matter how small the cargo is there should be at least two tie downs holding it Figure 3 2 Cargo should have at east one tied own for each
223. of engine and transmission e Inspect hoses for condition and leaks Oil Level e Indicate where dipstick is located e Seethatoil levelis within safe operating range Level must be above refill mark Coolant Level e Inspect reservoir sight glass or e lf engine is not hot remove radiator cap and check for visible coolant level Power Steering Fluid e Indicate where power steering fluid dipstick is located e Check for ad equate power steering fluid level Level must be above refill mark Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Engine Compartment Belts e Check the following belts for snugness up to 3 4 inch play at center of belt cracks or frays gt Power steering belt gt Wate r pump belt gt Alternator belt gt Air compressor belt Note If any of the components listed above are not belt driven you must e Tell the examiner which component s are not belt driven e Make surecompo nent s are o perating properly are not damaged or leaking and are mounted securely 11 1 2 Cab Check Engine Start Clutch Gearshift e Dep ress clutch e Place ge arshift lever in neutral or park for automatic transmissions e Start engine then release clutch slowly Oil Pressure Gauge e Make sure oil pressure gauge is working e Check that p ressure g auge sho ws increasing or normal oil pre ssure or that the warni ng light goes off e lf equipped oiltemperatureg auge sho uld begin a gradual ri
224. of fire e Is there a smell of raw or leaking fuel e ls there a chance the bus could be hit by other vehicles e Isthe bus in the path of asighte d tornado or rising waters e Are there downed power lines e Would re moving stud ents expo se th em to speeding traffic seve re weather ora dangerous environ ment suchas downed power lines e Would movi ng stu dents com plicate injurie s such as neck and back injuries and fractures e Isthe re aha zardous spilli nvolved Sometimes it may be safer to remain onthe bus and not come in contact with the material Mandatory Evacuations The driver mu st evacuate the bus when e The bus is on fire or there is a threat of a fire e The bus is stalled on or adjacent to a railroa d highway crossing e The p osition ofthe bu smaych angeand increase the danger e There is an imminent danger of collision e There is an eed to qui ckly evacuate b ecause of a hazardous materials spill Section 10 School Buses 10 3 2 Evacuation Procedures Be Prepared and Plan Ahead When possible assign two responsible older student assistants to each emerge ncy exit Teach them ho w to assist the othe r st udents off the bu s Assign an other student assistant to lead the stude nts to a saf e place after evacuatio n However you must recognize that there may not be older responsible students on the bus at the time of the emergency Therefore emergency evacuation procedures must be
225. of rights to ride the bus e Stop the bu s Parki na safe location off the road perhaps a parking lot or a driveway e Secure the bus Take the ignition key with you if you leave your seat e Standup a nd speak respectfully t o the offender or offenders S peakina courteous manner with a firm voice Remin d the offender of the expe cted behavior Do not show anger but do show that you mean business e fa change o f seating is n eeded request that the student move to a seat near you e Never puta stude nt offthebus except at school or at his or her designated school bus stop Ifyou feelthatthe offense is serious enough that you can not safely drive the bus call for a school administrator or the police to come and remove the student Alway s follow your state or local proced ures for requ esting assistance 10 6 Antilock Braking Systems 10 6 1 Vehicles Required to Have Antilock Braking Systems The Department of T ransportation requires that antilock braking systems be on e Air brakes vehicles trucks buses trailers and converter dol lies b uilt on or after March 1 1998 e Hydraulically braked trucks and buses with a gross ve hicle weight ratin g of 10 000 Ibsor more built on or after March 1 1999 Page 10 9 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Many bu ses built before these dates have be en voluntarily equipped with ABS Your schoolbu swill haveayel low ABS malfunction lamp onthe instrument panel
226. ollect in the bottom of the air tank Be sure that you drai n the ai r tan ks completely Each air tank is equipped with a drain valve in t he bottom There are two types e Manually operated by turning a quarter turn or by pulling a cable You must drain the tanks yourself at the end of ea ch day of driving See Figure 5 1 e Automatic the water and oil are automatically expelled Th ese ta nks m ay be equi pped for manual draining as well Automatic ai rtanks a re available with electri c heating devi ces Th ese help prevent free zing of the automatic drain in cold weather Manual Draining Valve Figure 5 1 Page 5 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 5 1 5 Alcohol Evaporator Some airbra ke syste ms have an alcohol evaporator to put al cohol into the air sy stem This helps to reduce the risk of ice in air b rake valves and other parts during cold weather Ice inside the system can make the brakes stop working Check the alcohol cont ainer andf illup as necessary every day during cold weather Daily air tank drainage is still needed to get rid of water and oil Unle ss the sy stemha sa utomatic drain valves 5 1 6 Safety Valve A safety relief valve is installed in the firs t tank the air compressor p umps airto Th e safety v alve protects the t ank and the rest of the system from too much pressure The valve is usually set to open at 15 O psi If the safety valve relea ses air something is wro ng
227. ontrol over the vehicle during braking Brake normally When only the tractor has ABS you should be able to maintain steering control an d the rei sle ss chance of jackknifin g But keep your eye on the trailer and let up on the brakes if you can safely do so if it begins to swing out When only the trailer has ABS the tr ailer is less likely to swing out but if you lose steering control Section 5 Air Brakes or start a tra ctor jackknife let up on th e brakes if you can safely do so until you gain control When you drive a tractor trailer combination with ABS you should brake as you always have In other words e Use only the braking force necessary to stop safely and stay in control e Brake the same way re gardless of whether you have ABS on the trac tor the trailer or both e As you slow down moni tor your tra ctor and trailer and back off the brakes if it is safe to do so to stay in control There is o nly one exce ption to this p rocedure if you always drive a strai ght truck or combination with work ing ABS on all axles inan emergency stop you can fully apply the brakes Without ABS you still have normal brake functions Drive and brake as you always have Remember i f your ABS malfunctions you still have regul ar bra kes Drive normally but get the system serviced soon 5 4 3 Emergency Stops If somebody suddenly pulls out in front of you your natural response is to hit the brakes
228. oppin g distance for vehicl es with airb rake systems i s made up of four different factors Perception Distance Re action Distance Bra ke Lag Distance Effective Braki ng Distance Total Stopping Distance The ai r brake lag di stance at55m phond ry pavement adds about 32 feet So at 55 mph for an average driv er und er go od tractio n and brake conditions the total stoppi ng distance is over 450 feet See Figure 5 6 Stopping Distance Chart Miles Per How Far Driver Vehicle Total Hour The Rig Reaction Braking Stopping Will Distance Distance Distance Travel in One Second Brake fade isalso affected bya djustment To safely control a vehicle e very brake must do it s share of the work Bra kes out of adju stment will stop doi ng their share b efore tho se that are in adjustment The other brakes can then overheat and fade an d there will not be eno ugh braking available to control the ve hicle s Brakes can get out of adjustment quickly especially when they are hot Therefore check brake adjustment often 5 4 6 Proper Braking Technique Remember The u se of brakes on a long and or steep do wngrade is only a suppl ement to the braking effect of the engine Once the vehicle is in the prop er ow ge ar the following i s the prope r braking technique e Apply the brake s just hard enou gh to feela definite slowdown e When you rsp eedha sbee n reduced to approximately five mph below yo ur safe speed
229. ore ach particular cla ss of license and for each endorsement What Sections Should You Study LICENSE TYPE ENDORSEMENT O U g ssejo snopJezeH jd 1 ajqno Apnis 0 suono sS FER ee x lt Let eee ei it ie emm ere eee tL EE Q 0 o gt mit TT Te fy eee mt tt pee Study section 5 if you plan to operate vehicles equipped with air brakes Figure 1 2 1 2 Driver Disqualifications 1 2 1 General You may not drive a com mercial motor vehicle if you are disqualified for any reason Page 1 2 2005 Model Commercial Driver s License Manual 1 2 2 Alcohol Leaving the Scene of an Accident and Commission of a Felony It is illegal to operate a CMV if your bl ood alcohol concentration BAC i s 04 ormo re If you operate a CMV you sh allbe deemed to have given your consent to alcohol testing You will ose your CDL for at least one year for a first offense for e Driving a CMV ifyo urbloo dalco hol concentration is 04 or higher e Driving a CMV under the influence of alcohol e Refusing to undergo blood alcohol testing e Driving a CMV while un der the influen ce of a controlled substance e Leaving the scene of an accident involving a CMV e Committing a felony inv olving the use ofa CMV You will lose your CDL for at least three years if the offense occurs while you are operating a CMV that is placarded for hazardous materials You will lose your CDL for
230. ough awi _ ndshield that seemed to look OK in the middle of the day Clean your windshield on the inside an d outside for safe driving at night 2 11 5 Night Driving Procedures Pre trip Procedures Make sure y ou are rested and alert If youared rowsy slee p before you drive Even a nap can save your life or the lives of others If you wear eyeglasses make sure they are clean and unscratched Don t wear su nglasses at night Doa complete p re trip i nspection of yo ur vehicle Pay attention to checking all lights a nd reflectors and cleaning those you can reach Avoid Blinding Others Glaref rom your headlights can cause problems for drivers coming toward you They can also bother drivers going in the same direction you are when your lights shine in their re arview mirrors Dim you r lig hts b efore they cause glare for other drivers Dim your lights within 500 fe et of an oncoming vehi cle and wh en following another vehicle within 200 feet Avoid Glare from Oncoming Vehicles Do not look directly at lights of o ncoming vehicles Loo k slightly to the right at a right lane or edge marking if available If other driv ers don t pu t their low beams on don t try to get back at them by putting your own high beams on This increases glare for oncoming drivers and increases the chance of a crash Use High Beams When You Can Some drivers make the mistake of always using low beams This seriously cuts d own on their ability to s
231. ours e Vibration If the vehicle t humps o r vibrate s heavily it may be a sign t hat one of th e tires has gone flat With a re ar tire that may be the only sign you get e Feel Ifthe steering feels heavy it is probably a sign th atone ofthe front tires has failed Sometimes failure of a rear tire will cause the vehicle to sl ide ba ck an d forth or fishtail However dual rear tires usually prevent this Respond to Tire Failure When a tire fails your vehicle is in danger You must immediately e Hold the Ste ering Wheel Firmly If a fr ont tire fails it can twist the steering wheel out of your hand The only way to prevent this is to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands at all times e Stay Off the Brake It s natural to want to brake in anem ergency Howev er braking when a tire ha s faile d co uld cause lo ss of control Unless you re about to run into something stay off the b rake until th e vehicle ha s slowed down Then brake very gently pull off the road and stop e Check the Tires After yo u ve come to a stop get out and check all the tires Do this even if the vehicle seems to b e handling all right If one of your dual tire s goes the only way you may know it is by getting out and looking at it Page 2 36 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 2 18 Antilock Braking Systems ABS ABS is ac omputerized sys tem that keeps your wheels fr omlo ckingup d uringha rdbr ake appli
232. outob stacles app roaching persons an dothe rve hicles The lookout should not give directions on how to back the bus Signal for quiet on the bus Constantly check all mirrors and rear windows Back slowly and smoothly If no lookout is available gt Set the parking brake gt Turn off the motor an d take the keys with you gt Walktothe rearofthe bus to determine whether the way is clear e If you must back up at a student pick u p point be sure to pick up students before backing and watch for late comers at all times e Be sure that all stude nts are in the bus before backing e If you must back up at a student drop off point be sure to unload students after backing 10 7 4 Tail Swing A school bus can have up to a three foot tail swing You need to check your mirrors before and during any turning movements to monitor the tail swing Section 10 School Buses Section 10 Test Your Knowledge ile Define the danger zone How far does the danger zone extend around the bus 2 What should you bea ble to se e ifthe outside flat mirro rs are a djusted prop erly The out side convex mirro rs The crossover mirrors 3 You are lo ading students along the route When should you activate your alternating flashing amber warning lights 4 You a re unl oading students al ong y our route Where should students walk to after exiting the bus 5 After unloading at school why should you walk through the bus
233. ow may have re duced the clearances since the heights were posted e The weight of a cargo van changes its height An empty van is hi gherthanal oaded one That you got underab ridge wh en yo u were loaded does not mean that you can do it when you are empty e fyoudou btyouh ave safe spa ce to pass under an obj ect go slo wly If you aren t sure you can make it take another ro ute Warnings are often posted o n low bri dgeso r underpasses but sometimes they are not e Some roads can cause a vehicle to tilt There can be aproblem clearing obj ects al ong the edge of the road such as signs trees or bridge supports Where this is a problem drive a little closer to the center of the road e Before you back intoa narea g et out and check for overhanging objects such a s trees branches or electric wires It s ea sy to miss seeing them while you are ba cking Also check for other hazards at the same time 2 7 5 Space Below Many drive rs forget ab out the sp ace under their vehicles Th at space can be very small wh en a vehicle is heavily loaded This is often a p roblem on dirt roads and in unpaved yards Don t take a chance on g etting hun g up Drain age cha nnels Section 2 Driving Safely across roads can cause the ends of some vehicles to drag Cross such depressions carefully Railroad tr acks canals o causep _ roblems particularly when pulling trailers with a low underneath clea rance Don t take acha nce on g
234. own in Figure 9 12 Hazardous Substance Concentrations RO Po unds Concentration by Weight Kilograms Percent PPM 0 000 10 100 00 2 270 Figure 9 12 This definiti on doe sn ot apply to petroleu m products that are lu bricants or fuels see 4 0 CFR 300 6 Hazardous waste Fo rthe pu rposes of this chapter means any material that is subject to the Page 9 19 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Hazardous Wa ste Manifest Req uirements of the U S Environmental Prote ction Agency specified in 40 CFR Part 262 Intermediate bulk container IBC Arigido r flexible portable packaging other than a cylinder or portable tan k whi ch i s designed for mechanical handling Standards f or IBCs manufactured in the United States are set forth in subp arts N an d O 178 Limited quantity The maximum a mount of a hazardous material for which there may be specific labeling or packaging exception Marking The de scriptive name id entification number instru ctions caution s weight specification or UN marks or combinations thereof required by this su bchapter on outer packaging of hazardous materials Mixture A material composed of more than one chemical compound or element Name of contents The proper shipping name as specified in Sec 172 101 Non bulk packaging A packaging which has 1 Amaximum capacity of 4 50 L 119 gallons as a receptacle for a liquid 2 A maximum net mass less th
235. parts of your b us must be in safe working condition e Each handhold and railing e Floor covering e Signaling devices incl uding the restroom emergency buzzer if the bus has a restroom e Emergency exit handles The seats must be safe for riders All seats must be securely fastened to the bus Never drive with an open emergency exit door or window The Emergen cy Exit si gno n an emergency door mu st be clearly visible If there is a red emergency door light it must work Turn it on at night or any other time you use your out side lights 4 1 4 Roof Hatches You may lock som e emergency roof h atches ina partly open position for fresh air Do not leave them open as a regular practice Keep in mind the bus s higher clearance while driving with them open Make sure your bu s has the fire extinguisher a nd emergency reflectors required bylaw The bu s must al so h ave spa re electrical fu ses unle ss equipped with circuit breakers 4 1 5 Use Your Seatbelt The driver s seat sho uld have a seat belt Always use it for safety 4 2 Loading and Trip Start Do not allow riders to leave carry on baggage in a doorway or aisle There should be nothing in the aisle that might trip ot her riders Secu re bag gage and freight in ways that avoid damage and Page 4 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Allow the driver to move freely and easily e Allow riders to exit by any window or door in an emerg
236. pied with maps food cigarettes cell phones or other objects e Drivers whoappe arto beinvolv edin conversations with their passengers Givea distracted d river plenty of room an d maintain your safe following distance Be very careful whe n passing a driver who seems to be distracted The other driver may not be aware of your presence and they may drift in front of you Page 2 22 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 2 10 Aggressive Drivers Road Rage 2 10 1 What Is It Aggressive d riving an d ro ad ra geis not anew problem However in to day s world where heavy and slow moving traffic and tight schedules are the norm more and more drivers are taking out th eir anger and frustration in their vehicles Crowded roads leave little room for error leading to suspicio n and hostili ty among drivers and encouraging them to take personally the mistakes of other drivers Aggressive driving is the act of ope rating a motor vehicle in a selfish bold or pushy manner without regard for the rights or safety of others Road rag e is operatin g a motor vehicl e with the intent of do ingha rm tootherso_ r physi cally assaulting a driver or their vehicle 2 10 2 Don t Be an Aggressive Driver How you fee before you even start yo ur vehicle has a lot to do with how stress will affect you while driving e Reduce your stress before and while you drive Listen to easy listening music e Give the
237. pping papers gt Ina pouch on the driver s door or gt Inclear view within immediate reach while the seat belt is fastened while driving or gt Onthedriv_ er s seat when out of the vehicle 9 3 2 Package Labels Shippers put diamond shaped ha zard wa rning labels on m osth azardous m aterials pa ckages These lab els inform oth ers of the h azard If the diamond la bel wo n t fit o n the p ackage ship pers may put the label on a tag securely attached to the package For example compressed gas cylinders that will not hold a label will have tag s or de cals Labels look like the examples in Figure 9 2 Page 9 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Examples of HAZMAT Labels Figure 9 2 9 3 3 Lists of Regulated Products Placards Placards are use d to wa rn others of hazardous materials Placards are signs put on the outside of a vehicle and on bulk packages which identify the hazard class of the cargo A placarded vehicle must have at least four ide ntical placards They are put on the front rear and both sides of the vehicl e See Figu re 9 3 Pla cards mus t be readable from all four direction s They are at lea st 10 3 4in ches squa re squa re on point ina diamond sh ape Ca rgotanksa _ ndother bul k packaging display the identification number of their contents on placards or oran ge panels or white square on point displays that are the same size as placards ses 2 Examples of HAZMAT
238. properly secured to prevent tearing billowing or blocking of mirrors gt If oversize all required signs flags lamps and reflectors safely and properly mounted and all required permits in driver s possession gt Curbside cargo compartment doors in good condition securely closed locks Vv Vv VV V WV Section 2 Driving Safely latched locked and required security seals in place Right Rear Condition of wh eels a nd rim s no missing bent orb roken spacers stud s clam ps or lugs Condition of tires p roperly inflated valve stems and caps OK no serious cuts bulges tread wear tires not rubbi ng each other and nothing stuck between them Tires sam e type e g no t mixed radial and bias types Tires evenly matched same sizes Wheel bearing seals not leaking eS uspension gt Condition of spring s spring hangers shackles and u bolts gt A xle secure Powered axle s not leaking lube gear oil Condition of torque rod arms bushings Condition of shock absorber s If retractable axle equipped check condition of lift mechanism If air powered check for leaks gt Condition of air ride components VVVV e Brakes gt Brake adjustment gt Condition of brake drum s or discs gt Condition of hoses look for any wear due to rubbing gt Brake shoes brake chamber slack adjuster should not have more than 1 travel for manual brakes and 1 1 2 for sel
239. properly installed The manual adjustment of an automatic adjuster to bring a brake pushrod stroke within legal limits i s generally ma sking a me chanical p roblem andi s not fixing it Further routine adj ustment of mo st automatic adjusters will li kely result in premature wear of the adjuster itself It is recommended that when brakes equipp ed with automatic adju sters are found to be out of adjustment the driver take Section 5 Air Brakes the vehicle to a re pair facility as soon as possible to have the problem corrected The manual adjustment of an autom atic adj uster should only be used as a tempo rary measure to correct the a djustment in an eme rgency situation as it is li kely the brake will soon be back out of adjustment since this pr ocedure usually does not fix the underlying adjustment problem Note Auto matic sla ck adju sters are made by different manufacturers and do not all operate the same T herefore the specific manufacturer s Service Manual shoul d be con sulted pri or to troubleshooting a brake adjustment problem Check Brake Drums or Discs Linings and Hoses Brake drum s o r discs m_ ust not have cracks longer than one half the width of the friction area Linings friction material must not be loose or so aked with oil or gre ase They m ust not be dangerously thin Mech anical pa rts m ust be in place not broken or missing Check the air hoses connected to the b rake chambers to make sure
240. qui red Specification c argo tanks must show re test date markings Portable tan ks mu st also sho wthe lesse eor owner s name They must also display the shipping name of the contents on two opposing sides The letters of the shipping name must be at least two inches tallo n porta ble tanks with capacities of more tha n 1 000 gallo ns and on e inch tall on portable tan ks with capacities of ess than 1 000 gallons The identification number must appear on each side and each end of a portable tank or other bulk pa ckaging that hold 1 000 gallons or mo re and ont wo opposing sid es if the po rtable tan k holds le ss th an 1 0 00 gallons The id entification numbers mu st still be vi sible when t he p ortable tank is on the motor vehicle If they are not visible you must display the ide ntification number on both sides and ends of the motor vehicle Intermediate bulk containers IBCs are b ulk packages but are not required to have the owner s name or shipping name Page 9 12 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 9 5 2 Tank Loading The person in charge of loading and unloading a cargo tan k must be sure a qualified personi s always watching This person watching the loading or unloading must e Be alert e Have a clear view of the cargo tank e Be within 25 feet of the tank e Know of the hazards of the materials involved Know the procedures to follow in an emergency e Be authorized to move the cargo tank an
241. quired in each state vary MULTIPLE TRACKS 3 Figure 10 7 Section 10 School Buses GATES LIGHTS Figure 10 8 A school bus is on e of th e safest vehicles on the highway However a school bus does not have the slightest edg e whe n invo lved in a crash witha train Because of a train s size and weight it cannot stop quickly An emergency escape route does not exist for a train You ca n prevent sch ool bus train crashes by followi ng these re commended procedures e Appro aching the Crossing gt Slowdown including shifting to alo wer gearinam anual tra nsmission bu s and test your brakes gt Activate hazard light s ap proximately 200 feet before t he cro ssing Make sure y our intentions are known gt Scan yo ur surroundings and check for traffic behind you gt Stay to the right of the roadway if possible gt Choose an escape route in the event of a brake failure or problems behind you e Atthe Crossing gt Stop no closer than 15 feet and no fart her than 50 feet from the nea rest rail whe re you have the best view of the tracks gt Place the transmission in Park or if th ere is no Park shift point in Neutral a nd press down on th eservice b_ rake or set the parking brakes gt Turn off all radio s an d n oisy eq uipment and silence the passengers Page 10 8 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual gt Openthe service dooran dd river s window L ooka ndli stenfo r an approaching trai
242. r Step 4 Back Slowly e Back until fifth wheel just touches the trailer e Don t hit the trailer Step 5 Secure Tractor e Put on the parking brake e Put transmission in neutral Step 6 Check Trailer Height e The traile r should be lo w enou gh th at it is raised slightly by the tractor when the tractor is backed under it Rai se or lower th e trailer as needed If the traile ris too low the tractor may strike and dama ge the trailer n ose if the trailer is too high it may not couple correctly e Check thatt he kingpin a nd fifth whe el are aligned Step 7 Connect Air Lines to Trailer e Check gladhand seals andcon nect tractor emergency a ir line to trail er emergency glad hand Section 6 Combination Vehicles e Check glad hand seals and con nect tractor service air line to trailer service glad hand e Make sure air lines are safely supported where they won t be crushed or caught while tractor is backing under the trailer Step 8 Supply Air to Trailer e From cab pushin air supply knob or move tractor prote ction valve controlfro mthe emergency to the normal position to supply air to the trailer brake system e Wait until the air pressure is normal e Check brake system for crossed air lines gt Shutengi neoffso you canh earthe brakes gt Apply and release trailer brakes and listen for sou nd of trailer brake s bein g appli ed and released You should hear the brakes move when applied and
243. r e With an engine fire turn off the engine as soon as you ca n Don t op en the hood if you can avoid it Shoot foam thro ugh louvers radiator or from the vehicle s underside e For a cargo fire in a van or box trailer keep the doors shut esp ecially if your cargo contains hazardous m aterials Ope ning the van doors will supply the fire with oxygen and can cause it to burn very fast Extinguish the Fire Here are some rules to follow in putting out a fire e When using the extinguisher stay as far away from the fire as possible e Aim atthe source or base of the fire not up in the flames Use the Right Fire Extinguisher e Figures 2 20 and 2 21 d etail the type of fire extinguisher to use by class of fire Page 2 40 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e The B C type fire extingu isher is d esigned to work on electrical fires and burning liquids e The A B C type is designed to work on burning wood paper and cloth as well e Water can b e used on wood pap er or cloth but don t use wateron an electrical fire can cause shock or a gasolin e fire it will soread the flames e A burning tire must be cooled Lotso f water may be required e If you re not sure what to use especially ona hazardous materials fire wait for firefighters e Position you rself up wind Let the win d carry the extinguisher to the fire e Continue until whatever was burning has been cooled Ab sence of smoke or flame does
244. r If you do not know ask your employer PLACARDS BLASTING AGENTS ORGANIC PEROXIDE Figure 2 25 Section 2 Driving Safely Subsections 2 22 2 23 and 2 24 Test Your Knowledge 1 Common m edicines fo r colds canm ake you sleepy True or False 2 What should you do if you become sleepy while driving 3 Coffee and a little fresh air will hel pa drinker sober up True or False What is a hazardous materials placard Why are placards used What is sleep debt What a re th e dang er si gnals of dro wsy driving oe Or These questions may be on the test If you can t answer them all re read subsections 2 22 2 23 and 2 24 Page 2 46 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 3 TRANSPORTING CARGO SAFELY This Section Covers Inspecting Cargo Cargo Weight and Balance Securing Cargo Cargo Needing Special Attention This se ction tells you about hauling ca rgo safely You must un derstand basic cargo safety rules to get a CDL If you load cargo wrong or do not se cure it it can be a dan ger to others an d yourself Loose ca rgo that falls off a vehicle can cause traffic pro blems and othe rs could be h urt or killed L oose ca rgo could hurt or kill you duri ng a qui ck stop or crash Your vehi cle could b e da maged by a n overloa d Steering could be affecte d by how avehiclei s loaded maki ng it more difficult to control the vehicle Whether or not you lo
245. r Brakes You should study Se ction 5 Air Bra kes b efore reading this In combinati on vehicle s the bra king system has parts to control the trail er bra kes in addition to the parts described in Section 5 These parts are described below 6 2 1 Trailer Hand Valve The trailer hand valve also called the trolley valve or Johnson bar works the trailer brakes The trailer hand valve should be used only to test the traile r brakes Do notu seit in driving b ecause ofth e danger of makin g the trailer skid The foot brake sends ai rto all of the brakes ont he vehicl e including the trailer s There is much less danger of causing a skid or jackknife when using just the foot brake Never use the hand valve for parkin g because all the ai r mig ht leak out unlocking the brakes in trailers that don t have spring brakes Always use the parking brakes when parking If the trailer does not have spring brakes use wheel chocks to keep the trailer from moving 6 2 2 Tractor Protection Valve The tractor protection valve keeps air in the tractor or truck brake system should the trailer break away or develop a bad leak The tractor protection valve Page 6 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual is controlled by the trailer air supply control valve in the ca b The co ntrol valve allows yo u to open and sh ut the tractor p rotection valve The tra ctor protection v alve will close automati cally if air pressure is low i
246. r Trailer e Park rig in a straight line on firm level ground e Apply parking brakes so rig won t move e Chock wheels of second traile rif it doesn t have spring brakes e Lowerla nding ge arof se cond se mitrailer enough to remove some weight from dolly e Close air shut offs at rea roffirstse mitrailer and on dolly if so equipped e Disconnect all dolly air an d electric lines and secure them e Release dolly brakes e Release converter dolly fifth wheel latch e Slowly pull tractor first semitraile r and dolly forward to pulld olly ou tfr om un derre ar semitrailer Page 7 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Uncouple Converter Dolly e Lower dolly landing gear e Disconnect safety chains e Apply converter gear spring b rakes or cho ck wheels e Release pintle hook on first semi trailer e Slowly pull clear of dolly Never unl ock the pintle hook with the dolly still under the rear trailer The dolly tow bar may fly up possibly causing injury and making it very difficult to re couple 7 2 3 Coupling and Uncoupling Triple Trailers Couple Tractor First Semitrailer to Second Third Trailers e Couple tractor to firs t trailer Us e the method already de scribed for cou pling tracto r semitrailers e Move converter dolly into positio n and couple first trailer to second trailer using the method for coupling doubles Triple s rig is now complete Uncouple Triple trailer Rig e Uncouple thi
247. r a carrier ask your dispatcher about route rest rictions o rpe rmits If you area n independent trucker and are planning a new route check with state agencies where you plan to travel Some loca lities prohibit transpo rtation of hazardous materials through tunnels over bridges or other roadways Check before you start Whenever placarded avoid heavily populate d areas crowds tunnels narrow streets and alleys Take othe r routes eve n if inconve nient unless Section 9 Hazardous Material there is no other way Never drivea placarded vehicle near open fires unless you can safely pass without stopping If transporting Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B explosives you must have a written route plan and follo wt hat plan Carriers prepare the route plan in a dvance and give the driver acopy You may plan th e ro ute you rself if you p ick upthe explosives at a location other than your employer s terminal Write out th e planin advance Keep a copy of it with you while transporting the explosives Deliver shipments of explosives only to authorized persons or leave them in locked rooms designed for explosives storage A carrier must choose the safest route to transport placarded radioactive materials After choosing the route the carri er mu st tell the driver about the radioactive materials and show the route plan 9 6 6 No Smoking Do not smoke within 25 feet of a placarded cargo tank u sed for Cla ss3 flam
248. r com bination vehicle s tractor trailer doubles tripl es straight truck with trailer The information i so nly tog ive youthe minimum knowledge nee ded for driving common combination vehicle s You sh ould also study Section 7 if you ne ed to pass the te st for d oubles and triples 6 1 Driving Combination Vehicles Safely Combination vehicles are usually heavier long er and requi remored _ rivingskillth ansin gle commercial vehicles Thi s mea ns tha t drivers of combination vehicles ne ed mor e knowledge and skill than drivers of single vehicles In this section we talk about some important safety fac tors that apply specifically to combination vehicles 6 1 1 Rollover Risks More than half of truck driver deaths in crashes are the result of truck rollovers When more cargo i s piled upina truck the center of grav ity moves higher up from the road The truck becomes easier to turn ove r Fully loade d rigs are ten times more likely to roll over in a crash than empty rigs The following two thi ngs will hel p y ou prevent rollover keep the cargo as close to the grou nd as possible and drive slo wly around turns Keeping cargo low is even more i mportant in combinatio n vehicles than in straight trucks Also keep the load centered on your rig If the load is to one side so it makes a trailer lean a rollover is more likely Make sure your cargois centered and spread out as much as possible Cargo distribution
249. r property Placards must appear on both sides and both ends of the vehicle Each placard must be e Easily seen from the direction it faces e Placed so the words or numbers are level and read from left to right e Atleast thre e inche s a way from any other markings e Kept clear of attachments or devices such as ladders doors and tarpaulins e Kept clean and undamaged so thatthe color format and message are easily seen e Be affixed to a backg round of contrasting color e The use of Drive Safely and other slogans is prohibited e The front pla card may be onthe front of the tractor or the front of the trailer To de cide which pla cards to use you ne ed to know e The hazard class of the materials e The amount of hazardous materials shipped e The total we ight of allcl asses of ha zardous materials in your vehicle 9 3 11 Placard Tables There are two placard tables Table 1 and Table 2 Table 1 materials must be placarded whenever any amount is transported See Figure 9 7 Page 9 8 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Except for bulk packagings the h azard classes in Table 2n eed placard s o nly if the total amount transported is 1 001 pounds or more including the package Ad dthe am_ counts fro mall ship ping papers for all the Table 2 products you have on board See Figure 9 8 Placard Table 1 Any Amount IF YOUR VEHICLE CONTAINS ANY PLACARD AS AMOUNT OF 1 1 Mass Explosives Exp
250. rating th e schoolb us to obtain maximum viewing a rea lf nece ssary have the mirrors adjusted Section 10 School Buses THE DANGER ZONES 10 Feet Most Dangerous Walking Area 10 Feet sna 100H9S g 5 Q D Tl O U Q U Q u s uoz7 sabueg 10 Feet Most Dangerous Figure 10 1 10 1 3 Outside Left and Right Side Flat Mirrors These mirro rs are mou nted at the left and right front corners of the b us at the side or front of th e windshield They are used to monitor t raffic check clearances and students on the side s and to the rear of the bus There is a blind spot immediately below and in front of each mirro rand directly in back of the rear bumper The blind spot behind the bus extends 50 to 150 feet and could extend up to 400 feet depending on the width of the bus Ensure that the mirrors a re pro perly a djusted so you can see e 200 feet or 4 bus lengths behind the bus e Along the sides of the bus e The rear tires touching the ground Figure 10 2 sho ws how both the outside left an d right side flat mirrors should be adjusted Page 10 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE FLAT MIRRORS Figure 10 2 10 1 4 Outside Left and Right Side Convex Mirrors The convex mirro rs are lo cated below the outsi de flat mirrors They are used to monitor the left an d right sides at a wide angle They provide a view of traffic
251. rd traile r by p ulling the dolly out then unhitching the d olly using the me thod for uncoupling doubles e Uncouple re mainder of rig as yo u would any double bottom rig usi ng the method already described 7 2 4 Coupling and Uncoupling Other Combinations The methods describ ed so far apply to the more common tra ctor trailer combinations Ho wever there are other ways of couplin g and uncoupling the many types of tru ck trailer a nd tractor trailer combinations that are in use There are too ma ny to cove rin thism anual Learn the ri ght way to couple the vehicle s you will drive according to the manufacturer and or owner 7 3 Inspecting Doubles and Triples Use the seven step insp ection pro cedure described in Section 2 to inspect your combination vehicle Th ere arem ore things toin specton a combination vehicle than on a single vehicle Many of these items are simply more of what you would find ona single vehi cle For exam ple tires Section 7 Doubles and Triples wheels lights reflectors etc Ho wever there are also so me newth ingsto ch eck T hesea re discussed below 7 3 1 Additional Checks Do these checks in addition to those already listed in Section 2 Step 5 Do Walkaround Inspection Coupling System Areas e Check fifth wheel lower gt Securely mounted to frame gt No missing or damaged parts gt Enough grease gt No visible space between upper and lower fifth wheel gt
252. re following distance Make sure you have large e nough gaps before entering or crossing traffic Be certain you are clear at the sides before changing lanes 7 1 6 Adverse Conditions Be mor e careful in ad verse conditions Inb ad weather slippery conditions and mountain driving you must be especially careful if you drive double and tripl e bo ttoms You will have greater len gth and more dead axles to p ull with your drive axles than other drivers There is more chance for skids and loss of traction 7 1 7 Parking the Vehicle Make sure you do not get in a spot you cannot pull straight throu gh You nee d to be awa re of how parking lots are arranged in order to a void along and difficult escape 7 1 8 Antilock Braking Systems on Converter Dollies Converter dollies built on or after March 1 1998 are required to have antilock brakes These dollies will have a yellow lamp on the left side of the dolly 7 2 Coupling and Uncoupling Knowing how to couple a nd uncouple correctly is basic to safe ope ration of double s and tripl es Wrong coupling an dun coupling canbeve ry dangerous Coupling a nd uncoupli ng steps fo r doubles and triples are listed below 7 2 1 Coupling Twin Trailers Secure Second Rear Trailer If th e s econd tr ailer do esn t ha ve spring br akes drive the trac tor close to the trailer connect the emergency line cha rge the traile r air tank and disconnect the em ergency line T
253. reflectors elsewhere Note Checks of brake turn signal and four way flasher functions must be done separately 11 2 External Inspection School Bus Truck Tractor 11 2 1 Steering Steering Box Hoses e Check that the steeri ng box is securely mounted and not leaking Look for any missing nuts bolts and cotter keys e Check for power steering fluidle aks or damage to power steering hoses Steering Linkage e See that connecting links arms and rods from the steering box to the wheel are not worn or cracked e Check that joints and sockets aren ot wornor loose and that there are no missing nuts bolts or cotter keys 11 2 2 Suspension Springs Air Torque e Look for missing shifted cra cked or broken leaf springs e Look for broken or distorted coil springs e If vehicle is equipp ed with torsion bars torque arms or other ty pes ofsusp ension components check that they are not damaged and are mounted securely e Airri de suspension sho uld b e checked for damage and leaks Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Mounts e Look for cracked or broken spri ng ha ngers missing ord amaged bu shings and broken loose or missing b olts u bolts o r othe r axle mounting p arts T he mounts shouldb e checked at each point where they are secured to the vehicle frame and axle s Shock Absorbers e See that shock absorbers are secure and that there are no leaks Note Be prep aredtoperfo rmthe
254. rgo he aters including aut omatic ca rgo heater air conditioner units Unless you have re ad all the rel ated rules don t load the above products in a cargo space that has a heater Use Closed Cargo Space Youcannoth ave overhang or tailgate loads of e Class 1 Explosives e Class 4 Flammable Solids e Class 5 Oxidizers You must lo ad these ha zardous materials into a closed cargo space unless all packages are e Fire and water resistant e Covered with a fire and water resistant tarp Precautions for Specific Hazards Class 1 Explosives Materials Turn your engine off before lo ading o r unl oading any explosive s Then check the cargo space You must e Disable cargo heaters Disco nnect heater power sources and drain heater fuel tanks e Make sure there are no sharp points that might damage cargo Look for bolts scre ws nails broken side panels and broken floorboards Page 9 10 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Use a floor lining with Divi sion 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B Explosives The floors must be tight and the liner mu st be either no n metallic material or non ferrous metal Use extra care to protec t explosive s Never use hooks or other metal tools Never drop throw or roll p ackages Prote ct e xplosive packages from other cargo that might cause damage Do not transfer a Division 1 1 1 2 or 1 3 Class A or B Explosiv e from one vehicle to a nother ona public roadway except
255. rive over a test route that has a variety of traffic situations At all times during the tes t you must drive in a safe and responsible manner During the driving test the examiner will be scoring you on specific driving maneuvers as wellas on your g eneral driving behavior You will follow th e directions of the examine r Directions will be given to you so you will have plenty of time to do what the examiner has asked You will not be asked to drive in an unsafe manner If your te st route do es nothave certain traffic situations you may be asked to simulate a traffic situation You will do this by telling th e examiner what you are or would be doing if you were in that traffic situation 13 1 How You Will Be Tested 13 1 7 Turns You have been asked to make a turn e Check traffic in all directions e Use turn signals and safely get into the lane needed for the turn As you approach the turn e Use turn signals to warn others of your turn e Slow down smoothly change gears as needed to keep p ower butdo notcoa st unsafely Unsafe coasting occurs when your ve hicle is out of gear clutch dep ressed or gea rshift in neutral fo r more th ant he len gth o f your vehicle If you must stop before making the turn e Come toa smooth stop without skidding e Come to a complete sto p behind the stop line crosswalk or stop sign e f stopping behind another vehicle stop where you can see the rear tires on the vehic
256. road signals that indicate the tracks are clear you must loo k and li sten to be su re it is safe to proceed Containment or Storage Areas If it won t fit don t commit Know the length of your bus and the size of the co ntainmentare aat highway rail crossings on the school bus route as well as any crossing you encounter in the cou rse of a sch ool activity trip Whe n ap proaching a crossing witha signal or st op signo nthe oppo site side pay attention to the amount of room there Be certain the bus has enough containment or st orage area to completely clear the railroad tracks on the other side if the re is a n eed to stop Asa general rule add 15 feet tothe length ofthe sch ool bu s to determine an acceptable amount of containment or storage area Section 10 School Buses 10 5 Student Management 10 5 1 Don t Deal with On bus Problems When Loading and Unloading In order to get students to and from school safely and on time you need to be able to concentrate on the driving task Loading andunl oading requi res all you r concentration Don t take your eyes off what is happening outside the bus If there is a behavior problem on the bus wait until the students unloading are safely off the bu s and have moved away If necessary pull the bus over to handle the problem 10 5 2 Handling Serious Problems Tips on handling serious problems e Follow your school s procedures for di scipline or refusal
257. rolley valve if so equipped You should feel the brakes come on This tells you the trailer brakes are connected and working The trailer brakes should be tested with the hand valve but co ntrolled inno rmal ope ration with the foot pedal which applies air to the service brakes at all wheels Section 7 Test Your Knowledge o_o What is a converter dolly 2 Do converter dollies have spring brakes 3 What three methods can you use to secure a second trailer before coupling 4 How d o y ouch eck tom ake s ure trailer height is correct before coupling 5 What do you check when making a vi Sual check of coupling 6 Why should you pull a dolly out from under a trailer before you di sconnect it from the trailer in front 7 Whatsh ould youch eck for when inspecting the conve rter dolly The pi ntle hook 8 Should the shut off va Ives on the rear of the last traile r be ope n or closed On the first trail erin a set of d oubles On the middle trailer of a set of triples 9 How can yo utestthat air flows to all trailers 10 How do you know if your converter dolly is equipped with antilock brakes These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read Section 7 Page 7 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 8 TANK VEHICLES This Section Covers e Inspecting Tank Vehicles e Driving Tank Vehicles e Safe Driving Rules This section has information needed to pass the
258. s e Donotstop change gears or chan ge lanes while a ny pa rt of your vehicle i s proceeding across the tracks e Four way flashers should be deactivated after the vehicle crosses the tracks Not all driving road test r outes will have a railroad crossing Yo u may be asked to e xplain and demonstrate the pro per railroad cro ssing procedures to the examiner at a simulated location 13 1 9 Bridge Overpass Sign After driving under an overpass you may be asked to tell the examine r what the posted clearance or height was After going over a bridge you may be asked to tell the examiner what the posted weight limit was If your test route does not have a bridge or ove rpass you mayb e aske d ab out anothe r traffic sig n Whe n a sked be prepa red to identify and explain to the examiner any traffic sign which may appear on the route During the driving test you must e Wear your safety belt e Obey all traffic signs signals and laws e Complete the tes t withoutan accident or moving violation You will be scored on your overall performance in the following general driving behavior categories 13 1 10 Clutch Usage for Manual Transmission e Always use clutch to shift e Double clutch if vehicle is equipped with non synchronized transmission e Do not rev or lug the engine e Do not ride clutch to control speed coast with the clutch depressed or pop the clutch 13 1 11 Gear Usage for Manual Tra
259. s Recaps not allowed on any bus Wheel and Rim Problems e Dama ged rims e Rust around wheel n uts may mean t he nuts are lo ose check tightn ess Afterat irehas been changed stop a short while later and re check tightness of nuts e Missing clamps spacers studs or lugs means danger e Mismatched bent or cracked lock rings are dangerous e Wheels or rims that have had welding repairs are not safe Bad Brake Drums or Shoes eC racked drums e Shoes or pads with oil grease or brake fluid on them e Shoes worn dan gerously thin missing or broken Steering System Defects e Missing nuts bolts cotter keys or other parts e Bent loose or broken parts such as steering column steering gear box or tie rods e Ifpowerst eering equi pped ch eck hose s pumps and fluid level check for leaks e Steering wheel play of more than 10 degrees approximately 2 inche s movement at the ri m of a 20 inch steering wheel can make it ha rd to steer Section 2 Driving Safely Figure 2 1 illustrates a typical steering system Suspension System Defects The su spension system holds up the ve hicle and its lo ad It keeps the axles in place Therefore broken suspension parts can be extremely dangerous Look for e Spring hangers that allo w movem ent of axle from proper position See Figure 2 2 e Cracked or broken spring hangers e Missing or b roken leaves in any leaf sp ring If one fourth or more a r
260. s T his movement can have bad effects on handling For example when coming to a stop the liquid will surge back and forth When the wave hits the end of the tank it tends to push the truck in the direction the wave is moving If the truck is on a slippery surface such as ice the wave Page 8 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual can shove a stopped truck out into an intersection The driver of a liquid tank er must be v ery familiar with the handling of the vehicle 8 2 3 Bulkheads Some liquid tanks are divided into several smaller tanks by bul kheads When loading and unloading the smaller tanks the driver must pay attention to weight distribution Don t put too mu ch weig ht on the front or rear of the vehicle 8 2 4 Baffled Tanks Baffled liquid tanks h ave bulkheads in them with holes that et the liq uid flow through The baffles help to control the forwa rd and backward liqui d surge Side to side surge can still occur This can cause a roll over 8 2 5 Un baffled Tanks Un baffled iquid ta nkers sometimes called smooth bore tanks have nothing in side to slo w down the flow of the liquid Therefore forward and back surge is very st rong Un baffled tanks are usually those that transport food products milk for example Sanitation re gulations forbid the use of baffles because of th e difficulty in cleaning the inside of the tank Bee xtremely cau tious slow and careful ind riving smo o
261. s Use the dummy couplers when the air lines are n ot co nnected toa trailer If therea re no dummy co uplers the gla d hand s ca n sometim es be locked together depending on the couplings It is very important to keep the air supply clean Page 6 5 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual IA Check for Cracks EMERGENCY LINE Truck Line Trailer Line y y Figure 6 6 6 2 6 Trailer Air Tanks Each trailer and converter dolly ha s one or m ore air tanks They are filled by the emergency supply line from the tractor They provide the air pressure used to operate trailer brakes Air pressure is sent from the air tanks to the brakes by relay valves The pressure in the service line tells how much pressure the relay valves should send to the trailer brakes The pre ssurei nthe servi celin eis controlled by the brake pedal and the trailer hand brake It is important that you do n t let water and oil build up in the air tanks If you do the brakes may not work correctly Each tank hasad rain valve on it and you should drain each tank every day If your tanks have automatic drai ns they will keep most moisture out But you should still open the drains to make sure 6 2 7 Shut off Valves Shut off valves also called cut out cocks are used in the se rvice and supply air lines at the ba ck of trailers us ed to tow other trailers Thes e valves permit closing the air lin es off when another trailer is not bein
262. s B a GVWR CDL over 26 000 pounds Is the vehicle You designed to need a carry 16 or Class C more people CDL including the driver Does the vehicle require You need a Class C hazardous CDL material placards or transport a select agent or toxin You DO NOT need a CDL NOTE Abus may be Class A B or C depending on whether the GVWR is over 26 001 pounds or is a combination vehicle Figure 1 1 Page 1 1 2005 Model Commercial Driver s License Manual 1 1 Commercial Driver License Tests 1 1 1 Knowledge Tests You will have to take one or more knowledge tests depending o n what cl ass ofli cense and what endorsements you ne ed The CDL knowledge tests include e The ge neral kno wledge test taken by all applicants e The passenger transport test taken by all bus driver applicants e The airb rakes test which you must _ take if your vehicle has air brakes including air over hydraulic brakes e Thecombin ation vehicl este st whichi s required if youwantto drive com bination vehicles e The hazardous materials test re quired if you want to haul hazardous materials or waste in amounts that require placardi ng or any quantity of a material list ed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR 73 e The tanker test required if you want to haul a liquid or liquid gas ina permanently mounted cargo tank rated at 119 gallons or more ora portable tank rated at 1 000 gallons or more e
263. s License Manual use public roads as automobiles and must follo w the same traffic laws as other vehicles Many drivers find it hard to kno w how to react to bicyclists riding in the street For the safety of both drivers and bicycli sts the following p recautions should be taken while driving and bicycling Approaching and passing bicyclists Increase fo llowingdis tances behind bicyclists because bicy cle stopping di stances a re sh orter than automobiles Be aware that bicyclist snot traveling in the extreme right of the lane may be trying to avoid gravel debris ba d pavement se wer grates and other obstacles Be cautio us of bicycli sts moving legally into the ce nter of the lane because of road ha zards or into the left lane because of a left turn Avoid pa ssing between a bicy clist and an oncoming vehicle on a two way road way Slow do wna nd allow on coming vehi cles to pa ss Then move tothe left to allow plenty of room to pass the bicyclist safely At hree f oot dist ance mustb e presentb etween the passing vehicle and slo wer travelin g bicyclists Give bic yclists the entire lane when they are pa ssing parked cars They need the space to avoid opening doors Use cautio n when passin g bicyclists because the ai r cu rrent created by a passing vehicles may cause bi cycliststo ha vean accident If you are pulling a trailer allow for extra passing room when passing bicyclists Extra cautio n sh ould be
264. s in place Kingpin Apron Gap e Check that the kingpin is not bent e Make sure the visible part of the apronis not bent cracked or broken e Check that t he trailer is aying flat o n the fifth wheel skid plate no gap Locking Pins Fifth Wheel e f equipped look fo r loose or mi ssing pins in the slide mechanism of the sliding fifth wheel If air powered check for leaks e Make sure locking pins are fully engaged e Check that the fifth wheel is positioned properly so that the tr actor frame will clear the landing gear during turns 11 3 School Bus Only Emergency Equipment e n addition to che cking for sp are el ectrical fuses if equipp ed th reere dref lective triangles and a properly charged and rated fire extinguisher scho ol bus drive rs mu stal so inspect the following emergency equipment gt Three red burning flares fuses gt Nine item first aid kit Lighting Indicators e In addition to che cking the lighting in dicators listed in Section 10 2 of this ma nual schoo bus d rivers must also check the followin g lighting indicators internal panel lights gt Alternately flashing amber lights indicator if equipped gt Alternately flashing red lights indicator gt Strobe light indicator if equipped Lights Reflectors e In addition to checking the lights and reflective devices listed in Se ction 10 2 of this manual school b usdriversm ustalsoch eck the following external l
265. s often called a trailer jackknife See Figure 6 2 The procedure for stopping a trailer skid is Recognize the Skid The earliest and best way to recognize that the trailer has started to skid is by seeing it in your mi rrors Any time you apply the brakes hard check the mirro rs to make sure the trailer i s sta ying whe rei t shoul d be Once the trailer swings out of your ane it s very difficult to prevent a jackknife Fro mR D Erv in R L Nis conger C C MacAdam and P S Fanche r Influen ce of si ze and weigh v ariables on the stability and control properties of heavy trucks University of Michig an Transportation Research Institute 1983 Page 6 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual TRAILER JACKNIFE Figure 6 2 Stop Using the Brake Release the brakes to get traction back Do not use the trail er hand brake if you have one to straighten out the rig This is the wrong thing to do si nce the brakes o n the trailer wheels caused the skid in the first place Once the trailer wheels grip the roa d again the trailer will start to follow the tractor and straighten out 6 1 6 Turn Wide When a vehi cle goes arounda corner the rear wheels follo w a differe nt path than the front wheels Thi s is called of ftracking o r cheatin g Figure 6 3 shows how offtrack ing causes the path followed by a tractor to be wider than the rig itself Longer vehicles will offtrack more The rear wheels
266. s on the Route e Performa safe stop atd esignated unloading areas as described in subsection 10 2 1 e Have the stu dents remain seated u ntil told to exit e Check all mirrors Section 10 School Buses e Count the number of students while unloading to confirm the location of all stu dents before pulling away from the stop e Tell students to exit the b us and walk at least 10 feet away from th e side of th e busto a position whe re the driver can plainly see al students e Checkall mirrorsa gain Ma ke sure no students are around or returning to the bus e If you cannot account for a student outside the bus secure the bus and check around and underneath the bus e When all stu dents are accounted for prep are to leave by gt Closing the door gt Engagin g transmission Releasing parking brake gt Turning off alternating flashing red lights gt Turning on left turn signal gt Checking all mirrors again gt Allowing congested traffic to disperse e When it is safe move the bus enter the traffic flow and continue the route v Note If you have misseda studen s u nloading stop don otbackup B e su retofo llow lo cal procedures Additional Procedures for Students That Must Cross the Roadway You should understand what students should do when exiting a school bus and crossing the street in front of the bu s In addition the schoolbus driver sho uld unde rstand that students mi ght not always d o
267. s one The firs t system is called the primary system Th eotheri s called the secondary system See Figure 5 4 Before drivin g a vehicle with a dual air syste m allow time fo rthe airco mpressor to build up a minimum of 100 psi pressure in b oth the prim ary and secondary sy stems Watch the primary and secondary air pressure gauges or needles if the system has two needles in one g auge Pay attention to the low air pressure warning light and buzzer The warning light and buzze r should shut off when air pressure in both syste ms rises toa value set by the man ufacturer This value must be greater than 60 psi The warning light and b uzzer should com eo n before the air pressure drops below 60 psi in either system If thi s happens while d riving you sh ould stop right away and safely park the vehicle If one air system is very low on pressure either the front or the rear brakes will no t be operating fully This means it will take you longerto stop Bring the vehicle toa safe stop a nd have the air bra kes system fixed Page 5 5 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 5 3 Inspecting Air Brake Systems You sho uld use the basic seven step inspection procedure de scribed in Section 2 toi nspect yo ur vehicle Th ere arem ore things toin specton a vehicle with air brakes thanone without the m These thing s are discussed bel ow in the orde r they fit into the seven step method 5 3 1 During Step 2 Engine
268. s you need at least one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length at soeeds below 40 mph At greater speeds you must add 1 second for safety For example if you are driving a 40 foot vehicle you should leave 4 seconds between you and the vehicle ahead In a 60 foot rig you ll need 6 seconds Over 40 mph you d need 5 second s for a 40 foot veh icle and 7 seconds for a 60 foot vehicle See Figure 2 12 To know how much space you have wait until the vehicle ahead passes a shadow ont he road a pavement marking or some other clear landmark Then count off the seconds li ke this on thousand and one one thousand and two and so on until you rea ch the sa me spot Co mpare your count with the rule of one second for every ten feet of length HEAVY VEHICLE FORMULA For timed interval following distance 1 second required for each 10 feet of vehicle length at speeds under 40 MPH Above 40 MPH use same formula then add 1 second for the additional speed 60 foot truck under 40 MPH 6 seconds Figure 2 12 If you are driving a 40 foot truck and only counted up to 2 seconds you re too close Drop back a little and counta gain until yo uhave4seco nds of following distance or 5 seconds if you re going over 40 mph After a littl e practice you will know Section 2 Driving Safely how far back you sh ould be Remember to add 1 second for speeds above 40 mph Also remember that whe n th e roadis slippery you need
269. sa me suspension components inspection on every axle power unit and trailer if equipped 11 2 3 Brakes Slack Adjustors e Look for broken loose or missing parts e Forma nual slack adj ustors the brake rod should not move more than one inch with the brakes released when pulled by hand Brake Chambers e Seethat brake chambers a re notl eaking cracked or dented and are mounted securely Brake Hoses Lines e Look for cracked worn or leaking hoses lines and couplings NOTE Some units have dust covers over the druma nd shoes linings Appli cantsho uld indicate this to examiner and explain If this unit was not equipped with dust covers would check for the following Drum Brake e Check for cracks de nts or hole s Also che ck for loose or missing bolts e Brake linin gs wh ere visi ble should not be worn dangerously thin Brake Linings e On som e braked rums there a re op enings where the b rake linings canbe see n from outside the drum For this type of drum check that a visible amount of brake lin ing is showing Page 11 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Note Be pre pared to perfo rm the same b rake components inspection on every axle power u nit and trailer if equipped 11 2 4 Wheels Rims e Check for damaged or bent rims Rims cannot have welding repairs e Check for rust trails that may indicate rim is loose on wheel Tires e The follo wing items mu st
270. se to the normal operating range Temperature Gauge e Make sure the temperature gauge is working e Temperature should b egin to climb to the normal ope rating ran ge or tempe rature light should be off Ammeter Voltmeter e Check that gaug es sho w altern ator and or generator is charging or that warning light is off Mirrors and Windshield e Mirrors should be clean and adjusted properly from the inside e Windshield should be cleanwithno _ illegal stickers n o obstructions ord amage to the glass Page 11 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Emergency Equipment e Check for spare electrical fuses e Check for three red reflective triangles e Check fora prope rly charged and rated fire extinguisher Note Ifthe vehicle is not equipped with electrical fuses you must mention this to the examiner Steering Play e Non power steering Wi ththe engin e off check for ex cessive play by turning steering wheel back and forth Play shoul d not e xceed 10 degrees or ab out two inches ona 20 inch wheel e Power steering Withthe en gine runnin g check fore xcessive pla y by turning the steering wheel back and forth Play should not exceed 10 degrees or about two inches ona 20 inch wheel before front left wheel barely moves Wipers Washers e Check that wiper arms and blades are secure not damaged and operate smoothly e f equipped windshield washers must operate correctly Lighting Indicators e Tes
271. sh andan X through the fish This marking it is not a placard must also be displayed on the outside of the vehicle In addition a notation must b e made on th e shipping pap ers near the description of the material Marine Pollutant Shipping Paper ABC DEF Page Corporation Corporation 4 of 1 55 88 Valley Mountain Street Street Anywhere VA Nowhere CO Quanity HM Weight 1 RQ Phosgene 2 3 25 Ibs cylinder UN1076 Poison Inhalation Hazard RQ Zone A means that thisis a reportable quantity Phosgene is the proper shi pping name from C olumn 2 ofthe Haz ardous Materials T able 2 3 isthe Hazard Class from C olumn 3 of the Haz ardous Materials T able Un1076 is the Identification Number from Column 40of the Hazardous materials Table This is to certif y that the a bove n amed m aterials are properly c lassified d escribed pack aged marked and labeled and are in pro per c ondition for tr ansportation according to the ap plicable regu lations of the Un ited States Department of Transportation DEF Carrier Safety Shipper Corporation Per First Per Smith Date Date October 15 2003 Special Instructions 24 hour Emerg ency C ontact John Smith 1 800 555 5555 Figure 9 6 9 3 4 The Shipping Paper The shipping paper shown in Figure 9 6 describes ashi pment A ship ping pape rforhazard ous materials must include Page 9 6 2005 Commercial Driver s L
272. sing a sudden jackknife See Figure 2 19 Page 2 38 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual TRACTOR JACKNIFE Figure 2 19 2 19 2 Correcting a Drive wheel Braking Skid Do the follo wing to correct a drive wheel braking skid Stop Braking This will et the rear wheels roll again and keep the rear wheels from sliding Countersteer As a vehicle turns back on course it has a te ndency to keep on turni ng Unless you turn the steering wheel quickly the other way you may find yourself skidding in the opposite direction Learning to stay off the brake turn t he ste ering wheel quickly push in the clutch and countersteer in a skid takes a lot of pra ctice The best place to get this practice is on a large driving range or skid pad 2 19 3 Front wheel Skids Driving too f ast for condi tions causes most front wheel skids Other causes include lack of tread on the fro nt tire sand cargo load ed so not en ough weight is on the front axle In a front wheel skid the front end tend sto goi na straightlin e regardless o fhowm uch you turn the ste ering Section 2 Driving Safely wheel On a very slippery surface you may not be able to steer around a curve or turn When a fr ont wheel skid occurs the only wayt o stop the skid is to let the vehicle slow down Stop turning a nd or braking so ha rd SI ow d own as quickly as possible without skidding Subsections 2 17 2 18 and 2 19 Test Your Know
273. sition in front of second trailer in line with the kingpin Connect Converter Dolly to Front Trailer e Back first semitrailer into po sition i n front of dolly tongue e Hook dolly to front trailer Section 7 Doubles and Triples gt Lock pintle hook gt Secure conv erter gear suppo rt in rai sed position Connect Converter Dolly to Rear Trailer e Make suret railer brakes are lo cked and or wheels chocked e Make sure trailer hei ght is corre ct It must be slightly lower than the center of the fifth wheel so trailer is raised slightly when dolly is pushed under e Back converter dolly under rear trailer e Raise landi ng gear slightly off ground to prevent damage if trailer moves e Test coupling by p ulling agai nst pin of the second semitrailer e Make vi sual che ckof coupling No spa ce between upper and lo wer fifth wheel Locking jaws closed on kingpin e Connect saf ety chain s air ho ses and light cords e Close converter dolly ai rtank pet cock and shut off valves at rear of second trailer Service and emergency shut offs e Open shut off valves at rear of first traile r and on dolly if so equipped e Raise landing gear completely e Charge trailer brakes push air suppl y Knob in and check for air at rear of second trailer by opening the e mergency line shut off If air pressure isn t there some thing is wrong and the brakes won t work 7 2 2 Uncoupling Twin Trailers Uncouple Rea
274. slowly en ough to see obstacles with your headlights before it is too late to change lanes or stop gently Slow do wn to a safe speed before going into a turn 6 1 3 Brake Early Control your speed whether fully loaded or empty Large com bination vehicl es take long er to stop when they are empty th an when the y are fully loaded Wh enlightly oaded the very stiff suspension spring s and strong b rakes give poor traction and make itve ryeasytol ockupth e wheels Your trailer can swing out and strike other vehicles Y our tractor can ja ckknife v ery q uickly You al som ustb every ca reful about drivin g bobtail tractors tracto rs without se mitrailers Tests have shown that bobtails can be very hard to stop smoothly It tak es them longer to stop than a tractor semitrailer load ed to maxim umg ross weight In any combination ri g allow lots of followin g distance an d loo k fa r a head so yo u can b rake early Don t be cau ght b y surp rise a nd have to make a panic stop Page 6 1 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual INFLUENCE OF COMBINATION TYPE ON REARWARD AMPLIFICATION 5 axle tractor semitrailer with 45 ft 3 axle tractor semitrailer with 27 ft Turnpike double 45 ft trailers B train double 27 ft trailers Rocky mountain double 45 ft Calfomia truck full trailer 65 ft conventional double 27 ft Triple 27 ft trailers a Po nA i Lara E5 M
275. ss transit buses sometimes scrape o ff mir rors or h it passing ve hicles when pulling out fromabu sstop Rem ember the clearance your bus needs and watch for poles and tree limbs at stops Know the size of the gap you r bus ne eds to accelerate and merge witht raffic Wait for th e gap to o pen before leaving the sto p Never assume other drivers will brake to give you room when you signal or start to pull out 4 3 4 Speed on Curves Crashes on curves that kill people and destroy buses result from ex cessive spee d often wh en rain or snow has mad e the roa d slip pery Every banked curve has a safe design speed In good weather the posted speed is safe for cars but it may be too highform any bu ses With go od traction the bus may roll over with poor traction it might slide off the curve Reduce speed for curves Section 4 Transporting Passengers Safely If your bu s leans toward the outside on a b anked curve you are driving too fast 4 3 5 Railroad highway Crossings Stops Stop at RR Crossings Stop your bus between 15 and 5 0 feet befo re railroad crossings e Listen and ookin b oth directions for train s Open you r f orward d oor as iti mproves your ability to see or hear an approaching train e Before crossing after a train has passed make sure th ere i sn t an other t rain coming inthe other direction on other tracks e Close your door before resuming e If your bus has a manual transmission never chan
276. t hazardous products They must have a commercial driver s lice nse withthe hazard ous material s endorsement To get the required en dorsement you must p ass a written t est on m aterial found in Section 9 of this manual A tank en dorsement is required for certain vehicles that tran sport liquids or gases The liquid or ga s does not have to be a hazardous m aterial A ta nk endorsement is only required if your vehicle needs a Class A or B CDL and you rve hicle has a perm anently mounted cargo ta nk of any capa city or you rvehiclei s carrying a portable tank with a capacity of 1 000 gallons or more Drivers who need th e hazardou s material s endorsement must learn t he placard rules If you do not kn ow if your vehicle ne eds placards ask Page 2 45 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual your em ployer Never d rive avehi cle nee ding placards unless you have the hazardous materials endorsement To do sois acrime When stopped you will be cited and you will not be allowed to drive your truck furthe r It will cost yo u time and money A failure to placard when needed may risk your life an d othe rsif you havea naccid ent Emergency help will notk now of your hazardous cargo Hazardous materials drivers must also know which products the y can load together an d whi ch they cannot These rule s are also in Sectio n 9 Before loading a truck with more than one type of product you must know if it is safe to load them togethe
277. t turn lane Don t sta rt in the insi de lan e becau se you may h ave to swin g rightto make the tu rn Drivers on your left can be more readily seen See Figure 2 14 2 7 7 Space Needed to Cross or Enter Traffic Be aware of the size and weight of your vehicl e when you cross or ente rtraffic Here are so me important things to keep in mind e Because of slow accel eration and th e space large vehicles require you may n eed a much larger gap to enter traffic than you wo uldina Car e Acceleration varies with the load Allo w more room if your vehicle is heavily loaded e Before you start across a road make sure you can get all the way across before traffic reaches you 2 8 Seeing Hazards 2 8 1 Importance of Seeing Hazards What Is a Hazard A hazard is any road condition or other road user driver bicyclist pedestrian that is a possible danger For example a car in front of you is he aded towa rd th e free way e xit but his brake lights come on and he begins braking hard This could mean that the driver is uncertain about taking the off ramp He might sudde nly retu rn to the highway This caris a hazard If t he driver of Section 2 Driving Safely the car cuts in front of you itis nolo ngerjusta hazard it is an emergency Seeing Hazards Lets You Be Prepared You will have more time to act if you see hazards before they become emergencies In the exam ple above you might make ala ne change or s
278. t is leg al tap the horn lightly or at night flash your lights from low to high beam and back And drive carefully enough to avoid a crash even if they don t see or hear you When It s Hard to See At dawn dusk in rain or snow you need to ma ke yourself e asier to se e If you are having trouble seeing other vehicles other drivers will have trouble seeing you T urn on your lights Use the headlights not just the identification or cl earance lights Use thelowb eams hi gh Page 2 12 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual beams can bother people in the daytime as well as at night When Parked at the Side of the Road When you pull off the road and stop be sure to turnonthe four way emergency flashers This is important at night Do n t trust the taill ights to give warning Drivers have crash ed into the re ar of a parked vehicle be cause they thoughtitwa s moving normally If you must stop ona road or the shoulder of any road you m ust put out your emergency wa rning devices withi n ten minutes Place yo ur wa rning devices at the following locations If you must stop ono r b y a one way or divided highway place warning d evices 10 fee t 100 feet and 200 feet toward the approaching traffic See Figure 2 8 If you stop on a two la ne road carryin g traffic in both directions or on an undivided highway place warning devices within 10 feet of the front or rear corners to mark the location of the vehicle and 1
279. t see others are avery dang erous h azard Be alert for drive rs whose vi sion is blocked Vans lo aded station wagons and cars with the rear window blocked are examples Rental tru cks sh ouldb e watched carefully These drivers are often not used to the limited vision they have to the sides and rear of the truck In winter vehicle s with frosted ice covered or snow covered windows are hazards Vehicles m_ ay be partly hidden by blind intersections or alleys If you only can see the rear or front end of a vehicle but not the driver then he or she can t see you Be alert because he she may back o utor enter into your lan e Alwaysb e prepared to stop Delivery Trucks Can Present a Hazard Packages or vehicle d oors often block the drive r s vision Drive rs of step v ans po stal vehicle s and local delivery vehicles often are in a hurry and may suddenly step out of th eir vehicle or drive thei r vehicle into the traffic lane Parked Vehicles Can Be Hazards esp ecially when people start to get out of them Or they may suddenly start up and drive into your way Watch for movemen t inside the vehicle o r movement of the vehicl e i tself that sh ows pe ople are i nside Watch for brake light s or backup light s exhau st and other clues that a driver is about to move Section 2 Driving Safely Be ca reful of a stop ped bus Pa ssengers m ay cross in front of or be hind the bus and they often can t see you Pedestrians an
280. t trans port leaking packages Depending on the material you your truck a nd others could bein danger Iti s illegal to move a vehi cle with eaking ha zardous materials Containers of Cla ss1 explo sives Cla ss 3 flammable li quids Cl ass 4 flamm able soli ds Class 5 oxidizers Class 8 corrosives Class 2 Section 9 Hazardous Material gases Division 6 1 poisons an d Cla ss 7 radioactive must be braced to prevent movement of the packages during transportation No Smoking Whenl oadingorunloa_ ding hazardous materials ke ep fire a way Don t let people smoke nearby Never smoke around e Class 1 Explosives Class 2 1 Flammable Gas Class 3 Flammable Liquids Class 4 Flammable Solids Class 5 Oxidizers Secure Against Movement Brace containers so they will not fall sli de or b ounce around during transportation Be very careful whe n loadi ng containers th at have valves o rother fittings All hazardous m aterials packages m ust be secured during transportation After loading do not op en any pa ckage du ring your trip Ne ver transfer hazardous materials from one package to another while in tra nsit You may empty a ca rgo tank but do not empt y any other package while it is on the vehicle Cargo H eater Rules T herea re special cargo heater rules for loading e Class 1 Explosives e Class 2 1 Flammable Gas e Class 3 Flammable Liquids The rule s u sually fo rbid use of ca
281. tainless steel 4 At the shipper s dock you re given a pa per for 100 cartonsofb atterya cid You already have 100p ounds ofd ry Silver Cyanide on board What pre cautions do you have to take Section 9 Hazardous Material D Name a hazard class that use s transport indexes to d etermine the amount that can be loaded in a single vehicle These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsection 9 4 9 5 Bulk Packaging Marking Loading and Unloading The glossary at the end of this se ction gives the meaning of the wo rd bulk Cargo tanks are bul k packaging p ermanently attache d to a vehicle Cargo tanks remain on the vehicle when you load andu nload them Portable tan ks are bul k packaging which are not permanently attached to a vehicle The product is loaded or unloaded while the po rtable tanks are off the vehi cle Portabl e tanks are the n put on a vehicle for tra nsportation There are m any types of cargo tanks in use The most common cargo tanks are MC306 for liquid s and MC331 for gases 9 5 1 Markings You must display the id entification number of the hazardous m aterials in po rtable tan ks and cargo tanks an d ot her b ulk pa ckaging su ch as d ump trucks Identification numbers are in column 4 of the Hazardous Materials Table The rules require black 10 0 mm 3 9 in ch num bers on ora nge panels pl acards o ra white di amond shaped background if no placards a re re
282. tect hands use gloves or a thick cloth e Turn radiator cap slowly to the first stop which releases the pressure seal e Step ba ck while pressu reis released fro m cooling system e When all pressure has been released press down on the cap a nd turn it further to remove it e Visually check level of coolantand add more coolant if necessary e Replace cap and turn all the way to the closed position Engine Belts Learn how to check v belt tightness on your vehicle by pressing on the belts Lo ose belts will not turn th e water pu mp and o r fan properly This will result in overheating Also check belts for cracking or other signs of wear Hoses Make su re cool ant hoses areingo od condition A bro ken hose while driving can lead to engine failure and even fire 2 14 2 Driving Watch for Bleeding Tar Tar in the road pavement frequently rises to the surface in very hot weather Spots where tar ble eds to the surfa ce are very slippery Go Slowly Enough to Prevent Overheating High speeds cre ate more heat for tire s andth e engine In desert conditions the heat may build up to the point whe re itis d angerous The heat will increase chances of tire failure or even fire and engine failure 2 14 3 Sharing the Road Bicycling is a healthy f orm of recre ation for many people while for othe rs it is anim portant form of transportation Bicycle s have the same rights to Page 2 27 2005 Commercial Driver
283. tents on placards or orange panels Identification Numbers are a four digit code used by first responders to identify hazardous materials An identification numb er may be use d to identify more than one chemical on shipping papers The identification numbe r wil be pre ceded by the letters NA or UN The US DOT Emergency Response Guide book ERG _ identifies the chemicals a ndtheira ssociated id _ entification numbers assigned Not all vehicles carrying hazardous materials need to have placard s The ru les ab out pl acards are given in Section 9 of this manual You can drive a vehicle that carries hazardous materials if it do es not req uire p lacards If it requi res pla cards yo u cannot drive it unless your driver s license has the Section 2 Driving Safely hazardous material s en dorsement See Figure 225 Hazard Class Definitions Dynamite 1 Explosives Fireworks 2 Gases Propane Oxygen Helium Gasoline Fuel 3 Flamme Acetone 4 Flammable Solids 5 Oxidizers Ammunition Matches Fuses Ammonium Nitrate Hyd rogen Peroxide Arsenic 7 Radi oactive Lranium Plutonium Hydrochloric Acid 9 Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials ORM D O ther Regulated Material Domestic Nine Combustible Fuel Oil s Li ghter Liquids Fluid Figure 2 24 Formaldehyde Asbestos Hair Spray or Charcoal The rules require all drivers of placarded vehicles tolearnh owto safelyload andtran spor
284. thb oreta nks especially when starting and stopping 8 2 6 Outage Never load a cargo tank totally full Liquids expand as they warm and you must leave room for the expanding li quid Thi s is called o utage Since different liquids expand by different amounts they require diffe rent amou nts of outage You must know the outage requirement when hauling liquids in bulk 8 2 7 How Much to Load A full tank of dense liquid su ch as so me acids may exceed legal wei ght limits For that reason you may often only pa rtially fill tanks with heavy liquids The amount of liquid to load into a tank depends on Section 8 Tank Vehicles e The amount the liquid will expand in transit e The weight of the liquid e Legal weight limits 8 3 Safe Driving Rules In orde r to drive tank v_ ehicles safely you must remember to follow all the safe driving rules A few of these rules are 8 3 1 Drive Smoothly Because of the high center of gravity and the surge of the liquid you must start slow down and sto p very smoothly Also make smo oth turns an d lane changes 8 3 2 Controlling Surge Keep a ste ady pre ssure onthe brakes Do not release too soon when coming to a stop Brake far in advance of a stop and increase your following distance lf you must make aq uick stop to av oid a crash use controlled or sta b b raking If you do not remember h ow to sto pusingth ese method s review subsection 2 17 2
285. the front ofthe bus tothe service door e These mirrors along with the convex and flat mirrors sh ould be viewedi na logical sequence to ensure that a child or object is not in any of the danger zones Figure 10 4 illustrate s how the left and right sid e crossover mirrors should be adjusted Page 10 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE CROSSOVER MIRRORS Crossover Mirror Crossover Mirror wm Cc x mw N sna 100H9S Figure 10 4 10 1 6 Overhead Inside Rearview Mirror This mirro ris mou nteddi rectly above th e windshield o n the driver s sid e are a of the bus This mi rror i s used to m onitor passenger a ctivity inside the bus It may provide limit ed visi bility directly in ba ck of the bu s if the bu sis equipped with a glass bottomed rear emergency door There is a blind spot area directly behind the driver s seat as well as a large blind spot area that begins at the rear bumper and could ex tend up to 4 00 feet or more behind the bu s You must use the exteri or side mirrors to monitor traffic that app roaches and enters this area You should position the mirror to see e The top of the rea r window in the top of the mirror e Allofthe students including the heads of the students right behind you 10 2 Loading and Unloading More students are kill ed while getting on or offa school bu sea chye arthan a rekile da s passengers inside of a scho olbus Asare
286. the liver cano nly hand le about one drink per hour the rest b uilds up in your blood Mellow felling slight Less inhibited body warmth Less alert less self 05 Notice able relaxation focused coordination impairment begins Drunk driving limit impaired coordination amp judgment Effects on Body e Definite impairment in coordination amp judgment Noisy possible A Reduction in 10 i reaction time embarrassing behavior mood swings Section 2 Driving Safely Impaired balance amp movement clearly Unable to drive drunk Many lose consciousness Breathing stops many die BAC of 10 m eans that 1 10 of 1 or 1 1000 of your total blood content is alcohol Figure 2 23 a Most lose 40 consciousness some die a What Is a Drink It is the alcohol in drinks that affects human performance It doesn t make any difference whether that alcohol comes from a couple of beers or from two glasses of wine or two shots of hard liquor Approximate Blood Alcohol Content Body Weight in Pounds O N gt O ee O N gt j ja j l 0 e fs eo K Jig ae aped e aprets fs ahold ee babe wholes epaiek apep ywq Bulag ayes AjuO AyuesyluBls sys Bulauq opereja SOIJEUSY JEUILWD s yjeu d EUILWUD peel p e21x0 u Ajyje6e7 Te arak Subtract 01 for each 40 minutes of dri nking One drink is 1 25 oz
287. they aren t cut or worn due to rubbing 5 3 3 Step 7 Final Air Brake Check Do th e follo wing che cks inste ad of the hyd raulic brake check shown in Se ction 2 Step 7 Che ck Brake System Test Low Pressure Warning Signal Shut th e engine off when you hav e enough air pressure so that the low pressure warning signal is not on Turn the electrical powe ron a nd stepon and off the brake pedal to re duce air tank pressure The ow air pressure warning signal must come on before the pressure drops to less than 60 psi inthe ai r tank or ta nk with the lo west air pressure in d ual air systems See Figure 5 5 If the wa rning signal doesn t work you could lose air pressure and you would not know it This could cause sudden emergen cy brakin gin a single circuit ai r sy stem In dua system s th e stop ping distance will be increased Only limited braking can be done before the spring brakes come on Page 5 6 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual LOW AIR PRESSURE WARNING DEVICES OVIICIE Light LOW PRESSURE WARNING Some vehicles are equipped with a Wig Wag that drops into the driver s view and will not stay up in place until the desired air pressure is restored DROP ARM WIG WAG Figure 5 5 Check Spring Brakes Come On Automatically Continue to fan off the air pressure by stepping on and off the b rake pedal to reduce tank pressure The tracto r protection va lve and pa rking brake valve shoul
288. they ma ystartto fade Thi s means you have to apply them harder and harder to get the same stopping power If you continue to use the brakes hard they can keep fading until you cannot slow down or stop at all 2 16 1 Select a Safe Speed Your m ost i mportant con sideration is to sel ect a speed that is not too fast for the e Total weight of the vehicle and cargo e Length of the grade e Steepness of the grade eR oad conditions e Weath er Ifa spee dlimitispo sted orthe re isa sign indicating M aximum Safe Speed nev er ex ceed the speed shown Also look for and heed warning signs i ndicating the len gth and steepness of the grade You must use the b raking effect of the engine as the pri ncipal way of cont rolling your speed The braking effect of the engi ne is greatest when iti s near the governed rpms and the transmission is in the lower gears Save your brakes so you will be able to slow or stop as required by road and traffic conditions 2 16 2 Select the Right Gear Before Starting Down the Grade Shift the tran smission to a low gear before starting down the grade Do not t ry to downshift after you r speed has already built up You will not be able to shift into a lo wer gear You may not ev en be able to get back i nto any gea r and all en gine braki ng effect will be l ost Forcin g ana utomatic transmission into a lower gear at high speed could damage the tran smission and also lead to loss of a
289. thio methylester Phosphine Carb onyl chloride Phosphoric acid Hydrogen Phosphide Phosphoric acid Diethyl p nitrophenyl 4 nitrophenyl ester phosphate 100 45 4 Phosphoric acid Spills of 10 pounds or more must be reported Figure 9 5 transportation A different ship ping name may be used when only domesti c transportation is involved G Means this h azardous ma terial d escribed in Column 2 is a generic shipping name A generic shippingn ame must be accompanied by a technical name ont he shipping pa per Ate chnical name is a specific chemical that m akes the product hazardous Column 2 li sts the prop er shipping names an d descriptions of regulated materials Entries are in alphabetical order so you can more quickly find the righte ntry The tabl eshowsp_ roper ship ping names in re gular type T he shipping paper mu st show prope r shippin g na mes Na mes sho wn in italics are not proper shipping names Column 3 shows a mat erial s hazard cl ass or division or t he entry Forbidde n Never tran sport Section 9 Hazardous Material a Forbid den material You placard shipme nts based on the quantity and hazard class You can decide which placards to use if yo u kn ow th ese three things e Material s hazard class e Amount being shipped e Amountof allha zardous mate rials of all classes on your vehicle Column 4 lists the identifi cation n umber for e ach proper shipping name Identification num
290. ti ng win dblasts can move a bicyclist out of hi sor her path of travel Children on bicycl es may not be aware of their Surroundings Drivers should be awa re that the childrenm aymake sudd en movements or change direction Especially in Louisiana inclement weather conditions creat e high winds and slippery surfa ces that can cau se e xtreme problems for bicyclists B ecauset hese conditions create stability problems for all vehicle s drivers should all ow more f ollowing distance for bicyclists Page 2 28 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual SHARING THE ROAD WITH MOTORCYCLES Today s mot orcycle riders a re frie nds rel atives and nei ghbors but ma ny drivers still have not adjusted to motorcy cles app earing in traffic Traveling by motorcy cle is appealin g to some people they are fuel and space efficient and can be just plain fun to ride Butthereis a flip side Motorcyclists ar e more vu Inerable to injury if involved in an accident Research shows that over two thirds of the ca r motorcycle accidents are the results of a vehicle driver turning i n front of a motorcyclist Motorcyclists an d oth er vehi cles need to mix in traffic without causing harm to each other Motorcycles present a na rrow silh ouette and are usually much shorter in length than any other type vehicle The small p rofile of the motorcycle m ay make it app ear farther away and travel ing sl ower than it actual ly is Becau se it is difficult
291. tire d than if you hadn t taken them at all Sleep is the only thing that can overcome fatigue Do Not Do not rely on coffee or an other source of caffeine to keep you awake Do not counton the radio an open window or other tricks to keep you awake 2 23 4 Illness Once in a while you may become so ill that you cannot ope rate a motor vehicle saf ely If this happens to you you mu st not drive However in case ofan emergency youmayd rive to the nearest place where you can safely stop 2 24 Hazardous Materials Rules For All Commercial Drivers All drivers sh ould know somet hing about hazardous materials Y oumu stb eabl eto recognize h azardous carg o and you must kn ow whether or not you canh aul it without having a hazardous m aterials en dorsemento n your CDL license 2 24 1 What Are Hazardous Materials Hazardous materials are products that pose a risk to health safety and prope rty during transportation See Figure 2 24 2 24 2 Why Are There Rules You must follow the many rules about transporting hazardous materials The intent of the rules is to e Contain the product e Communicate the risk e Ensure safe drivers and equipment Page 2 44 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual To Contain the Product Many hazard ous products can injure or kill on co ntact To protect drivers and others from co ntact th e rule s tell shippers how to pa ckage safely Similar rules tell drivers h o
292. to items that are unique to schoolb uses mi rror sy stems flashin g warning lamps and stop signal arms e Damage or vandalism Any problems orsp ecial situations sho uld be reported immediately to your supervisor or school authorities Page 10 5 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 10 3 Emergency Exit and Evacuation An eme rgency situ ation can ha ppen to anyon e anytime anywhere It co uld be a crash a stalle d school bus on a rail road highway crossing or ina high speed i ntersection an elect rical fire in the engine compartment a m edical em ergency to a student on the school bus etc Knowing what to do inanem ergency before during and after an evacuation can me an the differen ce b etween life and death 10 3 1 Planning for Emergencies Determine Need to Evacuate Bus The first and most impo rtantcon sideration is fo r you to recognize th e hazard If time permits schoolb us drivers should co ntact th eir di spatcher to explai n the situation before making a decision to evacuate the school bus As a gene ral rule stude nt safety and controli s best mai ntained by keeping stu dents on the b us during ane mergency and or imp ending cri sis situation if so doing do es not expo se th emto unnecessary risk or i njury Rem ember the decision to evacuate the bus must be a timely one Ade cision to eva cuate shouldin clude consideration of the following conditions e ls there a fire or danger
293. to judge the motorcycle s distance and speed drivers need to take a second lo ok and then a third Its sm all size also makes it more difficult to spot in t raffic Some motorcyclists take a dvantage of t heir small size and maneuverability They may cut between vehicles andputthe mselvesi n pl aces where drivers cannot see them Be alert for a motorcycle to appear unexpectedly Because of a motorcycle s size its position within a lane of traffic will change as traffi c con ditions change Th e motorcyclist should position him self in the lane to see and be seen Often this means riding in the left portion of the traffic lane to allow a better view o f traffic and road situations It also makes the motorcycle more visible to other traffic However a s traffic and road conditions change the rider may move Thi s move could be to the center of the lane or even to the right side to avoid traffic or to be seen by others on the road Most driv ers t ake f or gr anted the abil ity of their vehicle toh andle min orroadh azards sucha s potholes strong wi nds or rail road tra cks Mino r problems for the four wheele d vehicle ca nb e major probl ems for motorcyc les The cyclist will change position withi n th e lane to in crease the distance fro m pote ntial hazards T hese late ral movements sometimes occur suddenly Motorist s need to be alert for the se su dden chang es in position a nd directio n and drivea ccordingly Respect the ve
294. tra iler s an d dolly ies are inthe OPEN position You M UST have air all the way to the back for all the brakes to work Test Tractor Protection Valve Charge the trailer air brake system Thatis build up norm al air pressure and push the ai r supply knob in Shut the engine off Step on and off the brake pedal several time s to re duce the air p ressure in the tanks The trailer air supply control also called the tractor protection valve control should pop out or go from no rmal to emerge ncy po sition when the air pre ssure falls in tothe pressure ra nge Section 7 Doubles and Triples specified by t he manufacturer Usu ally within the range of 20 to 45 psi If the tractor protection valve doesn t work properly an air hose or trailer brake leak could d rain all the airfro mth etra ctor T his would causeth e emergency brakes to come on with possible loss of control Test Trailer Emergency Brakes Charge th e trailer air brake system and check that the trailer rolls freely Then sto p and pull out the trailer ai r supply control also called tractor protection valve control or trailer emergency valve or place it in the emergency position Pull gently on the trailer with the tracto r to che ck thatthe trailer emergency brakes are on Test Trailer Service Brakes Check for normal air pressure rel ease the parking b rakes move th e vehicle fo rward slowly anda pply trailerb rakes with the hand control t
295. tth at dashin dicators work wh en corresponding lights are turned on gt Left turn signal gt Right turn signal gt Four way emergency flashers gt High beam headlight Horn e Check that air horn and or electric horn work Heater Defroster e Test that the heater and defroster work Parking Brake Check e Apply parking brake only and make sure that it will hol d the vehicle by shifting into a lower gear and gently pulling against the brake Section 11 Pre trip Vehicle Inspection Hydraulic Brake Check e With the k ey off pump th e brake pedal three times then h old it down f or five se conds The brake pedal should not move depress during the five seconds e Ifequipped with ahydraulicb rake reserve back up system with the key off depress the brake p edal and listen forthe sound ofthe reserve system electric motor e Check that the warning buzzer or light is off Air Brake Check Air Brake Equipped Vehicles Only e Failure to perform an air brake check will result in an automatic failure of the vehicle inspection test Air brake s afety devic es vary However this p rocedure is de signed to see th at any safety device ope rates co rrectly asai r pressure dro ps fromn ormal to a low ai r condition For safety purposes in areas where an incline is present you will use wheel chocks during the air brake check The proper procedures for inspecting the air brake system are as follows gt Withthe engine running
296. u not u se the trailer hand valve while driving 2 Describe what the trailer ai r supply control does 3 Describe what the service line is for 4 What is the emergency air line for 5 Why should you use ch ocks when parking a trailer without spring brakes 6 Where are shut off valves These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read subsection 6 2 Page 6 6 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual 6 3 Antilock Brake Systems 6 3 1 Trailers Required to Have ABS All trailers and converter dollies built onor after March 1 1998 are required to have ABS However many trailers and converter dollies built before this d ate have be en volu ntarily equip ped with ABS Trailers will have yellow ABS malfunction lamps on the left side either on the front or rear corner See Figure 6 7 Dollies manufactured on or after March 1 1998 are required to have al amp on the left side In the case of vehicles manufactured before the required date it may be difficult to tell if the unit is equipped with ABS Look under the vehicle for the ECU and wheel speed sensor wires coming from the back of the brakes TESTING ABS SYSTEMS Back of Semitruck Trailer ABS Test Light Figure 6 7 6 3 2 Braking with ABS ABS is an addition to your normal brakes It does not decrea se or increa se your normal bra king capability ABS only acti vates when wheels are about to lock up Section 6
297. ue Drivers look in the directio n they are g oing totu rn You may sometimes g et a clue fro m a driver s heada nd body movem ents that a driver may b e going to make a turn even thoug h the turn si gnals are n t on Drivers making ove r the shoulder che cks may be goin g to cha nge la nes These clues are most easily seen in motorc yclists and bic yclists Watch other road users and try to tell whether they might do something hazardous Conflicts You are in conflict when y ou have to change speed a nd or di rection to avoid hitting someone Conflicts o ccur at inte rsections where vehicles m eet at merge s sucha st urnpike on ramps and where there are needed lane changes such asthe end of a lane forcin ga move to another lane of traffic Other situ ations in clude slow moving or stalled traffic in a traffic lane an d accident scenes Watch f or other drivers who are in conflict because they are a hazard to you When they react to this confli ct they may do somethin g that will put them in conflict with you 2 8 4 Always Have a Plan You should alway sbe looki ngfo rha zards Continue to learnto see ha zardson the road However don t forget why you are lo oking for the hazards they may turn into emergencies You look for the hazards in order to have time to plan a way out of any e mergency When you see aha zard think ab out the eme rgencies that coul d develo p and fig ure o ut wh at you wo uld do Always b e prepared to
298. ur Knowledge 1 What fourt hings relate dtocarg oare drivers responsible for 2 How often must you stop while on the road to check your cargo 3 How is G ross Combination Weight Rating different from Gross Combination Weight 4 Name two situations where legal maximum weights may not be safe 5 What can happen if you don t have enough weight on the front axle 6 What is the minimum nu mber of tiedowns for any flat bed load 7 What is the minimum nu mber of tiedowns for a 20 foot load 8 Name the two ba sic reasons for covering cargo on an open bed 9 What must you check before transporting a sealed load These questions may be on your test If you can t answer them all re read Section 3 Page 3 3 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual Section 4 TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS SAFELY This Section Covers Vehicle Inspection Loading On the Road After trip Vehicle Inspection Prohibited Practices Use of Brake door Interlocks Bus drivers must have a commercial driver license if they drive a vehicle designed to seat 16 or more persons including the driver Bus drivers must have a passenger endorsement on their commercial d river licen se To get the endorsement you mu st pass a knowledge test on Sections 2 and 4 of this manual If your bu s has air brakes you must also pass a knowledge test on Section 5 You must al so pass the skills tests required for the class of vehicle you drive School bus dr
299. ur first violation e For atleast 120 days for your second violation within any three year period e For atlea st one year fo r your third violation within any three year period These violations include violation of a federal state or local law or regulation pertaining to one of the following six offense s at a railroa d highway grade crossing e For drivers who are not req uired to always stop failin gto sto p before re aching the crossing if the tracks are not clear e For drivers who are not req uired to always stop failing t o sl ow down and check that the tracks are clear of an approaching train e For drivers who a re always req uired to stop failing to stop before driving onto the crossing e For all drivers failing to have sufficient space to drive completely through t he crossing without stopping e For all drive rs failing to obey a traffic control device orth e dire ctions of an enfo rcement official at the crossing e Foralld rivers failing ton egotiate a crossing becauseo finsufficie nt undercarri age clearance 1 2 6 Hazardous Materials Endorsement Background Check and Disqualifications If you require a hazardous materials endorsement you will be required to subm it your fingerprints and be subject to a background check You will be denied or y ou will lose your hazardous materials endorsement if you e Are nota lawful perman ent resi dent of the United States Renounce your United States citizens
300. used when moto rist are ne ar bicyclists in wet windy or icy weather Turning near bicyclists Drivers wh o are tu rning le ft mu st wait until oncoming bicyclists pass Accidents o ccur when turni ng drivers do not notice the bicyclists in the flow of traffic or misjud ge their speed Section 2 Driving Safely Do not swing in front of a bicyclist to mak e aright turn Mak inga right turn after overta king a bicyclist is also a cause of accidents Driv ers should slo w down and stay behind the bicyclist or LOOK O NCE T HEN AGAIN MAKE SURE YOU SEE THE BICYCLE ANDK NOWITS SPEED BEFORE YOU TURN Speeds of bicycles are hard to judge they can vary from under 10 mph to ove r35mp h Good communication an d eye conta ct betweena uto drivers and bicyclists a re neede d to prevent accidents Watch for bicyclists and use caution in hazardous conditions When o pening you r vehi cle door into traffic look first for bicyclists Railroad crossing s canca use bicyclists to slo wdo wn and possible zig zag in orde r to cross the tracks Metal or gra ted surfaces ma y cause a bicycle to b e le ss sta ble than a ny ot her type of vehicl e Bicyclists sh ould slo w d own an d move to the cente r of the lane to allow roomforhan dling the uneven surface Drivers should be prepared for the reactio nofa bicyclist who is le ss ex perienced and may swerve to co rrect for the new surface Long open highways and bridges trucks crea
301. vehicles e Cancel your turn signal 13 1 6 Stop Start For this maneuver you will be asked to pull your vehicle over to the side of the road and stop as if you were going to get out and check something on your vehicle You mu st check traffic thoro ughly in all dire ctions and m ove to the ri ght most lane or shoulder of road As you prepare for the stop e Check _ traffic e Activate your right turn signal e Decelerate smoothly bra ke evenly chang e gears as necessary e Bring you r vehicle to coasting a full stop without Once stopped e Vehicle mu stbe pa rallel to the curbo r shoulder of the road and safely out of the traffic flow e Vehicle should not b e blocking driveways fire hydrants intersections signs etc e Cancel your turn signal e Activate your four way emergency flashers e Apply the parking brake e Move the gear shift to neutral or park e Remove your feet from the bra ke and clutch pedals When instructed to resume e Check traffic and your mirrors thoroughly in all directions e Turn off your four way flashers e Activate the left turn signal e When traffic permit s you shoul d rele ase the parking brake and pull straight ahead e Donotturn the wheel before your vehicle moves e Check traffic from all di rections especially to the left e Steer and accelerate smoothly into the prope r lane when safe to do so e Once you rv ehicle is ba ckintothe flow of traffic canc
302. ves You have trouble keeping your head up You can t stop yawning You have wandering disconnected thoughts You don t remember driving the last few miles You drift between lanes tailgate or miss traffic signs You keep jerking the truck back into the lane e You haved rifted off the road and narrowly missed crashing If you have even one of these symptoms you may be in danger of falling asleep Pull off the road ina safe place and take a nap 2 23 3 When You Do Become Sleepy When you are sleepy trying to pu shon i s far more d angerous tha n mo st drivers thi nk Itis a major cau se of fatala ccidents Here are some important rules to follow Stop to Sleep When your bo dy ne eds sleep sleep is the only thing t hat will work If you have to make a stop anyway ma ke it whe never you feel Section 2 Driving Safely the first signs of sleepiness even if it is earlier than you planned By getting u p a little ea rlier the next day you can keep on schedule without the danger of driving while you are not alert Take a Nap If you can t stop for the nig ht at least pull off at a safe place such as a rest area or truck stop and take a nap A nap as short as a half hour will do mo re to overcome fatigue than a half hour coffee stop Avoid Drugs Therea renod_ rugs that can overcome be ing tire d While they may keep you awake for a while they won t make you alert And eventually you ll be eve n more
303. w to load tra nsport and unload bulk tanks These are containment rules To Communicate the Risk The shipper uses a shipping paper and diamond shaped hazard labels to warn dockworkers and drivers of the risk After an accident orha zardous m aterial spillo r leak you may be injured a nd unable to communicate the hazards of the materials you are transporting Firefighters and police can prevent or reduce the amount of d amage or in jury at the scene if they know what hazardous materials are being carried Your life andthe lives of others may depe nd on qui ckly locating the hazardous materials shipping papers For th at re ason you must tab shipping papers related to hazardous materials or keep them o n top of other shi pping papers You must also keep shipping papers e n a pouch on the driver s door or e In clear view within reach while driving or e On the driver s seat when out of the vehicle 2 24 3 Lists of Regulated Products Placards are used to wa rn othe rs of hazardous materials Placards are signs put on the outside of a vehicl e th at identify the ha zard class of the cargo A placarded vehicle must have at least four identical placards They are put on the front rear and both sides Placards must be readable from all four dire ctions They are atleast 10 3 4 inche s square turned up right ona poi nt in a diam ond shape Ca rgo tanks and other bul k packagi ng display the identificatio n number of th eir con
304. what they are supposed to do If a student or students must cross the roadway they should follow these procedures e Walk approximately 10 feet away from the side of the sch ool bus to a position whe re you can see them e Walk to a location at least 10 feet in front of the right corner of the bumper but still remaining away from the front of the school bus e Stopatthe right edge of the roa dway You should be able to see the student s feet When students reach th e ed ge of the road way they should e Stop and look in all directions making sure the roadway is clear and is safe e Check to see ifthe red flashing lights on the bus are still flashing Waitfo ryo ur signalb efore cro ssingth e roadway Upon your signal the students should e Cross far en ough in fro nt of the schoo bus to be in your view Page 10 4 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual e Stop atthe left edge of t he school bus stop and loo k again for your si gnal to co ntinue to cross the roadway e Look for traffic in both directions making sure roadway is clear e Proceed a cross the roa dway co ntinuing to look in all directions Note The scho ol bus d river should enforce any state o rlo calre gulations o r recom mendations concerning student actions outside the school bus 10 2 4 Unloading Procedures at School State and local laws an d regul ations regarding unloading students at scho ols pa rticularly in situations wh
305. wheel with both hands The best way to have both hands onthe wh eel if there isa n emergency is to keep them there all the time How to Turn Quickly and Safely A quick turn can be made safely if it s done the rig ht way Here are some points that safe drivers use e Do not apply the brake while you a re turning It s very easy to lock your wheels while turning If that happens you may skid out of control e Donotturn any more th anne eded to cle ar whatever is in your way The more sharply you turn the gre aterthe cha ncesofaskido r rollover Be prepared to countersteer that is to turn the wheel b ack in the other direction once you ve passed whateve rwasinyo ur path Unless you a re prepared to countersteer you won t be a ble to doitq uickly enoug h You should think of emerg ency stee ring and countersteering a s two p arts of one driving action Where to Steer If an on coming driver has drifted into your lane a move to your right is best If that driver reali zes what ha s hap pened the natu ral response will be to return to his or her own lane If something is blo cking your path thebe st direction to steer will depend on the situation e fyouhave been using your mirro rs you ll know which lane is empty and can be safely used e Ifthe shoul deris clear going rig ht may be best No on eis likely to be driving on the shoulder but someone may be passing you on the left You will know if you have been using
306. y eme rgency flashers e Turnon parking clearance side marker and identification lights e Turn on right turn signal and start walk around inspection General e Walk aro und and insp ectall lights and reflectors for operation and condition e Clean all lights reflectors and glass as you go along Left Front Side e Driver s door glass should be clean e Door latches or locks sh ould work properly Door hinges not broken e Left front wheel gt Condition of wheel and rim missing bent broken studs clamps lugs or any signs of misalignment gt Condition of tires properly inflated valve stem and cap OK no serious cuts bulges or tread wear gt Use wrench to test rust streaked lug nuts indicating looseness gt Hub oil level OK no leaks e Left front suspension gt Condition of spring spring hangers shackles u bolts gt Shock absorber condition e Left front brake gt Condition of brake drum or disc gt Condition of hoses gt Brake shoes brake chamber slack adjuster no more than 1 travel on manual brakes and 17 on self adjusting brakes Front Condition of front axle e Condition of steering system gt No loose worn bent damaged or missing parts gt Must grab steering mechanism to test for looseness e Condition of windshield gt Check for damage and clean if dirty gt Check windshield wiper arms for proper spring tension Page 2 5 2005 Commercial Driv
307. years of age if they do not live within twenty five 25 miles of a location which provides such course Note The mentioned classes do not include the operation of motorcycles and motorscooters except as an endorsement to the basic license ENDORSEMENTS R S 32 408 3 The following endorsements are possible to the classes of Commercial Driver s Licenses T _Double Triple Trailers P Passenger N Tank Vehicles H Hazardous Materials issued only to persons 21 years of age or above X CombinationTank Vehicles and Hazardous Materials M Motorcycle S School Bus CDL REQUIREMENTS INITIAL ISSUANCE Valid picture driver s license Supplemental Application Form DPSMV 2211 Enclosure A Current complete Physical Examination DPSMV 2219 or it s equivalent Proof of liability insurance on personally owned vehicle s Proof of Social Security number Application fee is 15 cash only due at the time of application Upon passing required test s applicant will be is sued a 60 day learner s permit Applicant is required tom ake ana ppointment with a CDL Third Party Examiner for administration of the sk _ ills test pre tri p inspecti on basic controls and road driving A list of CDL Third Party Examiner s is available at any Office of Motor Vehicles location Upon successful completion of the sk _ ills test the Examiner will issue a Certificate of Successful Completion and place it in a sealed envelope to b
308. you in understanding your role and respo nsibilities in hauling hazardous materials Due to the con stantly changing nat ure of g overnment regula tions it is impossible to guarantee absolute accuracy of the materials in this section An up to date copy of the complete reg ulations is essential for yo u to have Included in these reg ulationsis acompl ete glossary of terms Section 9 Hazardous Material You must have a commercial driver license CDL with aha zardous materi als end orsement before you drive a ny size vehi cle thati su sed i n the transportation of any material th at requi res hazardous material placarding or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR 93 You mustpa ssa written te st aboutth e regulations and requirements t o get thi S endorsement Everything you need to know to pa ss the written testis in thi s section However this is only a beginning Most drivers need to know much more on the job You can le arn more by readin g and understanding the federal an d state rule s applicable to haza rdous materials as well as attending hazardous m aterials trai ning co urses Your employer colleg es and unive rsities and various a ssociations u sually offer these cou rses You can get copies of the Federal Regulations 49 CFR th rough you rlo cal Government Printing Office b ookstore and vari ous ind ustry publishers Union or company offices often have copies of the rules for d river u se
309. you to recognize the crossing search for any train usi ng the tracks and de cide if there is sufficient cle ar space t ocr oss safely P assive crossings h ave yellow ci rcular adva nce wa rning signs pave ment markin gs an dcro ssbucks to assist you in recognizing a crossing Active Crossings This type of cro ssinghasa traffic control device in stalled at th e crossing to regulate traf fic at the crossing T hese active devices include flashing red lights with or with out bells and flashing red lights with bells and gates 10 4 2 Warning Signs and Devices Advance Warning Signs The roun d bla ck on yellow warning sign is pl aced ahead of ap ublic railroad highway crossin g The advan ce warni ng sign tells you to slow do wn look and listen for the train and be prepared to stop at the tracks if a train is coming See Figure 10 5 Section 10 School Buses ROUND YELLOW WARNING SIGN Figure 10 5 Pavement Markings Pavement m arkings mea n the sa measthe advance warning sign T hey consist of an X with the letters RR and a no passing marking on two lane roads There is also ano passing zone sign on two lane roads There may be a white stop line painted on the pavement before the railr oad tracks The f ront of the schoo bus m ust remain b ehind this lin e while stopped at the crossing See Figure 10 6 PAVEMENT MARKINGS Figure 10 6 Crossbuck Signs This sign marks the crossing It requir
310. ystem there wi Il be a gaug e for ea ch half of the system Ora single ga uge with two Page 5 2 2005 Commercial Driver s License Manual needles Du al systems will be discu ssed later These gauges tell you how much pressure is in the air tanks 5 1 10 Application Pressure Gauge This gauge shows how much air pressure you are applying to the brakes This g auge is not onal vehicles Increa sing ap plication p ressure to h old the same speed means the brakes are fading You should slow down and use a lower gear The need for inc reased p ressure cana lso be caused b y brakes out of adjustment air leaks or mechanical problems 5 1 11 Low Air Pressure Warning A low air pressure warning signal is required on vehicles with air brakes A warning signal you can see must come on b efore the air p ressure in the tanks falls below60p_ si Or one half the compressor governor cutout p ressure on older vehicles Th e wa rning is usually a red light A buzzer may also come on Another type of warnin gis the wig wag This device drop sam echanical arm into your vie w when the pressure in the system drops below 60 psi An automatic wig wag will rise out of your view when the pressure in the system goe s above 60 psi The manual reset typ e must be pl aced in th e out of view position ma nually It will not stay in place until the pressure in the system is above 60 psi On large buses it is common for the ow pressur
311. zers Class 3 Flammable Liquids Class 8 Division 2 3 Corrosive Liquids Division 5 2 Poisonous gas Zone Organic Peroxides A or Division 6 1 Division 1 1 1 2 1 3 Class A or Poison liquids PGI B Explosives Zone A Division 1 5 Blasting Agents Division 2 1 Flammable Gases Class 4 Flammable Solids Charged storage Division 1 1 Class A Explosives batteries Any other explosives unless in authorized containers or packages Acids corrosive materials or other acidic materials which could Division 6 1 release hydrocyanic acid Cyanides or cyanide For Example mixtures Cyanides Inorganic n o s Silver Cyanide Sodium Cyanide Other materials unless the nitric acid is not loaded above any other material Figure 9 9 Division 6 1 or 2 3 POISON or poison inhalation hazard labeled material Class 1 Detonating primers Nitric acid Class B Mixed loads The rules require some products to be lo aded separately You cann otloadt hem together in the same cargo space Figure 9 9 lists some examples The regulations the Segregation and Se paration Chart name othe r ma terials you must keep apart Subsection 9 4 Test Your Knowledge 1 Around whi ch hazard classes mu st you never smoke 2 Which three hazard classes should not be loaded into atrailer that has a _ heater air conditioner unit 3 Should the floor li ner required for Division 1 10r1 2 materials Explosives A be s

Louisiana Commercial Driver`s License Manual

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