Kansas CDL General Knowledge
General Knowledge
The Kansas CDL General Knowledge test covers the core operating rules that apply to every commercial vehicle, regardless of class. It draws on the Kansas CDL manual and federal 49 CFR Part 383 standards: vehicle classes, pre-trip inspection, basic control, shifting, seeing and communicating, speed and space management, hazard recognition, railroad crossings, and emergency procedures.
Core rules
- Class A covers combinations with a GCWR of 26,001 lb or more, including a towed unit over 10,000 lb; Class B covers a single vehicle of 26,001 lb or more, or a combination with a towed unit of 10,000 lb or less; Class C covers vehicles designed for 16 or more passengers or placarded hazmat not in A or B.
- Complete a pre-trip inspection before each shift: engine compartment, cab checks, walk-around, brake check, and lights. Kansas officers can inspect your vehicle and logs.
- Use the following-distance rule: below 40 mph, one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length; above 40 mph, add one second. A 60-foot vehicle at 55 mph needs 7 seconds.
- Kansas' Move Over law requires you to change lanes away from stopped emergency, tow, or utility vehicles when safe; otherwise slow down.
Worked example
A 60-foot tractor-trailer is traveling 55 mph on I-70. The base following distance is 60 ÷ 10 = 6 seconds. Because the speed is above 40 mph, add one second: 7 seconds. At 55 mph, a vehicle travels about 81 feet per second, so 7 seconds is roughly 565 feet-more than a football field. Hanging back that far gives time to see and react to a Kansas crosswind, a slow-moving farm vehicle, or a sudden slowdown.
Traps
Do not treat the posted speed limit as a target; adjust for load, weather, and visibility. Do not shift in a curve or before a railroad crossing; slow down before the curve and cross tracks without stopping unless required. A turn signal does not give you the right of way, and large vehicles need extra room to turn wide without hitting curbs.