NC CDL General Knowledge case studies
NC CDL General Knowledge · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The North Carolina CDL General Knowledge test is the core written exam every commercial driver license applicant in the state must pass before adding any endorsement or taking a skills test. It is aimed at people who intend to drive Class A, Class B, or Class C commercial vehicles - tractor-trailers, straight trucks, tank vehicles, buses, and other combinations - for pay or in support of a business. The exam samples the knowledge that applies to every commercial vehicle: pre-trip inspection, basic control, shifting, seeing and communicating, speed control, space management, driving in hazardous conditions, emergency maneuvers, mountain and night driving, cargo and hazardous materials rules, passenger transport, and air brakes. Expect a multiple-choice test taken on a computer at an NCDMV driver license office, drawn from the state's CDL manual. The NC CDL General Knowledge case studies are 5 cases and about 2,578 words.
1Pre-Trip Inspection: Loaded Dry Van After an Overnight Freeze
You are assigned a 2019 tractor pulling a 53-foot dry van loaded with 38,000 lb of packaged food; gross combination weight is 68,000 lb. Overnight low was 29°F and the lot is still icy in patches.
601 words, about 3 min2Shifting Gears: Starting a Heavy Combination on a 6% Upgrade
You are driving a 10-speed manual tractor-trailer with a GCW of 78,000 lb. The trailer is loaded with 44,000 lb of bottled beverage.
512 words, about 3 min3Night Driving: Deer and Glare on a Rainy Two-Lane
It is 0200 on a rural two-lane North Carolina highway. You are driving a 62,000 lb tractor-trailer at 55 mph, the posted limit, with light rain falling.
504 words, about 3 min4Mountain Driving: Brake Fade on a Six-Mile Downgrade
You are descending a 6-mile, 7% grade in an 80,000 lb tractor-trailer. The posted truck speed is 45 mph.
472 words, about 2 min5Hazardous Materials: Leaking Chlorine Cylinder at a Fuel Stop
You are hauling one 1-ton cylinder of chlorine (UN1017, Division 2.3, subsidiary 5.1 and 8) in a van trailer. The bill of lading lists 1,000 lb.
489 words, about 2 min