CDL-10 Section 2 - Driving Safely
CDL-10 Section 2, Driving Safely, is the core general-knowledge domain. It tests pre-trip inspection, basic control, seeing and communicating, speed and space management, night and extreme-weather driving, railroad crossings, emergencies, and accident procedures.
Core rules
- Pre-trip inspection: check critical items such as brakes, tires, lights, coupling devices, and emergency equipment; report defects and do not drive an unsafe vehicle.
- Basic control: start smoothly, steer with both hands, and use the proper gear for speed and load. Do not coast in neutral.
- Seeing and communicating: use mirrors, scan ahead, signal early, and make sure others see you.
- Speed management: adjust to road, weather, visibility, traffic, and load. The posted limit is a maximum for ideal conditions, not a target.
- Space management: below 40 mph, allow one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length; above 40 mph, add one second. For a 60-foot vehicle at 55 mph, that is 6 + 1 = 7 seconds.
- Railroad crossings: slow down, look and listen, and know when a stop is required; never stop on the tracks.
- Emergencies: hold the wheel firmly, brake progressively, and steer to a safe stop. In a skid, ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction you want the front to go; do not lock the brakes.
Worked example
A 60-foot combination is following traffic at 55 mph. The minimum following distance is seven seconds: 60 feet divided by 10 equals six seconds, plus one second because speed is over 40 mph. At 35 mph the same vehicle would need six seconds.
Traps
Do not apply the two-second passenger-car rule to a long CMV; do not brake hard in a skid; and do not assume a railroad crossing only requires a stop for school buses and hazmat vehicles. Always check the specific rule for your vehicle and cargo.