Montana CDL — General Knowledge practice
Montana CDL — General Knowledge: Handling Emergencies practice test
What to do when things go wrong — brake failure, tire blowouts, skids, and stalling on railroad tracks.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
14 questions · pass with 11 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
Study questions with answers
12 sample Handling Emergencies questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
Show all 12 questions with answers
1. Starting with which build date does the Department of Transportation require ABS on air-braked truck tractors?
Correct answer: March 1, 1997
The requirement covers air-braked truck tractors built March 1, 1997 or later. For other air brake vehicles the date is March 1, 1998, and for hydraulically braked trucks and buses of 10,000 lbs GVWR or more it is March 1, 1999.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.18.2, Vehicles Required to Have Antilock Braking Systems
2. Which kind of skid does the manual call by far the most common?
Correct answer: A skid where the rear wheels lose their grip because of too much braking or acceleration
The manual says drive-wheel skids, where the rear wheels lose their grip from too much braking or acceleration, are the most common by far.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.19.1, Drive-wheel Skids
3. A fire breaks out in the cargo of your van trailer. Why does the manual tell you to keep the doors shut?
Correct answer: Opening them feeds the fire oxygen and can make it burn very fast
When cargo is burning inside a box trailer or van, the doors stay closed, especially with hazardous materials on board, because opening them supplies oxygen to the fire.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.21.3, Fire Fighting
4. Your brakes fail on a downgrade and there is no escape ramp. What does the manual tell you to do?
Correct answer: Take the least hazardous way out, for example a field or a side road that levels off or climbs, the moment you know
Without a ramp, the manual says to pick the least dangerous way out and to act the moment you know the brakes have failed, because waiting only lets the vehicle gain speed.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.3, Brake Failure
5. While you are driving, the steering suddenly feels 'heavy.' What does the manual say that probably means?
Correct answer: A front tire has failed
The manual lists sound, vibration and feel as signs of tire failure, and says heavy steering most likely points to a failed front tire.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.4, Tire Failure
6. When you fight a fire with an extinguisher, where should you stand in relation to the wind?
Correct answer: Upwind, so the wind carries the extinguisher's contents to the fire
The manual says to position yourself upwind and let the wind do the carrying, to stay as far from the fire as you can, and to aim at its source or base.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.21.3, Fire Fighting
7. Your hydraulic brakes have lost pressure and you use the parking brake to slow down. What does the manual tell you to do at the same time?
Correct answer: Keep the release button pressed, or the release lever pulled, so you can adjust the pressure and keep the wheels from locking
Holding the release lets the driver control the parking brake's pressure. Without it the wheels could lock up.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.3, Brake Failure
8. According to the manual, most hydraulic brake failures happen for one of which two reasons?
Correct answer: Loss of hydraulic pressure, or brake fade on long hills
The manual says brakes kept in good condition rarely fail, and that most hydraulic brake failures come from losing hydraulic pressure or from fade on long hills.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.3, Brake Failure
9. Why does the manual tell you not to apply the brake while making a quick evasive turn?
Correct answer: Braking can very easily lock the wheels while turning, and you may skid out of control
Wheels lock easily during a turn. If they do, the vehicle can skid out of control, so the manual says to keep off the brake while turning quickly.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.1, Steering to Avoid a Crash
10. Besides driving too fast for conditions, what does the manual list as causes of front-wheel skids?
Correct answer: Front tires lacking tread, and cargo positioned so too little weight rests on the front axle
Most front-wheel skids come from excessive speed for conditions. The manual adds front tires short on tread, and cargo placed so the front axle carries too little weight.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.19.3, Front-wheel Skids
11. Only your tractor has ABS, and the trailer begins to swing out while you are braking. What does the manual tell you to do?
Correct answer: Ease off the brakes, provided that is safe
With ABS on the tractor only, you should keep steering control, but the manual says to watch the trailer and ease off the brakes, when it is safe, if the trailer starts to swing out.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.18.5, ABS on the Tractor Only or Only on the Trailer
12. The manual says steering around an obstacle is almost always quicker than stopping. Which vehicles does it warn may flip over in such a turn?
Correct answer: Top-heavy vehicles and tractors pulling more than one trailer
Steering around a hazard is often quicker than stopping, but the manual cautions that top-heavy vehicles and tractors pulling multiple trailers may roll over.
Source: Montana Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.17.1, Steering to Avoid a Crash
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