Penalties & Licensing

Study questions with answers

7 sample Penalties & Licensing questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. During the final air brake check, at about what pressures should the compressor cut in and cut out?

   Correct answer: Cut in near 100 psi and cut out near 125 psi

   When you test the governor, pumping should begin around 100 psi and stop around 125 psi; a governor that fails this may not keep enough air for safe driving.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual, Section 5.3.3 (Final Air Brake Check)

2. 2. When checking a slack adjuster on an s-cam brake, how much movement suggests it needs adjustment?

   Correct answer: More than roughly one inch of movement at the push-rod attachment point

   With the parking brakes released and gloves on, pull hard on the slack adjuster; if it moves more than roughly one inch at the push-rod connection, it likely needs adjusting.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual, Section 5.3.2 (Walk-around Inspection)

3. 3. What braking equipment are all trucks, truck tractors, and buses required to have?

   Correct answer: Emergency brakes and parking brakes held on by mechanical force

   Every truck, tractor, and bus must carry emergency and parking brakes, and those must be held on by mechanical force since air can slowly bleed off; spring brakes usually serve this purpose.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual, Section 5.1.14 (Spring Brakes)

4. 4. Which brake problem is the one most often discovered during roadside inspections?

   Correct answer: Brakes that are out of adjustment

   Out-of-adjustment brakes are the most frequent defect found in roadside inspections and make a vehicle very hard to stop, so slack adjusters must be checked.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual, Section 5.3.2 (Walk-around Inspection)

5. 5. With the engine off and a fully charged system, what is the maximum acceptable air loss for a single vehicle?

   Correct answer: Less than 2 psi in one minute

   For a single vehicle the leakage rate should stay under 2 psi per minute (under 3 psi for a combination) with the parking brake released and the engine off.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual, Section 5.3.3 (Final Air Brake Check)

6. 6. During inspection, a brake drum should be replaced if a crack is longer than what?

   Correct answer: Half the width of the drum's friction area

   Cracks in brake drums or discs must not exceed one half the width of the friction surface; linings must not be loose, greasy, or dangerously thin either.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual, Section 5.3.2 (Walk-around Inspection)

7. 7. Who needs to study the air brakes section of the manual?

   Correct answer: Anyone who will drive or pull a vehicle equipped with air brakes

   Anyone planning to operate a truck or bus that uses air brakes, or to tow a trailer so equipped, needs to study this material first.

   Source: Connecticut CDL Manual, Section 5 (Air Brakes) - overview