Question about Securement of Cargo

Posted on 06/06/2010 by truckerj

On flatbed trailers or trailers without sides, cargo must be secured to:

  1. Keep the wind from blowing items off the trailer
  2. Keep it from shifting or falling off
  3. Protect from thieves

Answer:

B.  Keep it from shifting or falling off

Cargo needs to be tied down securely to make sure it does not shift or fall off.  Even in closed vans, tie-downs are important so that in case the cargo shifts, it won’t affect the vehicles handling.  It is required by Federal Regulation that the combined working load limit of any securement system to secure cargo of any kind from movement must be at least one-half times the weight of the cargo being secured.   Appropriate securement systems include ropes, straps, chains, and tensioning devices.  (Tensioning devices include clinching components, ratchets, and winches.)  Also, tiedowns are required to be attached to the trailer correctly through hooks, bolts, rails, or rings.  Cargo needs to have a tie-down for each 10 feet of cargo.

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division.  March 2009.  Section 3 – Transporting Cargo Safely, Page 3-2 – 3-3

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Question About Speed

Posted on 06/06/2010 by truckerj

Question of the day:

The distance you should look ahead at a slow speed is what?

A.            1 Block

B.            1/2 Block

C.            2 Blocks

Answer:  1 Block

A fatal flaw is to not look far enough ahead when pondering the thought of changing lanes.  Stopping your vehicle or changing lanes takes quite a bit of distance for a tractor with trailer.  At a slow speed, you should look ahead 1 block to make correct safe choices.

Know what your traffic is doing on all sides of you and look well enough ahead to make good choices in stopping and changing lanes.

Safe drivers look ahead what you can drive in 12 to 15 seconds (1 block in lower speeds) beyond their vehicle.  Highway speeds are about a 1/4 of a mile ahead.  If a driver does not look far enough ahead, stopping or changing lanes to quickly may become a dangerous risk.

Good drivers focus on both near and far components, bouncing their attention back and forth to keep an eye on both at the same time.  Look for traffic coming onto the interstate or highway.  Watch for lane changes or turns from vehicles around you.  By watching for vehicle behavior, you can make good safe decisions in speed and lane changes as they become necessary.

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Question of Today

Posted on 05/23/2010 by truckerj

While hauling liquid you have to slam on the brakes.  What reaction might the surge cause?

  1. The surge may pull you back.
  2. The surge may push you through the intersection.
  3. Nothing.

Answer:  The surge may push you through the intersection.

Movement of liquid in partially filled tanks can create liquid surges.  This can make handling problems from the liquid surging back and forth.  As the liquid creates a wave in the back of the tank, it forces the truck in the direction of liquid.   If driving on ice with liquid, there is even more risk of the liquid wave to push your truck out into the intersection.

When driving with liquid, there is a high center of gravity and you must start slowly, and slow downs and stop very smoothly.  All movements need to be slowly including lane changes and turns.

Braking needs to be far in advance and keep a steady pressure on the breaks.  Don’t release the breaks too soon when coming to a controlled stop.  If a quick stop is needed to avoid a crash, use stab or controlled braking.  Try not to steer quickly while breaking, because your vehicle could roll over.

For driving around curves, slow down before the curve.  Speed up slowly through the curve.  A tank vehicle may not be able to go to the posted speed for a curve.

Empty tanks could take longer to stop than the full tankers.  Also, wet roads double the normal stopping distance.

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division.  March 2009.  Section 8 – Driving Safely, Page 8-2

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Question of the day about icy roads

Posted on 05/16/2010 by truckerj

How can you tell that the road is starting to ice up?

a.  You can see spray off the wheel

b.  You can no see the exhaust

c.  A lack of spray from other vehicles

Answer:  C.  A lack of spray from other vehicles

In weather that is turning cold, check for ice on the road.  And, bridges and overpasses are the first areas to become icy.  One good sign that the roads are becoming icy is the lack of spray from other vehicles.   The lack of spray means that the roads are starting to have ice form on them.  Another indicator that the roads are becoming icy is that your windshield wiper blades as well as your mirrors have ice build up.  If they have ice, the roads are probably going to have ice too.

On icy surfaces, drive slowly and smoothly.  If the roads become to icy, stop at the first place possible to be safe.

When turning and breaking on icy roads, do so smoothly and gently.  Never brake harder than you have to.   Also, do not use the engine brake or speed retarder due to the fact that they could create the driving wheels to skid on icy roads.

When driving on icy roads, try not to pass slower vehicles unless you have too.  Drive slowly and watch the flow of traffic in front of you as far as you can to drive at an even and steady speed.  Avoid an uneven speed of going faster and having to slow down to make for a safer drive.  Even and steady speed is the safest way to drive on ice.

When the roads start to warm up and the ice starts to melt, the roads will become more dangerous as it is more slippery at this state.

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division.  March 2009.  Section 2 – Driving Safely, Page 2-26

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Another Couple of Questions of the Day

Posted on 05/02/2010 by truckerj

Questions of the Day:

If you get stuck on a railroad track, what is the first thing you should do?

  1. Call the Police
  2. Try to back up
  3. Get out of the Truck

Answer:            Get out of the Truck

Trailers can and do get stuck on raised crossings at times.  Low slung units such as car carriers, moving vans, and livestock trailers are just a few trailers that have a higher risk of getting stuck on a railroad track.

If you have the unlucky experience of getting stuck on a railroad track, first thing, get out of the vehicle and get away from the tracks.   After this has occurred, look for an emergency notification sign for information on signposts or signal housings.

Call 911 or another emergency number.  Give them the location of the crossing along with any identifiable landmarks and the DOT number if posted.

What should you do before you go down a hill?

  1. Up shift
  2. Down shift
  3. Place the trailer on neutral

Answer:             Down Shift

Before going down a grade, always shift the transmission into a low gear.  Don’t try downshifting after you speed has already been built up because you won’t have the capability of shifting into a lower gear if your speed is build up.  In fact, you may not even be able to shift back into any gear if you speed has been built up and the engine braking effect would be lost.  This could damage the transmission and could lead to the loss of all engine braking affect.

In older trucks, use the same gear going down a hill, as you would need to climb up a hill.  Newer trucks can go up hills in higher hills due to better technology.  Find out how your truck responds to up and down grades before driving.

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division.  March 2009.  Section 2 – Driving Safely, Page 2-30-2-31

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Questions Of The Day – Driving Safely in Heat

Posted on 04/25/2010 by truckerj

Two Questions of the Day related to Driving in Extreme Heat

Question One:

In extreme heat, what is “bleeding tar”?

  1. Sticky road
  2. A substance that wears out tires faster
  3. Very Slippery Conditions

Answer:  C.  Very Slippery Conditions

In hot weather, tar rises to the top of pavement and creates a very slippery condition.  And to make matters worse, vehicles driving at higher miles-per-hour create a higher temperature on their tires and engine.  In warmer areas of the country, like Texas and Arizona, heat will create bleeding tar to a dangerous driving situation.  Thus causing higher risk of fire or failure, maybe engine malfunction.

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division.  March 2009.  Section 2 – Driving Safely, Page 2-27

Question Two:

How do you check v-belt tightness on your vehicle?

  1. Look closely to see it is tight
  2. Press on the belt
  3. Look to see it moves

Answer:  B.  Press on the belt

Press on the belt to verify it is not loose and look for any signs of wear like cracking.  If the belt is loose, it will not properly turn on the fan and water pump, resulting in the risk of the fan and water pump overheating.

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division.  March 2009.  Section 2 – Driving Safely, Page 2-27

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Another CDL Test Question of the Day

Posted on 04/08/2010 by truckerj

When do you adjust your mirrors?

A. During the pre-trip inspection
B. From inside the cab
C. When Driving

Answer: A. During the Pre-trip inspection

Adjusting your mirrors should always be done before any movement of the truck. The only way it checked safely, is to view when the trailers are straight. Make sure your mirrors see each part of the truck.

Always be aware of the traffic around you and the status of your tractor and trailers by regularly checking your mirrors.

When checking your mirrors after you are on the road, look for any vehicles on both sides and your back end. This way, in case of an emergency, you can tell if there needs to be an immediate lane change. For blind spots, watch for vehicles that are moving into your area of non-vision.

Also use your mirrors to watch your tires and open cargo if you are carrying any. A tire fire can be spotted quickly if you are watching your mirrors closely.

When a lane change is needed, always look at your mirrors and make sure no vehicles are along side you or coming up into your blind spot. Same with turns, merges, and tight turns.

Once you have signaled, check your mirrors again so that you can verify that no vehicles have moved into your blind spot. Check again when you start changing lanes and then again when the lane change is complete.

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division. March 2009. Section 6, Combination Vehicles, Page 2-11

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CDL Test Question of the Day:

Posted on 03/25/2010 by truckerj

CDL Question of the Day:  When testing air flows to all trailers, what is the first step?

  1. Wait for the air pressure to reach normal, then push in the red ”Trailer air supply” knob.
  2. Chock the wheels or use the tractor parking brake.
  3. Open the service line valve to check that serve pressure goes through all the trailers.
  4. Use the trailer handbrake to provide air to the service line.

Answer:  B.  Use the tractor parking brake and/or chock the wheels to hold the vehicle.  Safety is always first.

Here are the steps to testing air flows to all trailers:

“ Use the tractor parking brake and/or chock the wheels to hold the vehicle.  Wait for air pressure to reach normal, then push in the red “Trailer air supply” knob.  This will supply air to the emergency (supply) lines.  Use the trailer handbrake to provide air to the service line.  Go to the rear of the rig.  Open the emergency line shut-off valve at the rear of the last trailer.  You should hear air escaping, showing the entire system is charged.  Close the emergency line valve.  Open the service line valve to check that service pressure goes through all the trailers (this test assumes that the trailer handbrake or the service brake pedal is on), and then close the valve.  If you do NOT hear air escaping from both lines, check that the shut-off valves on the trailer(s) and dolly(ies) are in the OPEN position.  You MUST have air all the way to the back for all the brakes to work.”

STATE OF UTAH, Department of Public Safety Driver License Division.  March 2009.  Section 6, Combination Vehicles, Pages 6-11

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