Rhode Island Commercial Driver License Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the Rhode Island/AAMVA 2005 CDL Driver’s Manual, including license classes, safety regulations, and specialized vehicle operations.

GVWR

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating; the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle.

GCWR

Gross Combination Weight Rating; the sum of the gross vehicle weight ratings ($GVWRs$) of the power unit and the towed unit(s).

Intrastate CDL Age Requirement

You must be at least $18$ years old for an INTRASTATE CDL ONLY.

Regular CDL Age Requirement

You must be at least $21$ years old.

Medical Card Submission

All applicants must present a valid Medical Card if non-excepted and must present a new card within $15$ days of issuance to the DMV.

Disqualification BAC Limit

It is illegal to operate a CMV if your blood alcohol concentration ($BAC$) is $.04\%$ or more.

Disqualification - Second Offense

You will lose your CDL for life if convicted of a second offense involving alcohol, leaving the scene of an accident, or committing a felony.

Serious Traffic Violations

Includes excessive speeding ($15\,mph$ or more above limit), reckless driving, improper lane changes, and following too closely.

Out-of-Service Order Violation

Loss of CDL for at least $90$ days for the first violation and at least one year for two violations in a $10\text{-year}$ period.

H Endorsement

Hazardous Materials; required for any license class when transporting materials requiring placarding by Federal DOT regulations.

P Endorsement

Passenger; required for vehicles designed to seat more than $16$ passengers including the operator.

S Endorsement

School Bus; required for operators who drive a school bus vehicle.

N Endorsement

Tank Vehicles; required when transporting liquid or gaseous material in a tank having a capacity of $1,000\,gallons$ or more.

X Endorsement

HazMat and Tank Vehicle combination endorsement.

T Endorsement

Double/Triple Trailers; required for Class A operators hauling multiple trailers.

Minimum Front Tire Tread Depth

At least $4/32\text{-inch}$ tread depth in every major groove.

Minimum Tread Depth (Other Tires)

At least $2/32\text{-inch}$ tread depth.

Steering Wheel Play

Play of more than $10$ degrees ($approximately\,2\,inches$ movement at the rim of a $20\text{-inch}$ steering wheel) can make it hard to steer.

Required Emergency Equipment

Fire extinguisher(s), spare electrical fuses (unless equipped with circuit breakers), and warning devices for parked vehicles (three reflective triangles).

Seven-step Inspection Method

1. Vehicle Overview, 2. Engine Compartment, 3. Engine Start/Cab Inspection, 4. Lights off, 5. Walk-around, 6. Signal Lights, 7. Engine Start/Brake Test.

Hydraulic Brake Leak Test

Pump the pedal three times, then apply firm pressure for $5$ seconds; the pedal should not move.

Total Stopping Distance Formula

Perception Distance + Reaction Distance + Braking Distance = Total Stopping Distance.

Perception Time

The average perception time for an alert driver is $1\frac{3}{4}$ seconds.

Hydroplaning

When tires lose contact with the road and have little traction, which can occur at speeds as low as $30\,mph$.

Following Distance Rule

At least one second for each $10\,feet$ of vehicle length at speeds below $40\,mph$, adding one second for higher speeds.

Off-tracking

When the rear wheels of a vehicle follow a different path than the front wheels during a turn; also known as \"cheating.\"

Air Brake Governor Cut-out

The pressure level at which the governor stops the compressor from pumping air, usually around $125\,psi$.

Air Brake Governor Cut-in

The pressure level at which the governor allows the compressor to start pumping, usually around $100\,psi$.

Safety Relief Valve

Installed in the first air tank to protect from excessive pressure; usually set to open at $150\,psi$.

Low Air Pressure Warning Sign

A required signal (usually a red light or buzzer) that must activate before air pressure falls below $60\,psi$.

Spring Brakes

Brakes held back by air pressure that apply automatically if air pressure drops to the range of $20$ to $45\,psi$.

Brake Lag

The time required for air to flow through the lines to the brakes after the pedal is pushed ($\frac{1}{2}\text{-second}$ or more).

Crack-the-Whip Effect

The rearward amplification that makes the last trailer in a combination more likely to roll over during quick lane changes.

Outage

The space left in a liquid tank to allow for expansion; necessary because liquids expand as they warm.

Hazardous Materials Identification Numbers

Four-digit codes (preceded by NA or UN) used by first responders to identify specific chemicals.

Safe Haven

An approved place for parking unattended vehicles loaded with explosives.

Danger Zone (School Bus)

Area on all sides of the bus where children are in danger of being hit, extending up to $30\,feet$ from the front and $10\,feet$ from the sides and rear.

Railroad Crossing Stop Requirement

Buses and placarded vehicles must stop no closer than $15\,feet$ and no farther than $50\,feet$ from the nearest rail.