- Updated for March 2025
- Based on 2025 CT commercial driver's license manual
Free CT CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Exam 2025
In your career as a commercial driver, you may need to prepare for routes, such as Interstate 84 through Danbury, that may pose unique safety issues. Road debris, adverse weather, and heavily congested traffic can affect your ability to travel safely. Federal regulation 49 CFR § 396.13 requires drivers to verify the safety of their vehicles before driving them on public roads. Pre-trip inspections give you an opportunity to identify any defects that may lead to accidents or mechanical issues. Checklists are a useful tool for making sure you thoroughly inspect the vital systems and components of your vehicle, such as the tires, headlights, brakes, and windshield wipers. You need to learn how to conduct such inspections before getting a Connecticut Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP). The CLP is required for you to begin your training toward a Connecticut Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), and you’ll need to exhibit your knowledge of pre-trip inspections to earn one.
While there are several requirements to earn a CLP, a major one that you must satisfy is answering 80% of the 20 questions correctly on the DMV CDL General Knowledge Test, which includes some questions regarding pre-trip inspections. If you need extra help rounding out your knowledge, our Connecticut DMV Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test is a great resource for sharpening your skills. The practice test can reduce your jitters about possibly missing something that could put your fellow motorists, cargo, or yourself in harm’s way. It will equip you with the expert knowledge necessary to identify potential problems and explain how they could place your safety in jeopardy. You can rely on the practice test to provide you with the most reliable and authoritative information available.
This CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test uses an approach to learning that provides you with valuable information to fully develop your understanding of this important process. If you compare other on-line resources with the practice test, you will be unimpressed with their offerings. For example, a study guide trains you to memorize the answers to the questions. A study guide will not offer any instruction to help you correct an incorrect answer. In comparison, the practice test is interactive and will provide feedback as it assesses your readiness to pass the official knowledge test. The practice test is based on the most recent Connecticut DMV CDL driver’s manual (Connecticut CDL Handbook 2025) and is up to date as of March 2025. It contains 20 multiple-choice questions, just like the ones on the official knowledge test, to help you understand the pre-trip inspection process. If you get a question wrong, the practice test will provide a detailed explanation of the correct answer. This approach effectively fills your knowledge gaps with reliable information you can use every day.
Spending too much time in the Mohegan Sun can burn your wallet, but you can find your way to some cold hard cash with practice tests for other U.S. states and Washington D.C. at https://driving-tests.org/academy/drivers-license.
- Perfect for first-time and renewal CDL/CLP applicants, and those adding endorsements
- Triple-checked for accuracy
What you need to know
What to expect on the actual CT DMV exam
questions
correct answers to pass
passing score
List of questions (classic view)
- What structure supporting the fifth wheel skid plate should be checked for cracks or breaks?
- You pump the pedal three times and hold it down for five seconds, making sure that the pedal does not move. What are you inspecting?
- What transmits power from the transmission to the drive axle?
- What carries air or hydraulic fluid to the wheel brake assembly?
- ________ are gas or hydraulic devices that cushion the vehicle's ride and stabilize the vehicle.
- What is the sliding mechanism and locking device for tandem axles on trailers?
- What do you inspect to make sure that all are present and show no signs of looseness such as rust trails or shiny threads?
- What should you check to be sure it is solid, clear of objects, and securely bolted to the tractor frame?
- What maintains air pressure in the air brake system?
- Which tires should have a minimum tread depth of 4/32 inch?
- Which of the following can disengage the engine from the drivetrain?
- What transforms steering column action into wheel action?
- Make sure that the _________ are not cut, chafed, spliced, or worn, and not tangled, pinched, or dragged against tractor parts.
- You are looking for puddles on the ground and dripping fluids on the underside of the engine and transmission. What are you checking for?
- What should be fully engaged with no loose or missing pins in the slide mechanism of the sliding fifth wheel?
- To improve visibility during severe or stormy weather, __________ must be secure, undamaged, and operating smoothly and correctly.
- _________ should be clean with no dirt, illegal stickers, obstructions, or damage.
- _________ are the brackets, bolts, or bushings that are used to attach the spring or air bag to the axle and vehicle frame.
- If the wheel has a sight glass, check that the oil level is adequate. Otherwise, look for leaks around the
- What releases the fifth wheel locking jaws so the trailer can be coupled? (You should make sure that it is in the engage position and the safety latch is in place.)
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