If the cargo contains hazardous materials, you must inspect for proper papers, labeling, and placarding.

Axle weight is the weight transmitted from one axle or a set of axles to the ground.

Water in the brakes can cause the brakes to be weak, to apply unevenly, or to grab. This can cause lack of braking power, wheel lockups, pulling to one side or the other, and jackknife if you pull a trailer.

When any vehicle starts to skid, you must act to restore traction to the wheels.

To get in and start the engine, make sure: the parking brake is on, gearshift is in neutral.

Make sure you have enough tread on your tires. The drive tires must provide traction to push the rig over wet pavement and through snow. The steering tires must have traction to steer the vehicle. Enough tread is especially important in winter conditions.

Hazardous materials drivers must also know which products they can load together, and which they cannot, when to use placards.

You need to check your mirrors to make sure no one is alongside you or about to pass you. Check your mirrors: before you change lanes, after you have signaled, right after you start the lane change, and after you complete the lane change.

Be familiar with the laws in the states you drive in. These laws can cover aspects such as vehicle weight, cargo, and allowed routes. The regulations can vary from one jurisdiction to another, so know which jurisdictions you'll be driving through.

Over-length, over-width, and/or overweight loads require special transit permits. Driving is usually limited to certain times. Special equipment may be necessary such as "wide load" signs, flashing lights, flags, etc. Such loads may require a police escort or pilot vehicles bearing warning signs and/or flashing lights. These special loads require special driving care.

If a qualified person is at the accident and helping the injured, stay out of the way unless asked to assist. Otherwise, do the best you can to help any injured parties: don't move a severely injured person unless the danger of fire or passing traffic, stop heavy bleeding by applying, and keep the injured person warm.

Whenever you are about to pass a vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist, assume they don't see you, or that they could suddenly move in front of you. When it is legal, tap the horn lightly or, at night, flash your lights from low to high beam and back. Drive carefully enough to avoid a crash even if they don't see or hear you.

Be alert for drivers whose vision is blocked. Vans loaded station wagons, and cars with the rear window blocked are examples. Rental trucks should be watched carefully. Their drivers are often not used to the limited vision they have to the sides and rear of the truck.

Some drivers make the mistake of always using low beams. This seriously cuts down on their ability to see ahead. Use high beams when it is safe and legal to do so. Use them when you are not within 500 feet of another vehicle. Keep the interior light off and adjust your instrument lights as low as you can to still be able to read the gauges.

Escape ramps are made to stop runaway vehicles safely without injuring drivers and passengers.

Check for missing or broken leaves in any leaf spring. If one-fourth or more are missing, it will put the vehicle "out of service", but any defect could be dangerous.

Air lines and electrical wiring needs to be secured against snagging, rubbing, wearing.

It is very important to distribute the cargo, so it is as low as possible. Put the heaviest parts of the cargo under the lightest parts.

If possible, try to schedule trips for the hours you are normally awake. Many heavy motor vehicle accidents occur between midnight and 6 a.m.

The average person needs seven or eight hours of sleep every 24 hours. Leaving on a long trip when you're already tired is dangerous. If you have a long trip scheduled, make sure that you get enough sleep before you go.

Check for optional emergency items such as: chains, tire changing equipment, list of emergency phone numbers, and accident reporting kit.

Wet roads can double stopping distance. You must drive slower to be able to stop in the same distance as on a dry road. Reduce speed by about one-third on a wet road. On packed snow, reduce speed by a half, or more. If the surface is icy, reduce speed to a crawl and stop driving as soon as you can safely do so.

This includes a variety of prescription and over-the counter drugs or cold medicines, which may make the driver drowsy or otherwise affect safe driving ability.

Use high beams when it is safe and legal to do so. Use them when you are not within 500 feet of another vehicle.

If you must stop on a road or the shoulder of any road, you must put out your emergency warning devices within ten minutes.

Some drivers try to help out others by signaling when it is safe to pass. You should not do this. You could cause an accident. You could be blamed, and it could cost you many thousands of dollars.

Leaking shock absorbers and broken or missing leaves are two of the more common defects that may occur in a suspension system.

Learn how to check v-belt tightness on your vehicle by pressing on the belts. Loose belts will not turn the water pump and/or fan properly. This will result in overheating. Also, check belts for cracking or other signs of wear.

You will lose your CDL for at least 60 days for your first violation of the following six offenses: failing to stop if the tracks are not clear, failing to slow down and check that the tracks are clear of an approaching train, failing to stop before driving onto the crossing, failing to have sufficient space to drive completely through the crossing without stopping, failing to obey a traffic control device or the directions of an enforcement official at the crossing, failing to negotiate a crossing because of insufficient undercarriage clearance.

Too little weight on the driving axles can cause poor traction. The drive wheels may spin easily.

Right after it starts to rain, the water mixes with oil left on the road by vehicles. This makes the road very slippery. If the rain continues, it will wash the oil away.

Possession and use of any drug given to a driver by a doctor is permitted if the doctor informs the driver that it will not affect safe driving ability.

Don't look directly at bright lights when driving. Look at the right side of the road. Watch the sidelines when someone coming toward you has very bright lights on.

If line of sight view is obstructed due to hill or curve, move the rear-most triangle to a point back down the road (up to 500 feet) so warning is provided.

Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands. Your hands should be on opposite sides of the wheel. If you hit a curb or a pothole, the wheel could pull away from your hands unless you have a firm hold.

Check the tire mounting and air pressure, inspect the tires every two hours or every 100 miles, air pressure increases with temperature, do not let air out or the pressure will be too low when the tires cool off, if a tire is too hot to touch remain stopped until the tire cools off.

Water in the brakes can cause the brakes to be weak, to apply unevenly, or to grab. This can cause lack of braking power, wheel lockups, pulling to one side or the other, and jackknife if you pull a trailer.

The ABC type is designed to work on electrical fires, burning liquids, wood, paper, and cloth as well.

—the rest builds up in your blood.

Most good drivers look at least 12 to 15 seconds ahead. At lower speeds, that's about one block. At highway speeds it's about a quarter of a mile.

Other drivers can't know what you are going to do until you tell them. Signaling what you intend to do is important for safety. Also, other drivers may not notice your vehicle even when it's in plain sight. To help prevent accidents, let them know you're there.

Before the ice buildup becomes dangerous you should stop in a safe location and clear off the ice. With ice on the wiper blade it might not clear the windshield enough for safe driving.

At a BAC of .40 most people will lose consciousness, and some will die.

Newer trucks have low friction parts, streamlined shapes for fuel economy, more powerful engines meaning they can go up hills in higher gears. For that reason, drivers of modern trucks may have to use lower gears going down a hill than would be required to go up the hill.

There are three good rules for using turn signals: signal early, signal continuously, cancel your signal after the turn is completed.

Emergency personnel look for these things on the shipping paper. That is why it is vital that the proper shipping name, identification number, label, and placards are correct.

You must select an appropriate safe speed, then use a low gear, and proper braking techniques.

Inspect mirrors and windshield for cracks, dirt, illegal stickers, or other obstructions to seeing clearly. Clean and adjust as necessary.

If you operate a CMV, you shall be deemed to have given your consent to alcohol testing.