CDL Passenger Sample Questions

Questions from each area of the CDL Passenger test. Pick an answer to see whether you're right, how everyone else did, and why.

CDL Passenger Test exam guide

1 Proper procedures for loading/unloading passengers

A box of freight rides on the floor just behind your seat. What must you make sure of?

  1. It weighs no more than 100 pounds.
  2. It has a label showing the shipper's name.
  3. It cannot slide into your way as you drive.

Answer: C, It cannot slide into your way as you drive.. Federal rules say bags and freight on a bus must be stowed so the driver can move freely and run the bus safely. A box that slides could jam your seat or get in the way of your controls (49 CFR 392.62(c)(1)).

What is the standee line on a bus?

  1. A painted curb line where people wait to board.
  2. A painted mark showing where wheelchairs are secured.
  3. A floor marking that standing riders must stay behind.

Answer: C, A floor marking that standing riders must stay behind.. The standee line is a mark on the bus floor near the driver. Every standing rider must stay behind it, and you may not drive while anyone stands ahead of it. (49 CFR 392.62)

2 Proper use of emergency exits

Before a trip, you find a jacket hanging over the "Emergency Exit" sign on a door. What should you do?

  1. Leave it there if the exit handle works.
  2. Note it on your report at the end of the shift.
  3. Move it so the sign can be seen clearly.

Answer: C, Move it so the sign can be seen clearly.. In an emergency, riders need to spot an exit fast, so nothing may hide its marking. Uncover the sign before you drive (CDL manual 4.1.3).

You are driving a bus on a hot day, and riders want fresh air. You may:

  1. lock an emergency roof hatch partly open.
  2. prop an emergency exit window partly open.
  3. Both of the above.

Answer: A, lock an emergency roof hatch partly open.. Some emergency roof hatches may be locked partly open to let in fresh air. Remember that the open hatch makes the bus taller. (CDL manual 4.1.4)

3 Proper responses to such emergency situations as fires and unruly passengers

At night, where is a safer place to let a drunk rider off the bus?

  1. A well-lit area with other people nearby.
  2. The first roadside spot where you can pull over.
  3. Both of the above.

Answer: A, A well-lit area with other people nearby.. A place with good light and other people around is safer for a rider who is drunk. The next scheduled stop may also be a good choice. (CDL manual 4.3.2)

Your bus fire seems to be out, with no smoke or flames left. You should:

  1. stop spraying, since a fire with no smoke is fully out.
  2. keep cooling the burned area, since it could flare up again.
  3. drive on to the next stop, since the danger has passed.

Answer: B, keep cooling the burned area, since it could flare up again.. Hot material can light again even when you see no smoke or flame. Keep fighting the fire until whatever was burning has cooled down. (CDL manual 2.21.3)

4 Proper procedures at railroad-highway grade crossings and drawbridges

You are driving a bus toward a railroad crossing where a police officer is waving traffic on. You must:

  1. keep your speed and follow the officer.
  2. slow down and check the tracks with care.
  3. stop at least 15 feet back and listen.

Answer: B, slow down and check the tracks with care.. A bus need not stop when an officer or flagman is directing traffic at the crossing. You still have to ease off your speed and watch for trains as you go (CDL manual 4.3.5).

You reach a drawbridge that has no signal light or attendant. You should:

  1. stop if you see the draw moving.
  2. stop before you reach the draw.
  3. slow down to check that it is safe.

Answer: B, stop before you reach the draw.. If a drawbridge has no signal light and no one controlling traffic, you must stop before the draw every time. Nothing else will warn you if the bridge is about to open. (CDL manual 4.3.6)

5 Proper braking procedures

On a transit coach with a brake-door interlock, opening the rear door:

  1. locks the front door and cuts engine power.
  2. sounds a buzzer and flashes a light on the dash.
  3. sets the brakes and holds the throttle at idle.

Answer: C, sets the brakes and holds the throttle at idle.. When the rear door opens, the interlock puts on the brakes and keeps the throttle at idle. This stops the bus from moving while riders get off. (CDL manual 4.6)

Waiting to downshift until the bus has picked up speed on a downgrade can do all of these EXCEPT:

  1. damage an automatic transmission.
  2. cause a total loss of engine braking.
  3. help you slow the bus down faster.

Answer: C, help you slow the bus down faster.. A late downshift adds no braking. You may miss the gear, end up in no gear at all, or hurt an automatic transmission. Choose a low gear before the grade begins (CDL manual 2.16.2).

6 Operating practices and procedures not otherwise specified

A shipper must mark a hazmat container with each of these EXCEPT:

  1. the material's identification number.
  2. the date it was packed.
  3. the name of the material.

Answer: B, the date it was packed.. The shipper must show the material's name, its identification number, and its hazard label on the container. The packing date is not one of the required marks. (CDL manual 4.2.1)

On many charter and intercity buses, rules about rider comfort and safety are set by:

  1. the carrier.
  2. each driver.
  3. the trip leader.

Answer: A, the carrier.. Many charter and intercity bus companies have their own rules for rider comfort and safety. The driver's job is to explain these company rules and see that riders follow them. (CDL manual 4.3.1)