Alabama CDL Permit Test - Passenger

When exiting your vehicle during the basic vehicle control skills test, you must face the vehicle and maintain three points of contact at all times. If your testing vehicle is a bus, you must maintain contact with the handrail. Exiting the vehicle incorrectly may result in automatic failure of the basic vehicle control skills test.

Always check for traffic in your mirrors before changing lanes. Frequent mirror checks should be a part of your normal scanning routine.

When approaching a railroad crossing, buses should stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest track and the driver should look both ways for a train. They should open the forward door if it improves their ability to see or hear an oncoming train.

All commercial motor vehicles are required to be equipped with the proper emergency equipment. This may include spare electrical fuses; three red reflective triangles, six fuses, or three liquid burning flares; and at least one properly charged and rated fire extinguisher.

When turning quickly to avoid colliding with a hazard in the roadway, you should always keep both hands on the steering wheel. You must have a firm grip on the wheel to be able to turn quickly.

One way to know when it is time to shift gears is to learn your vehicle's operating rpm range. You should shift up when your engine reaches the top of that range. You can also learn which speeds each gear is good for and shift up based on your speedometer.

When driving during the winter, it is particularly important that your tires have adequate tread. You need a tread depth of at least 4/32 of an inch in every major groove on the front tires, and at least 2/32 of an inch on the back tires. Check the tread depths by using a gauge.