Colorado CDL Permit Test - Combination

Trailers and converter dollies built on or after March 1, 1998 are required to have Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS). This will be indicated by the presence of a yellow malfunction lamp. You can determine if older trailers have ABS by checking under the trailers for ECU and wheel speed sensor wires coming from the back of the brakes.

To lower the risk of a rollover, load your cargo as closely to the ground as possible. To further reduce this risk, take curves and corners slowly.

Before a trip, be sure to inspect all couplings. There should be no space between the upper and lower fifth wheel.

Large combination vehicles take longer to stop when they are empty than when they are loaded. The decreased weight causes a vehicle's wheels to have decreased traction on the surface of the road.

When coupling glad hands, make sure to couple together matching glad hands. To help drivers avoid mistakes, color coding is sometimes used. Service lines are often coded with the color blue and emergency lines are often coded with the color red.

Correctly following the steps to couple and uncouple trailers is vital to safely operating a combination vehicle. After connecting the air lines to the trailer while coupling, you should supply air to the trailer.

If you are operating a vehicle built before 1998 and are unsure if the trailer has an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), you can check under the trailer for wheel speed sensors coming from the back of the brakes.