Visual Search, Speed & Space Management
16 free questions, part of the General Knowledge CDL practice test
Visual search, speed, and space management means looking far enough ahead and keeping enough room around your rig to react. The CDL manual's following distance rule is about 1 second for every 10 feet of vehicle length under 40 mph, plus 1 extra second over 40 mph, and a loaded rig needs roughly 419 feet to stop from 55 mph on dry pavement. This section also covers hydroplaning, night driving, and fog.
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How many seconds of following distance should you keep in a CMV?
About 1 second for every 10 feet of vehicle length at speeds under 40 mph, plus 1 more second if you're going over 40 mph. A 40-foot truck at 35 mph needs about 4 seconds; a 60-foot rig at 50 mph needs about 7.
At what speed can a truck start to hydroplane?
The CDL manual puts it at around 30 mph on a wet road, even with decent tread left on the tires.
How much farther do you need to stop if you double your speed?
About 4 times farther. Going from 20 mph to 40 mph doesn't just double your stopping distance, it roughly quadruples it.