Free IL CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Exam 2025

Winters in much of Illinois can be tough – and tough winters can make driving difficult or even hazardous. Icy conditions on Interstate 55 and heavy traffic congestion near Chicago have led to numerous bus and semi-truck accidents. Fog, snow, ice, and treacherous black ice can make driving on Interstate 55 hazardous. In addition to snowstorms, commercial drivers on Interstate 57 may have to contend with strong crosswinds, which can cause problems for large commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Also, bus drivers on Lake Shore Drive must be prepared for sudden lake-effect snow squalls.

Conducting a thorough pre-trip inspection as required by federal regulations will help ensure that your vehicle is safe to drive and able to take on even the challenging driving conditions of an Illinois winter.

The official General Knowledge test, which you must pass to become a licensed commercial driver, will evaluate your knowledge of various aspects of driving theory, including pre-trip inspections. All questions on the General Knowledge test are based on the official Illinois CDL manual (Illinois CDL Handbook 2025). You should study the manual, but there’s a vast amount of information in it to memorize.

Our practice tests can help you learn all that information by intensive repetition. This Illinois CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test, the first of several we offer, will help you master the information on pre-trip inspections in the official CDL manual and ace those questions on the General Knowledge test.

Like the official knowledge test, this practice test is multiple choice. Each question comes with several answer options. You must choose the best or most complete answer. If you get stuck on a question, our AI assistant can give you a hint or rephrase the question. It can also answer your own questions about commercial driving theory. If you still miss the question, the AI assistant will immediately let you know and provide an explanation of the correct answer. This immediate feedback will help reinforce the correct answer in your mind.

Your newly gained knowledge of pre-trip inspections will also help you pass the pre-trip inspection part of your skills test for a CDL. As your test examiner watches, you’ll conduct an inspection of your vehicle. You’ll identify each key component and tell the examiner about its condition.

After you get your CDL, continue thoroughly inspecting your vehicle every day that you drive it. Federal regulations prohibit driving a CMV you think is unsafe. Besides, you may risk a serious accident if you do.

Check out our other Illinois CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Tests too!