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  • Updated for January 2025
  • Based on 2025 KY commercial driver's license manual

Free KY CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Exam 2025

Drives through Kentucky can feature some gorgeous scenery – but also some dangerous driving. Surprisingly, at least one study named Kentucky the sixth most dangerous state in the United States for traffic fatalities and poor road conditions. Here are just two examples: Interstate 75 suffered 3,658 collisions in 2014 – 2015, caused by traffic congestion, speeding, reckless driving, and poor road conditions, especially the steep grades near the Tennessee border. There are many accidents involving turning vehicles on U.S. Route 25 in London because of traffic congestion, numerous intersections, and the lack of a central median.

On such roads, you may suddenly need to make some quick decisions and emergency maneuvers to avoid an accident. Your brakes, steering, lights, and tires will have to be in good condition for you to maneuver safely. It’s only sensible to check over your vehicle before you drive it. In fact, Federal regulation 49 CFR § 396.13 requires you to be satisfied that your CMV is safe to drive before you drive it. To do this, you must conduct a comprehensive pre-trip inspection before your first trip of the day in that vehicle.

Your official Kentucky CDL manual (Kentucky CDL Handbook 2025) discusses pre-trip inspections in detail, including which components and systems to check and how well they should be performing. The manual also suggests in what order these checks should be made. It also describes how you should perform the pre-trip inspection part of your skills test.

The official General Knowledge test will likely contain some questions on pre-trip inspections. All questions on the General Knowledge test are based on the official Kentucky CDL manual. You should study the manual, but you should do even more to make sure you pass.

Our practice tests can help you straighten out all that information in your mind and make it easier to absorb. This Kentucky CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test, the first of several we offer, will help you master the material on pre-trip inspections in the official CDL manual and ace those questions on the General Knowledge test.

Each question on this practice test comes with our AI assistant. It can help you learn by supplying hints and answering your own questions about commercial driving theory. If you still miss a 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.

Be sure to try our other Kentucky CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Tests, too!

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  • Perfect for first-time and renewal CDL/CLP applicants, and those adding endorsements

What you need to know

6 min to complete
Available in EN and ES
Verified by Steven Litvintchouk, M.S., Chief Educational Researcher, Member of ACES. See our detailed commitment to accuracy and quality in our practice tests.

What to expect on the actual KY KSP exam

20

questions

16

correct answers to pass

80%

passing score

List of questions (classic view)

  1. What structure supporting the fifth wheel skid plate should be checked for cracks or breaks?
  2. You pump the pedal three times and hold it down for five seconds, making sure that the pedal does not move. What are you inspecting?
  3. What transmits power from the transmission to the drive axle?
  4. What carries air or hydraulic fluid to the wheel brake assembly?
  5. ________ are gas or hydraulic devices that cushion the vehicle's ride and stabilize the vehicle.
  6. What is the sliding mechanism and locking device for tandem axles on trailers?
  7. What do you inspect to make sure that all are present and show no signs of looseness such as rust trails or shiny threads?
  8. What should you check to be sure it is solid, clear of objects, and securely bolted to the tractor frame?
  9. What maintains air pressure in the air brake system?
  10. Which tires should have a minimum tread depth of 4/32 inch?
  11. Which of the following can disengage the engine from the drivetrain?
  12. What transforms steering column action into wheel action?
  13. Make sure that the _________ are not cut, chafed, spliced, or worn, and not tangled, pinched, or dragged against tractor parts.
  14. You are looking for puddles on the ground and dripping fluids on the underside of the engine and transmission. What are you checking for?
  15. What should be fully engaged with no loose or missing pins in the slide mechanism of the sliding fifth wheel?
  16. To improve visibility during severe or stormy weather, __________ must be secure, undamaged, and operating smoothly and correctly.
  17. _________ should be clean with no dirt, illegal stickers, obstructions, or damage.
  18. _________ are the brackets, bolts, or bushings that are used to attach the spring or air bag to the axle and vehicle frame.
  19. If the wheel has a sight glass, check that the oil level is adequate. Otherwise, look for leaks around the
  20. What releases the fifth wheel locking jaws so the trailer can be coupled?
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