Free MI CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Exam 2025

A study of driving in 2021 – 2022 found that Michigan was the deadliest U.S. state for winter driving, based on fatal accidents per vehicle miles traveled in each state. Certainly, snow and ice can greatly affect driving conditions on such roads as I-75, I-94, and U.S. 131 (where a major problem is lake-effect snow). Still, the state has suffered more fatal traffic accidents in August than in any winter month. More accidents have been caused by drunk driving or speeding than by winter conditions. Urban traffic congestion (such as on I-94 and I-96) and work zones (such as on I-94) are also important contributing factors.

On roads with dangerous drivers or other hazardous driving conditions, your Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) must be up to the job and able to perform emergency maneuvers if necessary to avert an accident. You must be sure that your brakes, horn, lights, mirrors, steering, and tires are in good condition. Federal regulation 49 CFR § 396.13 requires you to be satisfied that your CMV is safe to drive before you drive it. To ensure this, you must conduct a thorough pre-trip inspection before your first trip of the day in that vehicle.

To practice operating CMVs under supervision, you must obtain a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP). A key requirement for a CLP is to pass the official General Knowledge test on general driving theory. Your test will likely contain questions on conducting pre-trip inspections. All questions on the General Knowledge test are based on the official Michigan CDL manual (Michigan CDL Handbook 2025). It discusses pre-trip inspections in detail, including the systems and components you must inspect and what defects you should look for. You should study the manual. However, there’s a vast amount of material to learn, and some aspiring drivers have found it tough going.

This Michigan CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Test, the first of several we offer, will help clarify all that information and make it easier to understand and memorize. By intensive practice with tests like this one, you’ll soon be prepared to ace all the pre-trip inspection questions on the General Knowledge test.

Like the official General Knowledge test, this practice test is multiple choice. Each question comes with several answer options. You must choose the best or most complete answer. Our AI assistant accompanies each question. 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.