Free SC CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Exam 2025

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

South Carolina’s network of highways is vital to its role as a major transportation hub in the South. However, the very importance of those roads brings its own hazards in the form of heavy traffic and frequent congestion around urban areas. Some analysts consider Interstate 95 the most dangerous road in South Carolina (with an average of 30 fatalities per year) and one of the most dangerous in the entire country. Frequent speeding and heavy truck traffic make serious truck-car collisions more likely. On Interstate 26, in addition to heavy traffic and traffic congestion, steep grades, poor signage, and poor lighting have contributed to numerous accidents.

On hazardous roads, you may suddenly have to perform emergency braking or maneuvers to avert an accident. Your vehicle’s brakes, steering, lights, and tires must be in good condition for you to brake or maneuver safely. The collision avoidance system (if so equipped) must also work as advertised. Federal regulation 49 CFR § 396.13 requires you to be satisfied that your Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) is safe to drive before you drive it. To do this, you must conduct a comprehensive pre-trip inspection of the vehicle before your first trip of the day.

Your official South Carolina CDL manual (South Carolina CDL Handbook 2025) discusses pre-trip inspections in detail, including which components and systems to check, in what order you should check them, and how well they should be performing. It also describes how you should perform the pre-trip inspection part of your skills test. Remember: failure to pass the pre-trip inspection test means failure of the entire skills test.

Passing the official General Knowledge test is a requirement for all aspiring CDL holders. This test will likely contain some questions on pre-trip inspections. All questions on the General Knowledge test are based on the official South Carolina CDL manual. You should study the manual, but that’s not all you should do to ensure you pass the test on your first try.

Our practice tests can reinforce what you’ve read and help you memorize it all. This is the first of our South Carolina CDL Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Tests. They will help you ace the pre-trip inspection questions on the General Knowledge test.

Our AI assistant will accompany you on this test. 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 inform you and provide an explanation of the correct answer.

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