When stopping, you should push the brake pedal down gradually. Braking gradually will help you to maintain proper control of your vehicle.

Parking brakes should be used whenever you park. If necessary, chock your wheels.

Be cautious when driving near people who are working on a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. They may be focused on the repair and not paying attention to nearby traffic.

Using a hand-held mobile telephone while operating a CMV is both illegal and dangerous.

Compressed air in an air brake system usually has a certain amount of water and oil in it. This can harm the system if allowed to accumulate. Air tanks have drain valves to aid in removing water and oil from the compressed air.

Converter dollies built on or after March 1, 1998 are required to have Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS). The presence of ABS will be indicated by a yellow lamp on the left side of the dolly.

You should shift your vehicle's transmission into a low gear before staring a downhill grade. Be prepared for gravity to increase your vehicle's speed when traveling downhill.

Potential warning signs of fatigue include difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids; yawning repeatedly or rubbing your eyes; daydreaming; wandering or disconnected thoughts; trouble remembering the last few miles you've driven; missing exits or traffic signs; having trouble keeping your head up; drifting from your lane; following too closely; hitting a shoulder rumble strip; or feeling restless and irritable.

A vehicle's regular stopping distance increases on slippery surfaces because there is less available traction.

Potential warning signs of fatigued driving include difficulty focusing; frequent blinking or heavy eyelids; yawning repeatedly or rubbing one's eyes; daydreaming; wandering or disconnected thinking; trouble remembering the last few miles driven; missing exits or traffic signs; having trouble keeping one's head up; drifting from one's lane; following a vehicle too closely; hitting a shoulder rumble strip; and feeling restless or irritable.

The purpose of an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) is to prevent a vehicle's wheels from locking up when the driver brakes hard on a slippery surface.

When approaching your vehicle before an inspection, make note of its general condition and ensure that it is not damaged or leaning. Look under the vehicle for fresh leaks of oil, grease, or fuel. Check around the vehicle for hazards to movement, such as people, other vehicles, or low-hanging wires or tree limbs.

A skid caused by over-acceleration can be resolved simply by removing your foot from the accelerator. Skids of this nature happen most frequently on surfaces covered in snow or ice.

When inspecting your tires, verify that there is tread depth of at least 4/32 of an inch in every major groove on the front tires and tread depth of at least 2/32 of an inch in grooves on the other tires. Be sure that your tires are not too worn, are not cracked, have proper air pressure, and are all equally sized.

A leaking exhaust system can introduce carbon monoxide, which is poisonous, into the cab or sleeper berth.

Older trailers do not have spring brakes. This means that if the air supply in an older trailer's air tank has leaked away, there will be no working brakes connected to the trailer and its wheels will turn freely.

In situations where a driver cannot use a parking brake, wheel chocks can be used to hold a parked vehicle in place on a level surface.

Being properly rested is essential to the safe operation of a CMV. To maintain alertness, most people need eight to nine hours of sleep per night.

The safety valve protects air tanks and the rest of an air brake system from accumulating too much air pressure. The safety valve is usually set to open at 150 psi.

The suspension system performs the vital functions of holding up the vehicle and its load while keeping the axles in place. Defects in the suspension are therefore extremely dangerous.