SD CDL Hours of Service & Driver Fatigue Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a common sign of driver fatigue?
- Increased alertness and quicker reactions
- Difficulty maintaining lane position (Correct answer)
- Better judgment and decision-making
- Heightened awareness of surroundings
Correct answer: Difficulty maintaining lane position
Difficulty maintaining lane position — drifting or weaving — is a classic warning sign that a driver is too fatigued to operate safely.
Question 2: How many hours may a passenger-carrying CMV driver drive after 8 consecutive hours off duty?
- 8 hours
- 10 hours (Correct answer)
- 11 hours
- 12 hours
Correct answer: 10 hours
Passenger-carrying drivers are limited to 10 hours of driving time after 8 consecutive hours off duty, differing from the property-carrier rule.
Question 3: What device are most commercial motor vehicle drivers required to use to record their hours of service?
- Paper log book
- Electronic Logging Device (ELD) (Correct answer)
- Time card submitted to dispatch
- GPS tracking unit
Correct answer: Electronic Logging Device (ELD)
FMCSA regulations require most CMV drivers subject to HOS rules to use an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) to automatically record driving time.
Question 4: When using the sleeper berth split provision, one of the two off-duty periods must be at least how long in the sleeper berth?
- 6 hours
- 7 hours
- 8 hours (Correct answer)
- 10 hours
Correct answer: 8 hours
Under the sleeper berth provision, one qualifying period must be at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth to split the required off-duty time.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'on-duty' time under federal HOS regulations?
- Only time spent actively driving the CMV
- All time from reporting for work until released from work responsibilities (Correct answer)
- Only time spent loading and unloading cargo
- Time spent resting in the sleeper berth
Correct answer: All time from reporting for work until released from work responsibilities
On-duty time includes all time from when a driver begins work or is required to be ready to work, covering driving, loading, inspections, and waiting.
Question 6: The maximum on-duty window (not just driving) for a passenger-carrying CMV driver in a single shift is:
- 11 hours
- 12 hours
- 14 hours
- 15 hours (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 15 hours
Passenger-carrying drivers are restricted to a 15-hour on-duty window after coming off 8 hours of rest, compared to the 14-hour window for property carriers.
Question 7: A driver feels too drowsy to continue driving safely. What is the BEST course of action?
- Drink coffee and keep driving to reach the destination
- Open the windows and turn up the radio
- Stop driving and rest until alert (Correct answer)
- Switch driving responsibilities with another onboard driver or call dispatch
Correct answer: Stop driving and rest until alert
The only truly safe remedy for drowsiness is sleep; stimulants and distractions provide only temporary relief and do not restore safe driving ability.
SD CDL Hours of Service & Driver Fatigue Management 2
Which of the following is a common sign of driver fatigue?