U.S. CDL · PASSENGER · QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

U.S. CDL Passenger Transport Practice — questions and answers

All 30 original Rig Toolbox practice questions for this test, printed in full with the correct answer and an explanation for each one. Read them here, then put them to work in Practice or the Exam Simulator — no sign-up, ever.

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Independent practice: these are Rig Toolbox's own study questions, not official exam questions. Always confirm rules in the official handbook for the licence you are taking.

About this question set

How many questions are here? 30 — the full bank for this test. The interactive test draws 20 of them at a time.

What is this test? Original bus and passenger-safety practice based on the transporting passengers section of state CDL manuals.

Every question, with its answer

Question 1

During the pre-trip interior inspection of a bus, you should check that:

Handholds and railings are secure, the steps and aisle are clear, and seats are firmly fastened
The radio presets work
The fare box is full
Passengers have tickets

Correct answer: Handholds and railings are secure, the steps and aisle are clear, and seats are firmly fastened

Loose rails, blocked aisles and shifting seats are passenger-injury hazards found before departure.

Question 2

Which check of emergency exits belongs in a bus pre-trip?

They only matter after an accident
Exits are clearly marked and operate properly, and the emergency door is closed and secured for travel
Exit signs can be covered by baggage
Exits should be left open for air

Correct answer: Exits are clearly marked and operate properly, and the emergency door is closed and secured for travel

Passengers depend on exits working instantly; driving with an emergency exit open or unlatched is prohibited.

Question 3

Before driving a bus, any open exterior access panels (such as baggage compartment doors) must be:

Left open to cool the engine
Taped shut
Closed and latched
Ignored

Correct answer: Closed and latched

Open panels can swing into traffic or dump baggage; closing them is part of the walk-around.

Question 4

What is the standee line on a transit bus for?

It marks where to queue outside
It shows the luggage limit
While the bus is moving, no passenger may stand in front of that line (ahead of the driver’s area)
A decoration on the floor

Correct answer: While the bus is moving, no passenger may stand in front of that line (ahead of the driver’s area)

Keeping standees behind the line protects the driver’s controls and view.

Question 5

A bus driver must never:

Carry more passengers than the rated seating and weight capacity allow
Open the door at a stop
Count passengers
Use the interior mirror

Correct answer: Carry more passengers than the rated seating and weight capacity allow

Overloading past the manufacturer’s capacity is illegal and changes how the bus handles and stops.

Question 6

Where may baggage and cargo be carried on a bus?

Secured in baggage areas so aisles and emergency exits stay completely clear
Held by standing passengers
On the steps
In the aisle if the trip is short

Correct answer: Secured in baggage areas so aisles and emergency exits stay completely clear

Nothing may block a passenger’s path to an exit, and unsecured items become projectiles in a crash.

Question 7

Which material must NEVER be carried on a bus in any amount?

Emergency oxygen for a patient
Drugstore medical supplies
Small-arms ammunition properly packaged
Division 2.3 poison gas

Correct answer: Division 2.3 poison gas

Poison gas, liquid poison, tear gas and similar materials are forbidden aboard buses entirely.

Question 8

For the hazardous materials a bus MAY carry, the limits are:

No more than 500 pounds total, and no more than 100 pounds of any single class
Unlimited
1,001 pounds like a truck
50 pounds total

Correct answer: No more than 500 pounds total, and no more than 100 pounds of any single class

Buses carry only small amounts of specific allowed materials, such as emergency medical supplies.

Question 9

Refueling a bus with passengers on board should be:

Avoided unless absolutely necessary, and never done inside a closed building with riders aboard
Done quickly at any pump
Done whenever convenient
Done only with the engine running

Correct answer: Avoided unless absolutely necessary, and never done inside a closed building with riders aboard

Fuel vapours plus a busload of people is an unacceptable combination; unload first whenever possible.

Question 10

At a railroad crossing, a bus must:

Stop only if a train is visible
Never stop
Slow to 25 mph and continue
Stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail at every crossing, look and listen, then proceed when safe (unless an exempt sign is posted)

Correct answer: Stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail at every crossing, look and listen, then proceed when safe (unless an exempt sign is posted)

Buses are in the always-stop group because of the number of lives aboard.

Question 11

Approaching a drawbridge with no signal light or attendant directing traffic, a bus must stop:

At least 50 feet before the draw of the bridge
It need not stop
Right at the edge of the draw
Only on the far side

Correct answer: At least 50 feet before the draw of the bridge

Stopping 50 feet back lets you confirm the bridge is fully closed and safe to cross.

Question 12

Before opening the door to load or unload passengers, the driver should:

Leave the bus in gear
Keep one foot on the throttle
Set the parking brake and place the transmission in neutral or park
Turn the steering wheel hard over

Correct answer: Set the parking brake and place the transmission in neutral or park

A secured bus cannot roll while people are in the doorway or crossing in front.

Question 13

Talking with passengers or using a phone while the bus is moving is:

Required by law
Fine at highway speed
A distraction to avoid; if a conversation is necessary, stop the bus in a safe place first
Encouraged on long trips

Correct answer: A distraction to avoid; if a conversation is necessary, stop the bus in a safe place first

Your attention belongs to the road; passenger issues are handled stopped, not rolling.

Question 14

A passenger becomes disruptive and unsafe. The best action is to:

Put them off immediately wherever you are
Speed up to reach the destination
Argue while driving
Stop the bus in a safe, well-lit place, and if the person must leave, make sure it is somewhere safe — not on a highway or isolated spot

Correct answer: Stop the bus in a safe, well-lit place, and if the person must leave, make sure it is somewhere safe — not on a highway or isolated spot

Safety of everyone aboard and of the person leaving both matter; never discharge a passenger into danger.

Question 15

After every trip, the driver should:

Wash the windows
Lock up and leave immediately
Count only the tickets
Walk through the bus checking for sleeping passengers, left items and any damage, and report defects

Correct answer: Walk through the bus checking for sleeping passengers, left items and any damage, and report defects

Children and sleeping riders have been left aboard buses; the walk-through is a required habit.

Question 16

Which emergency equipment must a bus carry?

A fire extinguisher, emergency warning devices (such as reflective triangles) and spare fuses unless the bus has circuit breakers
Extra fuel
A tow chain
A spare tire only

Correct answer: A fire extinguisher, emergency warning devices (such as reflective triangles) and spare fuses unless the bus has circuit breakers

These items are part of the required bus equipment checked on the pre-trip.

Question 17

A disabled bus that cannot move under its own power:

Should be pushed by passengers
Should always be towed with passengers aboard
Can be towed at highway speed with riders
Must not be towed or pushed with riders aboard unless staying aboard is safer, and then only to the nearest safe place to unload

Correct answer: Must not be towed or pushed with riders aboard unless staying aboard is safer, and then only to the nearest safe place to unload

Towing with passengers is a last resort for the shortest possible distance to safety.

Question 18

Why must buses slow down well before curves and ramps?

Their brakes are smaller
Passengers dislike curves
It saves fuel only
A bus has a high centre of gravity and can roll over at speeds near the posted limit

Correct answer: A bus has a high centre of gravity and can roll over at speeds near the posted limit

Many bus rollovers happen on ramps taken at car speeds.

Question 19

You may refuse to carry a passenger who:

Asks many questions
Has a lot of luggage
Is travelling a short distance
Is violent, dangerously disruptive or refuses to follow safety rules — but you must not put them off in an unsafe place

Correct answer: Is violent, dangerously disruptive or refuses to follow safety rules — but you must not put them off in an unsafe place

Drivers can and should refuse unsafe riders while still protecting them from being stranded in danger.

Question 20

When pulling away from a passenger stop into traffic, you should:

Pull out immediately; traffic must yield to a bus everywhere
Honk and go
Signal, check mirrors and blind spots, and yield until there is a safe gap
Rely on passengers to watch

Correct answer: Signal, check mirrors and blind spots, and yield until there is a safe gap

Except where a specific local law gives buses priority, safe merging is the driver’s responsibility.

Question 21

While driving, the interior (passenger) mirror is used to:

Replace the side mirrors
Watch the fare box only
Monitor passengers so problems are spotted early without turning around
Check your appearance

Correct answer: Monitor passengers so problems are spotted early without turning around

Regular glances at the cabin mirror keep small issues from becoming emergencies.

Question 22

Freight carried on a charter bus must be loaded so that:

Passengers still have clear access to every exit, and the load is secured and within weight limits
It is stacked against the emergency door
It can slide freely
It fills the aisle evenly

Correct answer: Passengers still have clear access to every exit, and the load is secured and within weight limits

Exit access and securement rules apply to cargo exactly as they do to baggage.

Question 23

When you must leave the driver’s seat of a bus with passengers aboard, you should first:

Ask a passenger to hold the brake
Chock only one wheel
Set the parking brake; if leaving the bus, shut off the engine and take the key
Leave the engine in gear

Correct answer: Set the parking brake; if leaving the bus, shut off the engine and take the key

A bus must never be able to roll or be driven off while the driver is away from the controls.

Question 24

Which of these is allowed aboard a bus when properly handled?

Tear gas
Emergency medical supplies, such as oxygen being carried for a patient
Division 2.3 poison gas
Liquid Class 6 poison

Correct answer: Emergency medical supplies, such as oxygen being carried for a patient

Small amounts of medical and similar permitted materials are the exception to the hazmat ban on buses.

Question 25

A standee passenger area is being used. Passengers must:

Sit on the steps
Stand wherever there is room
Stay behind the standee line and hold the handrails while the bus moves
Stand in front of the driver

Correct answer: Stay behind the standee line and hold the handrails while the bus moves

Position and grip keep standing passengers from being thrown into the driver’s area or windshield in a stop.

Question 26

Passengers waiting to board should be picked up:

Only on the left side of the road
Wherever they wave
At safe, designated stops where the bus can pull fully out of traffic where possible and passengers can board from the curb side
In the middle of intersections

Correct answer: At safe, designated stops where the bus can pull fully out of traffic where possible and passengers can board from the curb side

Stopping location is part of passenger safety, especially keeping people out of traffic lanes.

Question 27

If a bus must be evacuated, passengers should be moved to:

Along the shoulder beside the bus
Inside the nearest tunnel
The other side of the bus
A safe place well away from the bus and out of traffic, and kept together

Correct answer: A safe place well away from the bus and out of traffic, and kept together

Distance from the vehicle and from live lanes protects passengers from fire and passing traffic.

Question 28

The bus driver’s seat belt rule is:

The driver must wear the seat belt whenever the bus is moving, if one is fitted
Belts are optional for professionals
Belts are only for passengers
Belts are only needed on highways

Correct answer: The driver must wear the seat belt whenever the bus is moving, if one is fitted

The driver sets the safety example and stays in control position during a crash or sudden stop.

Question 29

On charter trips, who is responsible for knowing the emergency exit locations and how they work?

The mechanic
The passengers themselves
Only the tour guide
The driver, who must be able to direct passengers to exits in an emergency

Correct answer: The driver, who must be able to direct passengers to exits in an emergency

In smoke or panic, passengers look to the driver; exit knowledge cannot be improvised.

Question 30

Why should a driver avoid fueling, idling stops and door operations in a rushed, jerky manner with passengers standing?

Sudden movements throw standing passengers off balance and cause falls, the most common bus passenger injury
It uses more air pressure
Passengers prefer slow service
It wastes time anyway

Correct answer: Sudden movements throw standing passengers off balance and cause falls, the most common bus passenger injury

Smooth stops and starts are a core passenger-safety skill because falls injure more riders than collisions do.

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