Be prepared to "counter-steer," that is, to turn the wheel back in the other direction, once you've passed whatever was in your path. You should think of emergency steering and counter-steering as two parts of one driving action.

It's natural to want to brake in an emergency, however, braking when a tire has failed could cause loss of control. Once the vehicle has slowed down brake very gently, pull off the road, and stop.

Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute (IPDE) is the step-by-step process behind the principles of defensive driving and complexities of visual perception in traffic.

Convex mirrors present a view of people and objects that does not accurately reflect their size and distance from the vehicle.

No matter how small the cargo, it should have at least two tie-downs.

If possible, avoid using the brakes until your speed has dropped to about 20 mph, and gently return to the road.

Tie-downs must be of the proper type and proper strength. Federal regulations require the aggregate working load limit of any securement system used to secure an article or group of articles against movement must be at least one and one-half times the weight of the article or group of articles.

When driving in heavy rain or deep standing water, your brakes will get wet. Water in the brakes can cause the brakes to be weak, to apply unevenly, or to grab. This can cause lack of braking power, wheel lockups, pulling to one side or the other, and jackknife if you pull a trailer.

Most good drivers look at least 12 to 15 seconds ahead. That means looking ahead the distance you will travel in 12 to 15 seconds.

It will take longer to stop, and it will be harder to turn without skidding, when the road is slippery. Reduce speed by about one-third on a wet road. On packed snow, reduce speed by a half, or more. If the surface is icy, reduce speed to a crawl and stop driving as soon as you can safely do so.

Drivers of modern trucks may have to use lower gears going down a hill than would be required to go up the hill.

Skids caused by acceleration usually happen on ice or snow. Taking your foot off the accelerator can easily stop them. If it is very slippery, push the clutch in. Otherwise, the engine can keep the wheels from rolling freely and regaining traction.

Here are some rules to follow in putting out a fire: When using the extinguisher stay as far away from the fire as possible and aim at the source or base of the fire not up in the flames.

Poor weight balance can make vehicle handling unsafe. Too much weight on the steering axle can cause hard steering. It can damage the steering axle and tires.

Covering the brake involves taking your right foot off the accelerator and holding it over the brake pedal. Your foot should hover over the pedal and not rest on it in any way.

Use of drugs can lead to traffic accidents resulting in death, injury, and property damage. Furthermore, it can lead to arrest, fines, and jail sentences. It can also mean the end of a person's driving career.

Cargo should have at least one tie-down for each ten feet of cargo. Make sure you have enough tiedowns to meet this need.

Wait for normal air pressure, release the parking brake, move the vehicle forward slowly about five mph, and apply the brakes firmly using the brake pedal. Note any vehicle "pulling" to one side, unusual feel, or delayed stopping action.

When exiting the expressway: Make necessary traffic checks, use proper signals, decelerate smoothly in the exit lane.

Use Your Seatbelt! The driver's seat should have a seat belt. Always use it for safety.

Class A is for trash, wood and paper, Class B is for liquids and gases, and Class C is for energized electrical sources, so all answers are correct.

Dry bulk tanks require special care because they have a high center of gravity, and the load can shift. Be extremely cautious (slow and careful) going around curves and making sharp turns.

Gasoline fires may be extinguished by smothering with wet rags, woolen cloth, sand, earth or ashes.

Some liquid tanks are divided into several smaller tanks by bulkheads. When loading and unloading the smaller tanks, the driver must pay attention to weight distribution.

Hitting overhead objects is a danger. Make sure you always have overhead clearance.

As part of your Vehicle inspection, make sure the truck is not overloaded and the cargo is balanced and secured properly. You need to inspect again: after you have driven for 3 hours or 150 miles, and after every break you take during driving.

There are two basic reasons for covering cargo: to protect people from spilled cargo, and to protect the cargo from weather. Spill protection is a safety requirement in many states. Be familiar with the laws in the states you drive in.

You should always be able to stop within the distance you can see ahead. At night, you can't see as far with low beams as you can with high beams. When you must use low beams, slow down.

With the stab braking method, you apply your brakes all the way and release brakes when wheels lock up.

Sometimes pumping the brake pedal will generate enough hydraulic pressure to stop the vehicle.

Keeping the parking brake set until you can feel the pull of the vehicle against the brakes will help you get moving on an uphill grade without rolling backwards.

If you find yourself being tailgated, here are some things you can do to reduce the chances of a crash: avoid quick changes, increase your following distance opening up room in front of you will make it easier for the tailgater to get around you, don't speed up.

When checking the wheels and rims check for: damaged rims. rust around wheel nuts may mean the nuts are loose--check tightness, missing clamps, spacers, studs, or lugs, mismatched, bent, or cracked lock rings, and wheels or rims that have had welding repairs are not safe.

First and foremost, make every attempt to get out of their way. Do not challenge them by speeding up, avoid eye contact, ignore gestures and refuse to react to them, and report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities.

Activities inside of the vehicle that can distract your attention include: talking to passengers; adjusting the radio, CD player or climate controls; eating, drinking or smoking; reading maps or other literature; picking up something that fell; reading or sending text messages. To name a few.

Under-inflated tires and duals that touch are the most common causes of tire fires.

Empty trucks require greater stopping distances because an empty vehicle has less traction.

Most good drivers look at least 12 to 15 seconds ahead. That means looking ahead the distance you will travel in 12 to 15 seconds.

To respond to tire failure: you must immediately: hold the steering wheel firmly, stay off the brake, and check the tires after you've come to a stop.

If you are driving a truck or bus that cannot make the right turn without swinging into another lane, turn wide as you complete the turn. Don't turn wide to the left as you start the turn. A following driver may think you are turning left and try to pass you on the right.

The liver can only process one-third an ounce of alcohol per hour, which is considerably less than the alcohol in a standard drink. This is a fixed rate, so only time, not black coffee or a cold shower, will sober you up.

Stopping distance is the sum of your Perception Distance + Reaction Distance + Braking Distance. In vehicles with air brakes you must include the brake lag distance.

Many large vehicles have curved mirrors that show a wider area than flat mirrors. This is often helpful, but everything appears smaller in a convex mirror than it would if you were looking at it directly. Things also seem farther away than they really are.

Containerized loads generally are used when freight is carried part way by rail or ship. Delivery by truck occurs at the beginning and/or end of the journey.

Safety requirements call for three red reflective triangles.

Tar in the road pavement frequently rises to the surface in very hot weather. Spots where tar "bleeds" to the surface are very slippery.

Hanging meat and dry bulk can be a very unstable load with a high center of gravity. Particular caution is needed on sharp curves such as off ramps and on ramps. Go slowly.

Most GPS devices are made for cars or other smaller vehicles, and so not have the size or weight of large vehicles programmed in. Make sure your GPS device is designed for large commercial vehicles.

Driving too fast is a major cause of fatal crashes. You must adjust your speed depending on driving conditions. These include traction, curves, visibility, traffic and hills.