Home › CDL Practice Tests › General Knowledge Questions › Question 139
Why should you back the tractor under the trailer in a straight line whenever possible?
- A.Angled backing locks the jaws faster
- B.Backing at an angle can push the trailer sideways, bend the landing gear, and make the kingpin miss the jaws
- C.Straight backing uses less fuel
- D.The fifth wheel only works in reverse gear
Correct answer
B. Backing at an angle can push the trailer sideways, bend the landing gear, and make the kingpin miss the jaws
Why
An off-angle approach shoves the trailer to the side and loads the landing gear legs sideways, which they are not built to take. Lining up straight also centers the kingpin in the throat of the fifth wheel on the first try.
Manual topic: Combination Vehicles - Coupling · From the General Knowledge practice bank (GK-139).