CDL Vehicle Combination Practice Test

What action should you take if you notice the trailer swaying while driving?

1. Accelerate to stabilize

2. Slow down and maintain steady steering

3. Increase speed and steer sharper

4. Pull over and check the load distribution

The correct answer is: Slow down and maintain steady steering

When you notice the trailer swaying while driving, the most effective action is to slow down and maintain steady steering. By reducing your speed, you decrease the forces acting on the trailer, which helps reduce the sway. Maintaining steady steering is crucial because making sudden or sharp movements can exacerbate the swaying motion, leading to a potential loss of control. It's important to manage your speed effectively. An increase in speed can intensify the sway and make the situation more dangerous, so options that suggest accelerating or increasing speed are less effective strategies. Ensuring that your steering remains steady as you slow down helps maintain stability, allowing you to regain control of the vehicle. While checking the load distribution by pulling over might be a wise safety precaution at a later point, it doesn't provide an immediate solution to the dynamic problem of trailer sway. Therefore, the priority is to manage the vehicle's current state by slowing down and ensuring smooth steering inputs.