Commercial Driver License (CDL) Class B Practice Test

How can you identify if your vehicle is equipped with antilock brakes?

1. If it was manufactured on or after March 1, 1998

2. If it has a dual air brake system

3. If it has a visible antilock system indicator

4. If it is a combination vehicle only

The correct answer is: If it was manufactured on or after March 1, 1998

The correct answer highlights that vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 1998, are required by federal regulations to be equipped with antilock braking systems (ABS). This standard applies to commercial vehicles and is in place to improve safety by preventing wheel lockup during hard braking, thus maintaining better control. While other options may imply certain circumstances under which a vehicle could have antilock brakes, they do not provide the same definitive identification criterion as the production date does. For instance, a dual air brake system might be found on vehicles regardless of their ABS status, and a visible antilock system indicator would only confirm the presence of ABS but is not a robust guideline for determining if a vehicle was originally equipped with such systems. The mention of combination vehicles does not apply, as ABS requirements extend beyond just that category; hence, it’s the manufacture date that serves as the most reliable indicator for confirming the presence of antilock brakes.