Truck turning — North Dakota Permit Test

On any turning vehicle the rear wheels follow a shorter path than the front wheels, and the longer the vehicle, the greater the difference.

The back of a long truck cuts the corner, so a car waiting close beside it on the inside of a turn can be crushed.

With any turning vehicle, the rear wheels follow a shorter path than the front wheels.

Drivers of tractor-trailers must often swing out to the left as the first step in making a right turn.

A truck that drifts left may be getting room for a right turn, and a car that slips into the gap on its right can be trapped.

That’s why the drivers of tractor-trailers must often swing out to the left as the first step in making a right turn.

If a tractor-trailer appears to be starting a left turn, wait a moment to see which way the driver is signaling before passing on the right.

A truck that looks like it is turning left may be swinging wide to turn right, straight into a car passing on its right.

If it appears to be starting a left turn, wait a moment to check and see which way the driver is signaling he’s going to turn before passing on the right.

When a vehicle turns, how does the path of its rear wheels compare with its front wheels?

The rear wheels follow a shorter path. The back of a long truck cuts the corner, so a car waiting close beside it on the inside of a turn can be crushed. North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, p.31: “With any turning vehicle, the rear wheels follow a shorter path than the front wheels.”