Before borrowing a trailer, what should you use to check whether your vehicle can tow it?
Correct answer: The vehicle owner's manual and its equipment and towing limits.
Confirm the vehicle is equipped and rated for the planned trailer and load. Being able to connect the trailer does not establish that the combination is suitable.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Trailer Safety, opening paragraphs; printed page 133. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A trailer coupler closes over a hitch ball whose marked size is smaller than the coupler requires. What should you do?
Correct answer: Use a correctly sized, compatible ball and coupler before towing.
An incorrect ball size can permit separation. A closed latch or attached safety chains does not make mismatched coupling parts acceptable.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Hitching Systems; printed page 133. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
On the guide's conventional ball-and-coupler setup, how should the two safety chains run beneath the trailer tongue?
Correct answer: Crossed beneath the tongue.
The crossed chains help catch the tongue if the main coupling separates. Use the specified attachment points and follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Hitching Systems; printed page 133. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
The safety chains are stretched tight while the tow vehicle and trailer are straight. What needs to change before driving?
Correct answer: Provide enough slack for turns without letting the chains drag.
The connection must accommodate turning. Chains should remain properly attached while having suitable clearance from the road throughout the maneuver.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Hitching Systems; printed page 133. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A compatible trailer electrical connector is plugged in, but its cable hangs on the road. What is the appropriate correction?
Correct answer: Secure the cable clear of the road while retaining enough slack to turn.
Check both connection compatibility and routing. A cable can be damaged by road contact or by being stretched when the vehicle and trailer change angle.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Lighting; printed page 133. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
Your tow vehicle's signals work, but the attached trailer's turn signals do not. What should happen before the trip?
Correct answer: Correct the fault and verify the trailer lights work.
Testing the tow vehicle alone is insufficient. Check the connected trailer's lighting before towing so people behind can see the intended movements.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Lighting; printed page 133. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A conventional trailer has a mix of radial and bias-belted tires. What does the Louisiana guide advise?
Correct answer: Use matching type, size and construction appropriate for the trailer.
The trailer's specified tires should be compatible as a set. Similar appearance does not replace the type, size and construction requirements.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Tires; printed page 134. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A replacement tire fits the trailer's wheel but has a lower load range than the trailer calls for. Is the fit alone enough?
Correct answer: No; use the specified size, type and load range.
Check the trailer label or owner's manual for the required tire specification. Physical fit does not establish the weight the tire can safely carry.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Tires; printed page 134. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
When preparing the tow vehicle's tires, where should you find the recommended inflation pressure?
Correct answer: Its tire-information label or owner's manual.
Use the vehicle manufacturer's specification and check with a gauge when the tires are cold. A tire's sidewall limit is not the vehicle's recommended operating pressure.
Source: NHTSA TireWise, Tire Pressure and Maintaining Proper Tire Pressure. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
Cargo is concentrated on one side of a trailer even though the total weight is within its rating. What should you do?
Correct answer: Redistribute it according to the trailer and tow-vehicle loading instructions.
How weight is distributed affects control as well as the total weight. Follow the manuals for side-to-side balance and placement along the trailer.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Loading and Weight Distribution; printed page 134. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A heavy cabinet stands firmly on a utility trailer when parked. What is still needed before road travel?
Correct answer: Secure it to the trailer with suitable restraints and double-check the load.
Braking, bumps and turns can move cargo that seemed stable while parked. Use appropriate restraints; cover loose material when needed and avoid overloading.
Source: NHTSA Drive Safe: Secure Your Load, Tips for Securing Your Cargo Properly. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
You need to set the hitch height and, if specified, weight-distributing bars for a particular trailer. What should guide those adjustments?
Correct answer: The tow-vehicle and trailer manufacturers' instructions.
The guide directs drivers to the relevant manuals for these adjustments. A setup that worked for a different vehicle or load is not a universal specification.
Source: Chapter 10-A, Loading and Weight Distribution; printed page 134. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
On a Louisiana road trip, a trailer's coupling has the required pin missing, but its latch appears closed. Under R.S. 32:384(A), what must happen?
Correct answer: Fit the required pin and secure the connection to the manufacturer's specifications.
The amended provision expressly includes required pins, clips and locking mechanisms. An apparently closed coupling does not excuse omitting its specified retainer.
Source: 2026 Act 778, section 1, R.S. 32:384(A); physical PDF page 2, lines 15-23. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A ball-hitch trailer originally made with safety chains has a 7,000-pound loaded capacity and is towed along a public highway. Does being above 6,000 pounds alone exempt it from the chain requirement?
Correct answer: No; that former weight cutoff is removed by Act 778.
For this scenario, the required chains or approved devices must be attached and strong enough to retain the trailer if the main connection fails. This is not the fifth-wheel or private-property exception.
Source: 2026 Act 778, section 1, R.S. 32:384(D); physical PDF pages 2-3. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A 5,000-pound-gross-weight trailer used in commerce travels on a Louisiana highway. Under R.S. 32:341(C), where must its required brakes be operable from?
Correct answer: The towing vehicle's cab by its driver.
The specified commercial trailer falls within the provision requiring adequate trailer brakes controllable from the towing cab. The question does not define the exemptions for other trailer types or weights.
Source: 2026 Act 778, section 1, R.S. 32:341(C); physical PDF page 1, lines 15-22. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
A 5,000-pound-gross-weight commercial trailer with the brakes required by Louisiana R.S. 32:341(C) accidentally breaks away. What must its braking system do?
Correct answer: Apply the trailer brakes automatically.
Breakaway braking is a separate safeguard from normal cab control and the mechanical connection. The required system must respond automatically when accidental separation occurs.
Source: 2026 Act 778, section 1, R.S. 32:341(C); physical PDF page 1, lines 20-22. Official source checked September 22, 2026. ↗
