Kansas (KS) CDL manual 2026
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- 1
Introduction
Everyone
You cannot have more than one license; if you break this rule, a court may fine you up to $5,000 or put you in jail and keep your home state license and return any others.
This chapter has 26 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What is the minimum disqualification for a first violation of an out-of-service order?
Ignoring an out-of-service order costs at least 90 days on the first occasion, which is longer than two serious traffic violations combined.
Manual section 1.3.4
What is the disqualification for a first railroad-highway grade crossing violation?
A single crossing violation costs at least 60 days, rising to 120 for a second within three years and a year for a third.
Manual section 1.3.5
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Driving Safely
Everyone
To shift down: release accelerator, push in clutch and shift to neutral, release clutch, press accelerator to increase engine and gear speed to the rpm required in the lower gear.
This chapter has 290 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What should you do about an aggressive driver's gestures?
Along with avoiding eye contact, ignoring gestures and refusing to react removes the response the aggressive driver is looking for.
Manual section 2.10.3
Why do experienced drivers avoid backing their commercial vehicle whenever they can?
Because a driver can never see the entire area behind the vehicle, every backing maneuver carries risk, so the safest plan is to avoid backing whenever possible.
Manual section 2.2
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Transporting Cargo Safely
Everyone
A high center of gravity is most dangerous in curves, or if you have to swerve to avoid a hazard.
This chapter has 26 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.Which of these is named as proper tie-down equipment?
Tie-downs must be of the proper type and strength, and they must be attached to the vehicle correctly using hooks, bolts, rails, or rings.
Manual section 3.3.2
What does axle weight measure?
Axle weight is what reaches the road through that axle or axle set, which is what bridge formulas and scales are concerned with.
Manual section 3.2.1
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Transporting Passengers
P endorsement (bus)
Do not tow or push a bus with riders aboard unless getting off would be unsafe, and then only to the nearest safe location to discharge them.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.A standee line is painted on the floor of buses that allow standing riders. What does this line mark?
The standee line is a line on the floor near the driver, and no rider may stand forward of it while the bus is in motion. It keeps standing passengers out of the driver's view and working space.
Manual section 4.3
A rider stacks several suitcases against a window marked as an emergency exit on your intercity bus. Why must you have the bags moved?
Carry-on baggage must be placed so that all emergency exits stay clear and usable; anything blocking an exit defeats its purpose in an evacuation.
Manual section 4.2
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Air Brakes
Any vehicle with air brakes
The parking brake control on newer vehicles is a yellow diamond-shaped knob pulled out to apply and pushed in to release.
This chapter has 148 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.How may the parking brakes be operated on an older air-braked vehicle?
Newer vehicles use the yellow diamond-shaped push-pull knob, but on older equipment the same job may be done by a lever.
Manual section 5.1.15
How is the cab control for a front brake limiting valve normally marked?
The two positions are labeled normal and slippery, reflecting the mistaken belief that cutting front brake pressure helped on poor surfaces.
Manual section 5.1.13
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Combination Vehicles
Class A
Once the trailer wheels grip the road again, the trailer will start to follow the tractor and straighten out.
This chapter has 118 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.Your combination vehicle is equipped with ABS. How should you apply the brakes in a normal stop?
ABS only takes over when wheels are about to lock, so the driver should brake normally and let the system work in the background.
Manual section 6.3
What steering habit best protects a doubles driver from tipping the rear trailer through rearward amplification?
Gentle, gradual steering keeps the motion transferred to the trailers small, preventing the amplified swing that can tip the rearmost unit.
Manual section 6.1.2
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Doubles and Triples
T endorsement
Quick steering movements trigger the crack-the-whip effect in multi-trailer combinations.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What benefit does a driver get from placing the lightest trailer at the rear of a set of doubles?
The rear position sees the most amplified sway, so keeping the lightest load there reduces the force available to tip that trailer.
Manual section 7.1
Among common commercial combinations, which is generally the most likely to whip and roll its rearmost trailer during a sudden maneuver?
The more trailers and hitch points a combination has, the more each steering input is amplified, and triples have the most of both.
Manual section 7.1
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Tank Vehicles
N endorsement
The tank vehicle endorsement is earned by passing a knowledge test only, with no separate skills test.
This chapter has 62 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.Compared with most other kinds of cargo, why does a load of liquid in a tank make a truck easier to roll over?
A cargo tank places the load well above the pavement, giving the vehicle a high center of gravity. The higher the weight rides, the less sideways force it takes to tip the vehicle over.
Manual section 8.2
What is the best overall driving style for keeping liquid surge under control in a loaded tank vehicle?
Every abrupt change in speed or direction sets the liquid in motion. Smooth, gradual inputs on the brakes, throttle, and steering keep the wave small and the vehicle stable.
Manual section 8.3
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Hazardous Materials
H endorsement
Division 1.1 is Mass Explosion, with dynamite as an example.
This chapter has 234 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What does the manual require for materials subject to spontaneous combustion or heating?
Ventilation carries away the heat and vapor these materials generate. Without it the cargo space becomes the very environment that starts the fire.
Manual section 9.4.1
Within what period must carriers make detailed written reports of a hazardous materials incident?
The phone call to the National Response Center is immediate; the carrier's detailed written report follows within 30 days.
Manual section 9.7.5
- 10
School Buses
S endorsement
When backing at a stop cannot be avoided, pick up the students before backing so none remain outside during the maneuver.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.How far upwind should students be led if spilled hazardous materials are a risk?
A hazmat risk calls for at least 300 feet upwind, considerably farther than the 100 feet used for an ordinary roadside evacuation.
Manual section 10.3.2
How should students board the bus?
Single file at a walking pace with a hand on the rail is what keeps a child from being pushed off the steps or caught in the door.
Manual section 10.2.2
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Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspection
Everyone (skills test)
Once the air gauge is stabilized after the initial drop from applying the brakes, hold the foot brake for one minute.
This chapter has 200 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.How many parts make up the air brake check, and what happens if you get one wrong?
The air brake check has four parts, and failing to explain and demonstrate all four correctly is an automatic failure of the Vehicle Inspection test.
Manual section 11.1.2
What is the stated function of the lug nuts?
That is the whole job, and it is why loose or missing nuts can end with the wheel leaving the vehicle.
Manual section 11.5.2
What’s different in Kansas
Most of every state manual is the same federal material. These are the parts that are not.
The official Kansas CDL manual
Published free by Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles
On their site, search for “CDL manual” to download the latest edition.