Rhode Island (RI) CDL manual 2026
Reading the manual is not the same as passing the test on it. Practice it instead: every chapter below has real test questions you can answer right here, plus what Rhode Island does its own way.
Practice the manual, chapter by chapter
State manuals are built on the same national model, chapter for chapter. One thing to know from each chapter, then real questions from it to answer — tap an option to check yourself.
- 1
Introduction
Everyone
Class A: GCWR 26,001+ lbs with towed vehicle GVWR in excess of 10,000 lbs.
This chapter has 26 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.How quickly must you tell your employer that your license has been suspended?
A suspension, revocation, cancellation, or disqualification is reported within two business days, far faster than the 30 days allowed for a conviction.
Manual section 1.4
Your personal vehicle license is revoked for an alcohol violation. How long do you lose your CDL?
Alcohol, controlled substance, or felony violations in your own car cost you the CDL for a year. A second such violation, in either vehicle, is a lifetime loss.
Manual section 1.3.7
- 2
Driving Safely
Everyone
Turn on your 4-way flashers; this will give vehicles approaching you from behind a quicker opportunity to notice your vehicle.
This chapter has 290 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.When does the manual tell you to be especially alert for drunk and sleepy drivers?
Late night is when both impairments are most common, so the clues to look for matter most in those hours.
Manual section 2.8.3
What is the final action of the engine compartment step?
An unsecured hood or cab can come open at speed, which is why the step ends by closing and latching whatever was opened.
Manual section 2.1.5
- 3
Transporting Cargo Safely
Everyone
You are responsible for knowing your cargo does not restrict your access to emergency equipment.
This chapter has 26 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.On a flatbed, what additional risk comes with a high center of gravity?
A van's walls contain a shifting load. On an open deck there is nothing to stop it going over the side once it starts moving.
Manual section 3.2.4
Which cargo responsibility remains yours even when someone else loads the vehicle?
Inspecting the cargo, spotting overloads and bad balance, and knowing it is secured and not blocking your view or your emergency equipment all stay with the driver.
Manual section 3
- 4
Transporting Passengers
P endorsement (bus)
At a railroad crossing stop, the driver listens and looks both ways and may open the forward door to see and hear better before crossing.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.On buses designed to allow standing, how is the standee line marked?
A two-inch line on the floor, or some other equally clear means, shows riders how far forward they may stand.
Manual section 4.2.3
You are driving a bus toward a railroad crossing where a stop is required. Within what distance range before the nearest rail must you stop?
Buses must stop between 15 and 50 feet before the nearest rail at railroad crossings where a stop is required. From there the driver looks and listens in both directions for a train.
Manual section 4.3
- 5
Air Brakes
Any vehicle with air brakes
The brake pedal is also called the foot valve or treadle valve.
This chapter has 147 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.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
What are the two halves of a dual air brake system called?
One half is called primary and the other secondary, and each has its own tanks, lines, and gauge reading.
Manual section 5.2
- 6
Combination Vehicles
Class A
When the full weight of the trailer is resting on the tractor, check that there is enough clearance between the top of the tractor tires and the nose of the trailer.
This chapter has 118 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.Whenever you back with a trailer, how should you try to position the vehicle first?
A straight-line back is the one that needs the fewest corrections. When the path has to curve, it should curve toward the driver's side so you can see it.
Manual section 6.1.7
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
- 7
Doubles and Triples
T endorsement
If the dolly has spring brakes, use the dolly parking brake control to release them.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.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
A converter dolly has no spring brakes. How do you release its brakes so it can be moved into position?
On a dolly without spring brakes, the brakes are held on by air stored in its tank. Opening the tank petcock bleeds that air off and frees the wheels.
Manual section 7.2.1
- 8
Tank Vehicles
N endorsement
The X endorsement is the combination of the tank vehicle (N) and hazardous materials (H) endorsements.
This chapter has 62 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.You brake to a stop at a red light in a loaded tanker. What can the forward-moving wave of liquid do to your vehicle?
When a tank vehicle stops, the liquid keeps moving and slams toward the front of the tank. That fore-aft surge can shove the whole vehicle ahead, which is why drivers must stop well short of the crosswalk or the vehicle ahead.
Manual section 8.2
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
- 9
Hazardous Materials
H endorsement
Parts of the vehicle exposed to a corrosive liquid must be thoroughly washed with water; after unloading, wash out the interior as soon as possible before reloading.
This chapter has 234 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What makes a container a cargo tank rather than a portable tank?
Cargo tanks are bulk packaging built onto the vehicle and stay there through loading and unloading. Portable tanks are the ones that come off.
Manual section 9.5
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
Make a final check to see that all traffic has stopped before completely opening the door and signaling students to approach.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.A student who just exited your bus drops a book, and it slides underneath the bus. What should the student have been taught to do?
A child reaching or crawling near the bus disappears into the danger zones; students must leave dropped items and alert the driver rather than go after them.
Manual section 10.2
How far can the blind spot behind a school bus extend, depending on the bus's size?
The rear blind spot runs from roughly 50 to 150 feet and can reach 400 feet on a longer, wider bus. Nothing in that space is visible without the side mirrors.
Manual section 10.1.3
- 11
Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspection
Everyone (skills test)
If equipped, the lift must be fully retracted and latched securely.
This chapter has 200 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.When you check your seat belt during the in-cab inspection, what are you looking for?
The seat belt must be securely mounted, adjust and latch properly, and show no rips or fraying in the webbing that could cause it to fail in a crash.
Manual section 11.4
What do rust streaks or shiny metal trails radiating out from a wheel's lug nuts usually indicate?
Rust trails or shiny streaks spreading from lug nuts are a warning sign that the nuts have loosened and the wheel is moving slightly on its studs.
Manual section 11.2.5
What’s different in Rhode Island
Most of every state manual is the same federal material. These are the parts that are not.
- Skills test: the modernized skills test.
- Checklist on the pre-trip: Yes. You may use a blank checklist as a memory aid during the vehicle inspection.
- Low air warning in the air brakes chapter (written test): before pressure drops below 60 psi.
- A warning signal you can see must come on before the air pressure in the tanks falls below 60 psi. (Or one half the compressor governor cutout pressure on older vehicles.)
The official Rhode Island CDL manual
Published free by Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
On their site, search for “CDL manual” to download the latest edition.