Washington (WA) 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 Washington 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
You will lose your CDL for at least 120 days for three or more serious traffic violations within a three-year period involving a CMV.
This chapter has 26 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.How far above the posted limit counts as excessive speeding for a serious traffic violation?
Fifteen over is the line. Below it the ticket is an ordinary speeding offense rather than one of the serious violations that stack toward disqualification.
Manual section 1.3.3
What penalty may a court impose for holding more than one license?
The court may fine you up to $5,000 or put you in jail, keep your home state license, and return the others.
Manual section 1.4
- 2
Driving Safely
Everyone
Familiarize yourself with your vehicle's features and equipment before you get behind the wheel.
This chapter has 290 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What is the minimum tread depth required in every major groove on a front (steering) tire?
Front tires carry the steering load and must have at least 4/32 inch of tread in every major groove. Other tires need at least 2/32 inch.
Manual section 2.2
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
- 3
Transporting Cargo Safely
Everyone
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle.
This chapter has 26 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What can happen to brakes that are forced to work too hard by an overload?
Overloading lengthens stopping distance and works the brakes beyond what they were designed for, and brakes worked that hard can fail outright.
Manual section 3.2.2
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
- 4
Transporting Passengers
P endorsement (bus)
Signaling devices, including the restroom emergency buzzer if the bus has a restroom, must be in safe working condition.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.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
Which sections of the manual does the knowledge test for the passenger endorsement cover?
The passenger endorsement test draws on Section 2, driving safely, together with Section 4, transporting passengers. A bus with air brakes adds a test on Section 5.
Manual section 4
- 5
Air Brakes
Any vehicle with air brakes
Other air brake vehicles, including trucks, buses, trailers, and converter dollies, built on or after March 1, 1998 are required to have antilock brakes.
This chapter has 147 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.Besides a red warning light, what device do many air-braked vehicles use to alert the driver to low air pressure?
Low air pressure warning systems commonly pair a red light with an audible buzzer so the driver cannot miss the warning.
Manual section 5.1.11
You climb into an air-braked truck and cannot find an application pressure gauge. What does that mean?
The application gauge is useful but optional equipment, so plenty of air-braked vehicles simply do not have one.
Manual section 5.1.10
- 6
Combination Vehicles
Class A
When there is a choice, back toward the driver's side so the trailer can be watched out the window.
This chapter has 118 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What happens when you push in the trailer air supply knob before starting a trip?
Pushing the knob in charges the trailer's air system through the emergency line, which releases the trailer's emergency brakes so the rig can move.
Manual section 6.2.3
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
- 7
Doubles and Triples
T endorsement
Upper fifth wheel check: the glide plate must be securely mounted to the trailer frame and the kingpin must not be damaged.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What must you verify about the light cords when inspecting a set of doubles or triples?
A cord that has worked loose kills the lights on everything behind it, leaving the rear of a very long rig invisible at night.
Manual section 7.3.1
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
Vapor recovery equipment captures vapors during loading and delivery so they are not released into the air.
This chapter has 62 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.What does the manual say wet roads do to normal stopping distance?
Wet pavement doubles the distance needed, which is a large allowance to find in traffic when the load behind you is also surging.
Manual section 8.3.4
What must you verify about the manhole covers themselves during a tank inspection?
A cover only seals if its gasket is present and it closes properly. Either fault turns the cover into a leak path once the load starts moving.
Manual section 8.1.1
- 9
Hazardous Materials
H endorsement
Bulk packaging is a single container with a capacity greater than 119 gallons.
This chapter has 234 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.How do you make hazardous materials shipping papers stand out from the rest?
Someone entering the cab after a crash has to find them immediately, so they are tabbed or placed on top of the other papers.
Manual section 9.6.10
Which classes may not be carried as overhang or tailgate loads?
Explosives, flammable solids, and oxidizers must ride in a closed cargo space unless the packages themselves are fire and water resistant or under a resistant tarp.
Manual section 9.4.1
- 10
School Buses
S endorsement
Even with all mirrors properly set, a blind spot remains directly behind the rear of the bus.
This chapter has 98 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.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
Compared with flat mirrors, what is the main advantage of the convex mirrors mounted on the sides of a school bus?
Convex mirrors provide a wide-angle view of the sides of the bus, letting the driver see more area than flat mirrors can.
Manual section 10.1
- 11
Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspection
Everyone (skills test)
Inspect that the landing gear is fully raised, has no missing parts, the crank handle is secure, and the support frame and landing pads are not damaged.
This chapter has 200 more questions. Practice them in the app and see your pass chance.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 must be true of the lug nuts on every wheel?
Every nut must be there and tight. Rust trails or shiny threads around a nut are the signs that it has been working loose.
Manual section 11.5.2
What’s different in Washington
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.
- Low air warning in the pre-trip inspection (skills test): before pressure drops below 55 psi.
- A warning signal you can see must come on before the air pressure in the tanks falls below 60 psi.
- For double-trailer combinations the total combined length of the trailers cannot exceed 61 feet.
The official Washington CDL manual
Washington State Commercial Driver Guide
Published by Washington State Department of Licensing