An 8-chapter course for the knowledge test every Class A, B and C applicant takes to get a commercial learner's permit. Inspection, safe driving, emergencies, cargo, and the rules that protect your CDL — taught, not just quizzed.
Every CDL applicant — Class A, B or C — has to pass the General Knowledge test before the state will issue a commercial learner's permit. This course gets you ready for it.
You're starting out and the General Knowledge test is the first thing standing between you and your permit. This course walks you through everything on it, one chapter at a time.
Class B and C applicants take the same General Knowledge test as Class A. Where something applies only to one class, the course says so.
Federal rules require a different version of the test on a retake. Memorizing answers won't help — understanding the material will.
Real screens from Chapter 1 of this course, and the free practice app explaining each answer with the rule behind it. Everything works on a phone, a tablet or a computer, and you pick up where you left off.
ELDT.Courses is listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry as an online theory provider. Search the registry for ELDT.Courses and you will find us, phone number and all: tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/Search.
Every ELDT completion we report lands on your own driver record there by midnight of the second business day (49 CFR 380.717), so your state can see it before you test.
Each chapter is a narrated lesson followed by a chapter test. Built on 49 CFR Part 383 and the model CDL manual's General Knowledge sections, including 2026 federal rule changes the printed manuals haven't caught up with yet.
What needs a CDL, Classes A, B and C, endorsement and restriction codes, what a learner's permit allows, and how the knowledge test is built and scored.
Every federal way to be disqualified, the current penalty periods, alcohol and drug rules, phone and texting rules, and what you must tell your employer.
Why inspection is required, the three kinds of inspection, what to check in each system, the seven-step method, and the driver vehicle inspection report.
Starting, steering and stopping, backing, double clutching and retarders, mirrors, signaling, and where to place warning devices when you stop on the highway.
The parts of stopping distance, speed for road conditions, curves and downgrades, following distance, and managing the space all around the vehicle.
Spotting hazards early, the three types of distraction, aggressive drivers, night driving, fatigue, and how alcohol, drugs and illness affect a driver.
Fog, winter and hot weather, railroad crossing rules, mountain grades and escape ramps, brake and tire failures, antilock brakes, and skid control.
Protecting a crash scene, vehicle fires, cargo securement and tiedowns, weight and balance, and the hazardous-materials basics every driver must know.
8 narrated chapters with a test after each one. Self-paced, lifetime access, direct instructor support.
Enroll Now — $35 →Free practice tests are a good way to check yourself. This course is where you learn the material in the first place.
| Typical practice-test site | ELDT.Courses | |
|---|---|---|
| Course content | A question bank and nothing else | Narrated chapters that teach the material before you're tested on it |
| Built from | Question banks with no sources shown | Primary sources: 49 CFR Part 383 and the model CDL manual |
| Current rules | No promise to keep up with rule changes | Updated when federal rules and regulations change |
| Quiz standard | Varies — often no defined threshold | 80% passing threshold, unlimited retakes |
| Instructor access | None | Direct email to the author, usually within 24 hrs |
Narrated chapters covering the full General Knowledge test for Class A, B and C, each followed by a chapter test. Self-paced.
The CDL General Knowledge study guide is included as a PDF download inside the course at no extra charge.
Stuck on a topic? Email me. You're not a ticket number here.
Your access doesn't expire. Come back for a refresher before a new job or a renewal.
When federal rules and regulations change, the course is updated — and enrolled students get the updates at no charge.
When you finish, a certificate with your name, the course and your completion date is emailed to you automatically. It's yours to print and frame — a keepsake of the work you put in, not a license or a federal record.
I spent 10 years as an OTR driver before founding ELDT.Courses. The General Knowledge test covers the basics every commercial driver lives with — inspections, space, speed, weather, and the rules that can take your license away. This course teaches those basics the way a driver actually needs to know them, not just well enough to guess on a test.
Every chapter is built on primary sources — the federal regulations in 49 CFR and the model CDL manual the state tests are built from — and written fresh, not copied from someone else's training summary. Where a federal rule has changed and the printed manuals haven't caught up, the course tells you both, so you're not surprised on test day.
I've been around commercial trucking long enough to know what the standard endorsement course looks like — a recycled DMV manual, slow narration, and a quiz at the end. Drivers deserve better.
ELDT.Courses is what I wish I'd had when I was studying. Every chapter explains the why, not just the rule. Every quiz pulls from real test material. Every minute is paid for in attention, so I made sure none of them are wasted.
Have a question before you enroll? Pick a time and I will call you. Book a free phone call.
Every CDL applicant. Class A, B and C applicants all take the General Knowledge test, and you must pass it before your state will issue a commercial learner's permit (CLP).
No. Federal ELDT (49 CFR 380.603) covers Class A and Class B training and the Passenger, School Bus, and HazMat endorsements. This course is prep for a state CDL knowledge test, built on 49 CFR Part 383. Nothing is submitted to the Training Provider Registry for this course. If you're going for a Class A or Class B CDL, you'll still need entry-level driver training from a registered provider before your skills test.
Each chapter ends with a test, and you need 80% to pass it. You can retake any chapter test as many times as you need — each attempt draws a fresh set of questions. The state knowledge test is scored by your state's licensing agency; federal rules (49 CFR 383.135) set the passing score at 80%.
The course teaches the federal rules and the model CDL manual that state tests are built from. Some details differ from state to state, so the course tells you where to check your own state's CDL manual.
No. This is knowledge test prep. The next step after the course is your state's General Knowledge test.
Try it risk-free. If you enroll and decide within 7 days that it's not for you — and you haven't started the course content — just email me and I'll refund you, no questions asked. Once you begin working through the material, the course is yours for life, including all future updates. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.
8 chapters. Built on 49 CFR Part 383. Lifetime access. Real instructor support.
It's all in there. The only thing missing is you.
Enrolling multiple drivers? Fleet and volume inquiries welcome — email terry@eldt.courses or call 1-814-304-7635.
