A complete ELDT theory course built to FMCSA Appendix C. Every required topic covered — basic vehicle control, shifting, backing, pre-trip inspection, cargo handling, and the regulations behind them. When you finish, we submit your completion to the Training Provider Registry within two business days so you can move on to behind-the-wheel training.
Whether you're starting fresh or already drive commercially and want to go legit on paper, this course gets your federal theory requirement handled so you can get behind the wheel.
You've decided on a Class B — delivery, transit, dump trucks, box trucks. You need the federal theory training done before any CDL school will put you in a vehicle. This is that training.
You've been driving a straight truck or a bus under a grandfather clause or employer exemption. Regulations have tightened. You need your ELDT compliance documented before your next renewal. This closes that gap.
Some drivers earn their Class B first, then upgrade. If that's your plan, complete this course now, get working, and use the Class B→A Upgrade course when you're ready to step up.
This is the theory portion of your ELDT — the knowledge half that every new CDL applicant must complete before behind-the-wheel training. Built directly from 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix C.
Vehicle controls and instruments, starting and stopping procedures, accelerating and decelerating smoothly, turning techniques, and maintaining safe following distance in a straight-truck environment.
Manual and automatic transmission operation, when and how to downshift, engine braking, and the gear selection decisions that keep a loaded straight truck under control on grades.
Straight-line backing, offset backing, sight-side and blind-side approaches, dock backing procedures, and how to use a spotter safely. The fundamentals that BTW training will reinforce.
The full seven-step pre-trip inspection procedure for Class B vehicles. Engine compartment, cab interior, lights, mirrors, tires, wheels, brakes, and cargo securement — what to look for and what to report.
Hours of Service basics, driver wellness, distracted driving regulations, professional conduct, and the federal rules that govern your conduct as a CDL holder every time you're behind the wheel.
Speed management, space management, night driving, adverse weather procedures, emergency maneuvers, skid recovery, and the hazard perception skills that keep a commercial driver out of situations a personal vehicle driver can walk away from.
Dual air brake systems, air pressure gauges and warning devices, pre-trip air brake inspection, proper braking technique, and the emergency procedures that apply when air pressure drops below minimums.
Weight limits and axle limits, cargo securement methods and required tie-down counts, blocking and bracing, oversized load basics, and how cargo shifts affect vehicle handling.
The difference between pre-trip and post-trip inspections, Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) requirements, what constitutes a defect that takes a vehicle out of service, and your legal obligations when defects are found.
Trip planning, fuel tax reporting basics, bills of lading, freight documentation, and the non-driving responsibilities that are part of every commercial driver's day whether they're behind the wheel or not.
What Class B drivers need to know about hazmat even without an H endorsement — recognizing placards, refusing illegal loads, and the basic rules for incidental hazmat contact every commercial driver encounters.
Scenario-based review of high-weight knowledge test topics, the numbers and thresholds the test loves to ask about, common traps on the General Knowledge and Air Brakes exams, and your final compliance acknowledgment before TPR submission.
12 chapters built to FMCSA Appendix C. Self-paced, no minimum hours, TPR submitted within two business days of completion.
Enroll Now — $109 →A lot of online CDL theory courses are built to check a box, not to actually train you. Here's how this course is different.
| Typical online course | ELDT.Courses | |
|---|---|---|
| Course content | Auto-play video, auto-advance quizzes | Narrated chapters, must complete each topic |
| Built from | Someone else's training summary | Primary source: 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix C |
| Quiz standard | Varies — often no defined threshold | FMCSA standard: 80%, unlimited retakes |
| Instructor access | None, or a ticket queue | Direct email to the author, usually within 24 hrs |
| TPR submission | Timing varies, sometimes delayed | Within 2 business days of your completion |
| Mobile-friendly | Desktop only or app required | Runs in any browser on any device |
| Price | $150–$300 for comparable content | $109 — complete Appendix C coverage |
Every Appendix C topic required by 49 CFR Part 380. Self-paced, no minimum hours — finish when you're done, not when the clock says so.
Within two business days of your completion, we submit your record to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Your CDL school and state DMV can then verify your ELDT compliance.
Each module ends with a quiz built from the same style of questions the state knowledge test uses. 80% passing threshold, unlimited retakes. Know it before you sit for the real thing.
Pre-trip inspection checklists, air brake reference cards, cargo securement quick-reference, and key thresholds from the federal regs — formatted for the cab and the glove box.
Questions about a module? Unsure what a regulation means in practice? Email terry@eldt.courses directly. Not a ticket queue — a working trucking instructor who's been in the seat.
Your access doesn't expire. Review the pre-trip inspection the night before your BTW skills test. Come back to the air brakes chapter any time you want a refresher.
I spent 10 years as an OTR Class A driver before founding ELDT.Courses. I know what it's like to sit through a CDL orientation that covers in 20 minutes what should take two hours — and I know what drivers actually need to understand to stay safe and legal on the road.
Every topic in this course is built on the federal source material — 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix C — not someone else's summary of the summary. The explanations go deeper than the regulation requires because passing the knowledge test is only half the point. The other half is knowing what you're doing when you're out there.
If you're going to spend money on ELDT theory training, spend it with an instructor who's driven the equipment, not just studied it.
Most students finish in 8–12 hours of focused work, often spread over 2–4 sittings. There is no minimum hour requirement — FMCSA requires 100% topic completion, not a fixed seat-hour count. Work at your own pace.
No. This course satisfies the theory (knowledge) portion of your ELDT requirement. After we submit your completion to the TPR, you'll still need to complete behind-the-wheel training with a licensed CDL school or employer-based training program, then pass your state's CDL skills test. Think of this as step one.
Yes. ELDT.Courses is a registered Training Provider in the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. This course is built to 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix C — the federal specification for Class B CDL ELDT theory training. Completing this course satisfies the federal theory training requirement for a Class B CDL.
As soon as your ELDT theory completion is submitted to the TPR and your BTW training provider can verify it. We submit completions every business day, Monday through Friday — so in most cases your record is in the TPR the same day or the next business day after you finish. Some CDL schools require TPR verification before scheduling BTW time — completing the theory course first means no delays when you show up.
No. You can take this course before you have any CDL credentials. In fact, completing ELDT theory before starting BTW training is the correct sequence — the theory knowledge makes the behind-the-wheel instruction make sense faster.
This course covers the full Class B ELDT curriculum — everything required to get a Class B CDL from scratch. The Class B→A Upgrade is for drivers who already have a Class B and are adding a Class A — it covers only the additional units required for the upgrade, not the full Class B curriculum again.
80%, consistent with the FMCSA standard. You can retake any quiz as many times as you need. The goal is understanding the material, not punishing you for a first attempt.
Yes. The course runs in your browser on any device — phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. No app to install. Many students do a significant portion of the coursework on their phone during downtime.
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 modules, the course is yours for life, including all future updates. The one hard exception: if your completion has already been submitted to the TPR, that federal record exists and the refund window closes at that point. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.
Yes. terry@eldt.courses goes directly to me. If you have a question about the course content, a regulation, or what to expect from your state's CDL skills test, I'll get back to you — usually within 24 hours.
Every Appendix C topic covered. No minimum hours. TPR submission within two business days. Lifetime access. Real instructor support.
The theory is on you. We make it as clear as it can be.
Putting drivers through Class B training? Fleet and employer inquiries welcome — email terry@eldt.courses or call 1-814-304-7635.