Washington CDL Practice Test

Correct answer: 18 — but drivers under 21 are restricted to intrastate (within-Washington) driving only

You must be at least 18 to get a Washington CDL. A driver under 21 self-certifies as non-excepted intrastate and receives the "K — Intrastate only" restriction; you must be at least 21 to drive a commercial vehicle interstate (state to state).

Correct answer: 180 days, and it may be renewed only one time

A Washington CLP is valid for 180 days and can be renewed only once. The CLP is issued as a separate document from your base driver license.

Correct answer: At least 14 days

You must hold the CLP for a minimum of 14 days before taking a skills test for the vehicle type and endorsements you intend to operate. This matches the federal 14-day floor (49 CFR 383.25).

Correct answer: Renew it within 30 days of expiration — one time — for an additional 180 days

If you renew your CLP within 30 days of the expiration date, it is valid for an additional 180 days. You can renew only one time; banked (passed) skills-test segments are not valid after a renewal.

Correct answer: 180 days from the date passed

Knowledge-test scores are valid for 180 days from the date passed. They can be extended another 180 days if you renew your CLP within 30 days of the original CLP expiring (hazardous-materials and doubles/triples scores are valid 180 days only).

Correct answer: One attempt at each knowledge test taken within 90 days of the receipt

The test fee covers one attempt at each knowledge test taken within 90 days of the receipt. A failed test must be retaken on a different version, and a new fee applies once the 90-day window or that attempt is used up.

Correct answer: No more than 8-1/2 feet — 102 inches

No vehicle, with or without its load, may be more than 8-1/2 feet (102 inches) wide. Rear-view mirrors may extend up to 5 inches beyond the body; other equipment such as handles and mud flaps no more than 3 inches.

Correct answer: 14 feet

No vehicle, including its load, may be more than 14 feet high (emergency vehicles and utility repair equipment are exempt). Always confirm clearance yourself — ice, snow, or road repairs can reduce a clearance that is normally enough.

Correct answer: 80,000 pounds

The maximum is 80,000 pounds for any combination of vehicles. Limits also apply per axle — 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on tandem axles spaced less than 7 feet apart — and no more than 600 lb per inch of tire width on one tire.

Correct answer: 53 feet

A single vehicle or trailer in a combination, with or without load, may not exceed 53 feet. A single motor vehicle such as a school bus is limited to 40 feet, and auto stages to 46 feet.

Correct answer: Radial and bias-ply tires used together, or mismatched tire sizes

Do not mix radial and bias-ply tires, and do not run mismatched sizes. Also watch for cut or cracked valve stems and dual tires that touch each other or the vehicle.

Correct answer: The nuts may be loose

Rust around wheel nuts may mean the nuts are loose — check their tightness. After a tire is changed, stop a short while later and re-check the tightness of the nuts.

Correct answer: The front wheels

Regrooved, recapped, or retreaded tires are prohibited on the front wheels of a bus. Damaged rims and welded-repair wheels are also unsafe and should never be used.

Correct answer: More than 10 degrees (about 2 inches of movement on a 20-inch wheel)

Steering wheel play of more than 10 degrees — roughly 2 inches of movement at the rim of a 20-inch wheel — can make the vehicle hard to steer and should be repaired.

Correct answer: One-fourth or more of the leaves

If one-fourth or more of the leaves in a leaf spring are missing or broken, the vehicle is out of service — but any broken suspension part can be extremely dangerous because the suspension holds up the vehicle and its load.

Correct answer: Cracked drums, or shoes with oil, grease, or brake fluid on them

Look for cracked drums and for shoes or pads that are contaminated with oil, grease, or brake fluid, or that are worn dangerously thin, missing, or broken.

Correct answer: It can let poison fumes into the cab or sleeper berth

A broken exhaust system can leak poisonous fumes into the cab or sleeper berth. Check for loose, broken, or missing pipes, mufflers, and mounting brackets, and for parts leaking or rubbing.

Correct answer: A fire extinguisher, spare electrical fuses (unless it has circuit breakers), and warning devices for parked vehicles

Required emergency equipment includes a properly charged and rated fire extinguisher, spare electrical fuses (unless the vehicle has circuit breakers), and warning devices such as reflective triangles, fusees, or flares.

Correct answer: Three

You should carry three red reflective warning triangles (the alternatives are 6 fusees or 3 liquid-burning flares) to warn other drivers when your vehicle is stopped.

Correct answer: That the truck is not overloaded and the cargo is balanced and secured

Before each trip make sure the truck is not overloaded and that the cargo is balanced and secured. If the cargo is hazardous materials, also inspect for proper papers and placarding.