Montana CDL Handbook 2024

Montana, known as Big Sky Country, boasts a vast and stunning landscape that spans 559 miles. It encompasses the majestic Rocky Mountains, the renowned Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, and urban centers like Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula. Given its expansive terrain, it’s no surprise that 65% of Montana’s communities rely solely on the trucking industry for the distribution and movement of their goods. The demand for commercial trucking jobs is robust nationwide, with an upward trend in industry growth, particularly pronounced in Montana. For those aspiring to be part of this dynamic field and acquire a CDL, the first step is passing a written knowledge exam with the MVD. Success in this exam hinges on your study of the 2024 Montana Commercial Driver License Manual, a comprehensive resource covering all essential knowledge. Additionally, obtaining endorsements through further written tests can significantly broaden your job prospects in the trucking industry. These endorsements, such as tanker, passenger transport, Hazmat, and multi-trailer, open doors to diverse and lucrative trucking opportunities in Big Sky Country and beyond.

How to Prepare

Since the MVD written CDL test is based on the Montana CDL Manual, to get ready you’ll need to read the entire manual. Get a pen and some paper and take plenty of notes as you go along. Keep your mind on task since there are hundreds of questions you could be asked on the test, so you’ll need to buckle down and pay attention to what you’re reading. If you feel yourself start to lose focus, take a short break or a walk around your neighborhood and then come back. The test will be multiple-choice, and all questions will be pulled directly from the manual so if you study carefully you can know all the answers with confidence. Endorsements like Hazmat, tanker, air brakes, multi-trailer, combination vehicle, passenger transport, and school bus driving will all have separate tests but will make you more marketable and provide a wider variety of job options. Remember, what you’ll be asked on the test is simply to ensure that you can be a safe and knowledgeable driver on the road, to protect you, your cargo, and others on the road.

Final Steps

After you’ve finished your first read-through, look at your notes and if you notice any areas that are still unclear, or you do not remember well, go back and reread those sections. Before you head off to your local Driver License Station, read over the manual and your notes on more time to keep it fresh in your mind.