Road Signs

Study questions with answers

12 sample Road Signs questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. A load carrying a Class 1 placard reading "Explosives" would contain which of the following?

   Correct answer: Fireworks

   Ammunition, dynamite, and fireworks are listed as examples of Class 1 explosives in the hazard-class table.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.23: Hazardous Materials Rules

2. 2. On a steep downgrade you see a sign reading "Maximum Safe Speed." How should you treat it?

   Correct answer: Never travel faster than the figure posted on the sign

   A posted maximum safe speed is a firm limit for the grade; you must never travel faster than the number shown, regardless of how your vehicle is loaded.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.16: Mountain Driving

3. 3. A tanker being hauled must display a Class 3 (Flammable) placard when it is carrying which product?

   Correct answer: Gasoline

   Gasoline is a Class 3 flammable liquid; the hazard-class table lists it as a typical example of a product requiring a flammable placard.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.23: Hazardous Materials Rules

4. 4. The round, black-and-yellow advance warning sign posted ahead of a public railroad crossing tells a driver to do what?

   Correct answer: Slow down, watch and listen for a train, and get ready to halt before the crossing

   The advance warning sign alerts you that tracks are coming, so you should reduce speed, watch and listen for a train, and be ready to halt at the crossing if one is near.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.15: Railroad-Highway Crossings

5. 5. At a crossbuck, a small sign mounted below it displaying a number tells the driver what?

   Correct answer: How many separate tracks the crossing covers

   When a crossing spans more than one set of tracks, a plate beneath the crossbuck states how many tracks are present so you know to check each one.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.15: Railroad-Highway Crossings

6. 6. On long mountain downgrades, roadside signs are posted to point drivers toward what feature?

   Correct answer: Runaway-vehicle escape ramps

   Escape ramps are built on many steep grades to stop runaway vehicles safely, and signs mark where each ramp is located so drivers can find them in an emergency.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.16: Mountain Driving

7. 7. What does the X-shaped crossbuck sign at a highway-rail grade crossing require you to do?

   Correct answer: Give the right-of-way to any train that is approaching

   A crossbuck marks the grade crossing itself and functions like a yield sign, meaning any approaching train has the right-of-way over highway traffic.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.15: Railroad-Highway Crossings

8. 8. Hazardous-materials placards mounted on the outside of a commercial vehicle are what shape?

   Correct answer: Diamond-shaped signs standing on one point

   Placards are square signs turned to stand on one point, giving them a diamond shape, and they carry the hazard class of the cargo.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.23: Hazardous Materials Rules

9. 9. When a load requires placards, how many identical placards must the vehicle display and where?

   Correct answer: Four total — front, rear, and one on each side

   A placarded vehicle must show at least four matching placards, positioned so one is readable from the front, one from the rear, and one on each side.

   Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.23: Hazardous Materials Rules

10. 10. A slow-moving vehicle such as a tractor or piece of farm equipment may display a warning emblem shaped like which of the following?

    Correct answer: A triangle with a red border and an orange middle

    The slow-moving vehicle symbol is a triangle with a red reflective border and an orange fluorescent center, warning that the vehicle ahead travels well below normal speeds.

    Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.8: Seeing Hazards

11. 11. Before a long mountain grade, warning signs most often tell drivers what information about the road ahead?

    Correct answer: How long and how steep the coming grade is

    Grade warning signs indicate the length and steepness of the descent so drivers can pick a low gear and a safe speed before starting down.

    Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.16: Mountain Driving

12. 12. Which hazard class number is shown on placards for corrosive loads such as battery fluid or hydrochloric acid?

    Correct answer: Class 8

    Corrosives are grouped as hazard Class 8; examples in the manual include battery fluid and hydrochloric acid.

    Source: Massachusetts CDL Manual — Section 2.23: Hazardous Materials Rules