Hazardous Materials · Section 9.3

Hazmat shipping papers and placards: CDL practice questions

Section 9.3 covers how hazardous materials are described on shipping papers, how packages are marked and labeled, and when a vehicle must carry placards. It is the largest chapter of the HazMat test.

Examlane has 70 questions on this chapter. Ten are below; open one to see the answer and why. The rest are in the practice tests.

Practice this chapter

1. Which of these is a shipping paper?
1. A package label
2. A bill of lading
3. A vehicle placard
4. A driver inspection report
Answer: B. A bill of lading
Shipping orders, bills of lading, and manifests all count as shipping papers.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
2. Along with a correct description of the material, what must shippers include on shipping papers?
1. An emergency response telephone number
2. The driver's license number
3. The carrier's tax identification number
4. The vehicle's license plate number
Answer: A. An emergency response telephone number
On the shipping papers, shippers must give a correct description of the hazardous materials, along with an emergency response telephone number.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
3. While you are driving, where may you keep hazardous materials shipping papers?
1. In a locked box in the cargo area
2. In the sleeper berth under the mattress
3. Mailed ahead to the receiver
4. In a pouch mounted on the driver's door
Answer: D. In a pouch mounted on the driver's door
A pouch on the driver's door is an approved place, so rescuers can find the papers quickly.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
4. You leave your truck. Where should the hazardous materials shipping papers be?
1. In the glove box
2. On the driver's seat
3. In the trailer's document tube
4. In the engine compartment
Answer: B. On the driver's seat
When you are out of the vehicle, the papers belong on the driver's seat where responders can find them fast.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
5. Where must the required emergency response information be kept?
1. In the shipper's office
2. In a separate envelope in the cargo area
3. With the shipping papers
4. In the trailer's toolbox
Answer: C. With the shipping papers
The emergency response information must stay with the shipping papers, and the hazardous materials papers should be easy to find.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
6. Why is it important to find hazardous materials shipping papers quickly after a crash?
1. Firefighters and police can limit harm if they know the cargo
2. The carrier can bill the shipper sooner
3. The shipper can start repacking the load right away at the scene
4. The insurance company can set the driver's rates for the year
Answer: A. Firefighters and police can limit harm if they know the cargo
You may be hurt and unable to speak, so responders need the papers to learn what is being carried and limit harm.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
7. Gasoline belongs to which hazardous materials class?
1. Class 2, gases
2. Class 4, flammable solids
3. Class 8, corrosives
4. Class 3, flammable liquids
Answer: D. Class 3, flammable liquids
Gasoline is the example given for Class 3, flammable liquids.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
8. Battery fluid is an example of which type of hazardous material?
1. Oxidizers
2. Corrosives
3. Infectious substances
4. Flammable solids
Answer: B. Corrosives
Battery fluid is the example given for Class 8, corrosives.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.1 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
9. A compressed gas cylinder is too small to hold a hazard label. What may the shipper do?
1. Leave the cylinder unlabeled
2. Put the label on the driver's door of the vehicle instead
3. Put the label on a tag fastened to the package
4. Write the hazard class on the shipping paper only
Answer: C. Put the label on a tag fastened to the package
If a package is too small for the diamond label, the shipper can put the label on a tag that is firmly fastened to it.
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.2 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.
10. About how big is a hazardous materials placard?
1. About 4 inches on each side
2. About 10 inches on each side
3. About 2 feet on each side
4. About 3 feet on each side
Answer: B. About 10 inches on each side
Placards are diamond-shaped signs about 10 inches on each side; current federal rules set the minimum at 250 mm (9.84 inches).
Based on: CDL manual, Section 9.3.3 (Georgia edition of the national model manual, read 2026-10-24). Question in our own words.

Read the chapter itself in your state's CDL manual, Section 9.3. Your state's manual is free: find it in the state table.