How far from a railway crossing should you stop when you must stop?

At least 30 m from the crossing

Who is usually responsible for a crash that happens while backing?

Responsibility is always shared

BC Class 1–4: Basic commercial driving skills

Following distance, danger zones, off track and turns, curves, roundabouts, backing, mirrors, emergency vehicles, double-clutching, railway crossings and night driving.

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Basic commercial driving skills · Question 1Score 0/0

Which vehicle must stop at every uncontrolled main railway crossing in B.C.?

Tip: press 1–4 to answer and Enter for the next question.

Study reference: Driving Commercial Vehicles (ICBC, 2024 edition), Ch. 3 Basic driving skills — Sharing the road, Manoeuvring, Backing up, Seeing and being seen, Shifting gears, Crossings

All 18 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

Which vehicle must stop at every uncontrolled main railway crossing in B.C.?
1. A taxi carrying passengers
2. A dump truck carrying gravel
3. An empty flat-deck trailer
4. A bus carrying passengers
What increases off track on a combination vehicle?
1. Lower tire pressure
2. Slower steering input
3. A longer wheelbase or drawbar
4. A shorter trailer
What is the minimum following time for a taxi, limousine or ambulance in good conditions?
1. One second
2. Two seconds
3. Four seconds
4. Five seconds
How far from a railway crossing should you stop when you must stop?
1. 5 to 15 m from the crossing
2. Right at the crossing arm
3. 1 to 3 m from the nearest rail
4. At least 30 m from the crossing
Who is usually responsible for a crash that happens while backing?
1. The driver who was backing
2. The other driver
3. The guide
4. Responsibility is always shared
Why must drivers of most heavy manual transmissions double-clutch?
1. The law requires it in town
2. Most lack synchromesh
3. It cools the transmission
4. It saves fuel on hills
How can you shrink your danger zone when a hazard is developing?
1. Slow down and cover the brake pedal
2. Turn on the four-way flashers
3. Speed up to get past it
4. Change lanes repeatedly
There are two left-turn lanes. Which one should a large vehicle use?
1. The right-hand turn lane
2. Either lane
3. Neither; go around the block
4. The left-hand turn lane
Which vehicles should display the slow-moving vehicle sign?
1. Vehicles parked on the shoulder
2. All vehicles on a steep hill
3. Any truck over 4,600 kg
4. Vehicles travelling under 40 km/h
Without a guide, how often should you check around the vehicle while backing?
1. Every 50 metres of backing
2. Only once, just before you start to back up
3. Before backing and every vehicle length
4. Only when you hear something
How do convex (spot) mirrors make objects look?
1. Exactly life-size
2. Smaller and farther away
3. Upside down
4. Larger and closer
The limit is 90 km/h and you pass a stopped tow truck with flashing lights. What is your maximum speed?
1. 80 km/h
2. 70 km/h
3. 60 km/h
4. 40 km/h
When should you dim to low beams?
1. At least 50 m from any oncoming traffic you can see
2. Only in town
3. Only when oncoming drivers flash you
4. At least 150 m from other vehicles
In a curve to the right, where should you keep the front wheels?
1. Close to the centre line
2. In the middle of the lane
3. On the right shoulder
4. Close to the right edge
To turn right you must swing into the oncoming lane, but a car is coming. What should you do?
1. Let it pass or stop; do not back up
2. Cut the corner over the curb
3. Back up to give it room
4. Sound the horn and continue
May a large truck drive over the centre apron of a roundabout?
1. No, it is a pedestrian area
2. Only with a police escort
3. Yes, it is built for large vehicles
4. Only when the roundabout is empty
On a highway, how much space should you leave between your large commercial vehicle and another large commercial vehicle?
1. At least 150 m (500 ft)
2. At least 20 m (65 ft)
3. At least 60 m (200 ft)
4. At least one vehicle length
When is the most dangerous moment of a right turn in a tractor-trailer?
1. When you shift gears before the corner
2. When the tractor has turned but the trailer has not
3. When you first signal and check your mirrors before turning
4. Once the unit is straight again

Basic commercial driving skills: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Following distance and traffic flow (p. 29–31)

Following-distance rules are for ideal conditions; increase the gap for poor road, vehicle, driver, traffic, light or weather conditions.
Taxi, limousine, ride-hailing vehicle, ambulance or van: at least two seconds; leave more when following a motorcycle.
Bus, truck or other heavy vehicle: at least five seconds.
Driving faster than the flow means shorter gaps, more lane changes (more decisions to get wrong) and quicker fatigue.
Driving slower than the flow invites tailgating and risky passes; a large vehicle that cannot keep up must use the right lane.
Tailgaters in the blind spot behind you may be invisible; let them pass, and stop gradually so any impact is smaller.
On a highway, leave at least 60 m (200 ft) between your large commercial vehicle and other large commercial vehicles.
Use the right lane when slower than traffic on hills where a passing lane is provided; let vehicles pass on a one-lane road as soon as it is safe.
Four-way flashers when driving slowly up or down a hill are a good safety practice.
Vehicles travelling under 40 km/h should show the red triangle slow-moving vehicle sign; never put it on a stationary object or a vehicle going faster than 40 km/h.

Construction zones and danger zones (p. 32–33)

In construction zones you may have to wait for a pilot car; keep a long following gap and avoid changing lanes.
The danger zone is the stretch of road you travel through before you can stop; you cannot avoid anything already in it.
The danger zone grows with speed and with rain, snow, ice or gravel.
Shrink the danger zone by slowing down and by covering the brake pedal when a hazard is developing, which cuts reaction time.

Manoeuvring, turning radius and off track (p. 33–35)

Conventional cab: driver behind the steering axle; cab-over: driver above it; forward-control: driver in front of it; each changes where you start a turn.
The inside front wheel turns more sharply (shorter radius) than the outside one.
Off track is the difference between the paths of the front and rear wheels in a turn.
Longer wheelbase means more off track; a combination usually off-tracks more than a single unit.
Longer drawbars and a fifth wheel mounted farther back increase off track.
Inertia keeps a vehicle going straight in a curve; more speed and more weight mean more push away from the curve.
Braking too hard after entering a curve too fast can cause a skid, rollover or jackknife; slow before the curve and apply gentle power through it.

Curves, bridges and turns (p. 36–40)

Right curve: keep the front wheels close to the centre line so the rear wheels stay on the pavement.
Left curve: keep the front wheels near the right edge of the lane so the rear wheels stay out of the next lane.
Before a narrow bridge with a curved approach, adjust speed and line using your known off track.
The most dangerous moment of a right turn is when the tractor has turned but the trailer has not, and the right mirror is nearly useless.
If you must swing into the oncoming lane to turn right, let oncoming traffic pass or stop; do not back up for them.
Keep the rear of the vehicle close to the curb in a right turn so nobody can pass on the right.
Sharp right turn in a forward-control vehicle such as a bus: approach one to two metres from the curb, drive straight until the side-street curb shows through the front entrance door, then turn slowly.
Use hand-over-hand steering for big turns; never grip the inside of the wheel.
With two left-turn lanes, a large vehicle should turn from the right-hand turn lane.
Traffic circles and roundabouts: slow down, yield to traffic already in the circle, yield to a vehicle on your right if you arrive together, travel counter-clockwise.
Large trucks and buses may encroach on the centre median (truck apron) of a traffic circle to get through.
In a multi-lane roundabout a large vehicle may need more than one lane; signal right before your exit.

Backing up (p. 41–44)

With few exceptions you are responsible for a crash while backing.
Avoid backing; plan to minimize distance; use a guide when possible.
Without a guide, walk around the vehicle before backing and repeat every vehicle length; sound the horn at least once every vehicle length.
Back out of traffic into a space rather than into traffic; back toward the view (driver's) side, not the blind side.
The guide must have a clear view of the path and you must see the guide throughout.
A series of short backing moves is safer than one long one.

Seeing and being seen, lanes and emergency vehicles (p. 44–46)

Large vehicles have a blind area right in front; the longer the hood, the bigger it is; the passenger side and directly behind are also blind.
Convex (spot) mirrors make objects look smaller and farther away.
A "stale" green light has been green for a while and may change; be ready to stop.
On a multi-lane divided highway the right lane is best; on freeways drive in the right or centre lane.
For emergency vehicles with flashing red or blue lights and sirens: pull parallel to the nearest edge, stop clear of intersections, stay stopped until they pass; on a divided highway the nearest edge may be the left shoulder.
Passing a stopped vehicle with flashing lights: maximum 70 km/h where the limit is 80 km/h or more, maximum 40 km/h where it is under 80 km/h, and move out of the adjacent lane if safe.
The slow-down rule does not apply on a divided highway to vehicles on the opposite side.

Shifting gears (p. 46–49)

Most heavy manual transmissions lack synchromesh, so drivers must double-clutch (press the clutch twice per shift).
Upshift: off throttle, clutch and neutral, release clutch, let r.p.m. fall, clutch and shift up, release clutch while accelerating.
Downshift: off throttle, clutch and neutral, release clutch, raise r.p.m. with the accelerator, clutch and shift down, release clutch.
Operate between peak torque (lower r.p.m.) and peak horsepower (higher r.p.m.), the normal operating range.
Lugging is running the engine below peak torque for any length of time.
If a gear will not engage after waiting in neutral, do not force it: neutral, release clutch, match engine speed to road speed, try again.
A governor controls fuel and engine speed; it lets you start on level ground or grades without throttle.
If you need throttle to move off with a loaded diesel, you should be in a lower gear.
Before a curve, slow and downshift so you can pull through the curve under power.

Passing, being passed and parking (p. 49–51)

Large vehicles create turbulence in front, beside the cab and at the rear of the trailer that can push cyclists and small vehicles around; slow down until they are clear.
A truck passing another truck at nearly the same speed can congest traffic; avoid needless use of the fast lane.
Do not wave other drivers past; reduce speed and give them room when they want to pass.
Parking: set tractor and trailer parking brakes; lowest forward gear facing uphill, reverse facing downhill, park for an automatic; with two-speed axle in low range.
If a trailer has no spring brakes, apply trailer brakes and block the wheels; air can bleed down and release them.
Never use the trailer hand valve to hold an unattended unit.
Single unit uphill with curb: wheels left toward the centre; uphill without curb: wheels right toward the edge.
Tractor-trailer uphill (curb or not): wheels left toward the centre; any vehicle facing downhill: wheels right toward the edge.
Block the wheels of any large vehicle parked on even a slight grade; spring brakes work only if brakes are adjusted.
After highway driving, three to five minutes of idling may be needed to cool the engine; longer wastes fuel.

Crossings and railway crossings (p. 51–54)

Do not assume you have the right-of-way even with signs or lights; give the right-of-way rather than using your size to take it.
Do not change lanes or pass approaching or in an intersection.
Leaving an alley, lane or side road: stop before the sidewalk area, yield to pedestrians and highway traffic; the maximum speed in a lane or alley is 20 km/h unless posted.
At a railway crossing, stop 5 to 15 m from the crossing, look and listen (open the window or bus door), and do not shift gears while crossing.
Do not park within 15 m of the nearest rail; never cross when the gate is down.
Must stop at every uncontrolled main railway crossing: school buses carrying children, buses carrying passengers, vehicles carrying explosive, poisonous or flammable cargo, and vehicles carrying combustible or corrosive liquids or LPG, empty or loaded.
Uncontrolled main crossings exclude industrial tracks in business or residential districts and spur lines.
Make sure the track is clear far enough for at least 10 seconds to cross, more with multiple tracks or a long vehicle, and that there is room on the far side.
Humpback crossings can hang up low-bed trailers and catch low equipment like dolly wheels and tool boxes.
Rural crossings: steeper approaches, higher snowbanks, brush, fewer automatic warnings, more humpbacks.

Acts of nature (p. 55–56)

About one in 25 crashes involve wildlife; be alert at dusk and dawn and in spring and fall; one animal may mean a herd.
If a large animal cannot be avoided, brake firmly, steer to hit it at an angle and ease off the brake just before impact so the front rises.
In ice and snow test steering and brakes at slow speed, use light brake pressure and smooth steering.
Do not use the recirculate setting in cold weather; it can fog windows.
Headlights on high beam light about 100 m; a loaded truck at 80 km/h can need more than 100 m to stop.
Dim to low beam at least 150 m from vehicles you approach or follow; driving at night on parking lights only is illegal.
If an oncoming driver keeps high beams on, slow down and look to the right edge of the road instead of flashing your lights.

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