Canada Exam Prep
Ontario Class D (DZ) overview

Ontario Class D (DZ): Fuel-efficient driving, HOV and branding

Warm-up times, progressive shifting, idling, tire pressure and route choice, HOV lane rules for trucks and the Mandatory Vehicle Branding Program.

  • 19 questions
  • Topic drill
0/19
Fuel-efficient driving, HOV and branding · Question 1Score 0/0

After the warm-up idle, how should you start driving?

Study reference: MTO Truck Handbook (online edition, 2026), Ch. 7 Additional information — Driving efficiently, HOV lanes, vehicle branding

All 19 questions in this test

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

  1. After the warm-up idle, how should you start driving?

    1. At full power to finish warming
    2. Gently, without hard throttle
    3. With the engine brake on
    4. In neutral down a hill

  2. A 6-m cube van with two people aboard wants the HOV lane. Is it allowed?

    1. Yes, under 6.5 m with 2+ people
    2. Only with 3 or more people
    3. Only at night
    4. No, all trucks are banned

  3. About how much fuel can a big truck engine burn idling at 900 rpm?

    1. Up to 10 litres an hour
    2. Up to 1 litre a day
    3. Almost none
    4. Up to 4 litres an hour

  4. At about what rpm can newer diesel engines be upshifted?

    1. About 2,000 rpm
    2. About 1,000 rpm
    3. About 1,600 rpm
    4. About 2,500 rpm

  5. How often are Ontario's provincial HOV lanes in effect?

    1. In the summer months only
    2. At all times
    3. On weekdays only
    4. During rush hours only

  6. Which vehicle may use an HOV lane with only the driver aboard?

    1. A green-plate electric vehicle
    2. A single-occupant pick-up
    3. A Class D dump truck
    4. A tractor-trailer

  7. How should you start a diesel truck to save fuel?

    1. Zero throttle, no-throttle gear
    2. Pump the throttle three times
    3. Start it in the top gear
    4. Hold the throttle wide open

  8. What separates an HOV lane from the general lanes?

    1. A concrete wall
    2. A grass median
    3. Nothing at all
    4. A striped buffer

  9. Which route is usually most fuel efficient for a truck?

    1. A steep mountain shortcut
    2. A two-lane road through each village
    3. A flat highway bypassing towns
    4. The shortest route through downtown

  10. How much can snow-covered roads raise fuel use?

    1. 1 to 2 per cent
    2. 50 per cent
    3. 15 to 20 per cent
    4. It has no effect

  11. At 15°C, how long should a truck warm up after a cold start?

    1. 3 to 5 minutes
    2. Up to 1 minute
    3. 15 to 20 minutes
    4. 7 to 10 minutes

  12. Going down a gentle hill, how can you save fuel?

    1. Ride the brakes
    2. Back off the accelerator
    3. Keep steady throttle
    4. Shift into neutral

  13. Which engine speed range saves the most fuel on the highway?

    1. Highest gear, low revs
    2. Low gear, high revs
    3. Neutral when possible
    4. Maximum governed rpm

  14. A truck branded "Salvage" has been repaired. What brand can it earn after passing a structural inspection?

    1. Certified
    2. None
    3. Rebuilt
    4. Irreparable

  15. A used truck's brand reads "None". What does that tell you?

    1. It was rebuilt after a crash
    2. It has never been damaged
    3. It is unsafe to drive
    4. No Ontario brand applied

  16. With no insurance claim, who determines the brand for a badly damaged truck?

    1. The driver of the truck
    2. The police officer at the scene
    3. A Type 6 station mechanic
    4. Any licensed used-car dealer

  17. How should your tires be inflated for best fuel economy?

    1. As low as safely possible
    2. 10 psi below the maximum
    3. As the tire maker says
    4. Based on the load only

  18. How should you use ether when the engine is hard to start?

    1. Freely, every start
    2. Only with the engine running
    3. Sparingly
    4. Never in winter

  19. What should you do with the retarder when you don't need it?

    1. Use it instead of the clutch
    2. Turn it off
    3. Leave it on always
    4. Use it to hold speed uphill

Fuel-efficient driving, HOV and branding: 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 ↗

Starting and warm-up

  • Start with zero throttle in a gear that needs no throttle; pumping the throttle wastes fuel and can damage cylinder walls.
  • Use ether sparingly for hard starts; too much can harm the engine.
  • Warm up 3 to 5 minutes, or 7 to 10 minutes below 0°C, without revving; then drive gently until fully warm.
  • Make sure oil and air pressure are in their normal ranges during start-up.

On the road

  • Back off the accelerator going downhill and let gravity and momentum work.
  • Use cruise control where appropriate.
  • Progressive shifting means shifting before the engine reaches maximum governed rpm, around 1,600 rpm; it saves fuel, wear and noise.
  • Newer diesel engines can be downshifted at about 1,200 rpm and upshifted at about 1,600 rpm.
  • Turn the engine off whenever you stop for any length of time; an idling heavy truck engine can burn up to about four litres an hour at 900 rpm.
  • Lower average speed saves fuel; snow-covered roads can raise fuel use by 15 to 20 per cent.
  • Inflate tires to the tire maker's recommendation; under-inflation wastes about 1 per cent of fuel for every 10 psi.
  • Flat, multi-lane highways and routes that bypass towns and rush hour use less fuel than city or hilly routes.

HOV lanes

  • HOV lanes on provincial highways are open 24 hours a day for vehicles with at least two people, buses, licensed taxis, green-plate vehicles, airport limousines, motorcycles and emergency vehicles.
  • Large trucks are not allowed in HOV lanes, whatever the number of occupants.
  • A commercial vehicle may use the HOV lane only if it carries two or more people and is less than 6.5 m long.
  • Do not cross the striped buffer between the HOV lane and general lanes; misuse can bring a ticket.

Mandatory Vehicle Branding Program

  • Insurers, fleet self-insurers, auctioneers, importers, salvagers and used-vehicle dealers must brand severely damaged or written-off vehicles.
  • "None" means no Ontario brand has ever been applied; it does not prove the vehicle was never damaged.
  • "Irreparable": parts or scrap only, can never be driven in Ontario. "Salvage": can be rebuilt but cannot be registered as fit to drive.
  • "Rebuilt": a former salvage vehicle that passed a structural inspection; it can be registered as fit after a safety standards certificate.
  • If no insurer settles the claim, the brand is determined by an authorized mechanic at a Type 6 inspection station.
  • Trailers, farm tractors, mopeds and vehicles of model year 1980 or earlier are exempt.

Study the Fuel-efficient driving, HOV and branding rules as flashcards →

Other topics

Full practice tests