You are in a roundabout when an ambulance approaches. What should you do?

Exit, pass the island, pull over

Speed around the circle twice more

Reverse out the way you came in

Ontario Class D (DZ): Off-track, turns, clearances and backing

Wheelbase and off-track, right and left turns, curves and roundabouts, the 4.15 m height limit, truck bans and safe straight backing with a guide.

No sign-up
Every answer explained
Independent · not a government site

19 questions
Topic drill

0/19

Off-track, turns, clearances and backing · Question 1Score 0/0

Where should you avoid stopping or parking?

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

Study reference: MTO Truck Handbook (online edition, 2026), Ch. 2 Driving — classes A and D — Turns, clearances, backing

All 19 questions in this test

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

Where should you avoid stopping or parking?
1. In a highway rest area
2. On the right shoulder when needed
3. In a marked truck parking bay
4. Behind a vehicle about to reverse
From which part of the lane should you approach a curve in a large truck?
1. The inside of the lane
2. The outside of the lane
3. The centre line
4. The shoulder
You are in a roundabout when an ambulance approaches. What should you do?
1. Stop at once inside the circle
2. Exit, pass the island, pull over
3. Speed around the circle twice more
4. Reverse out the way you came in
Leaving a customer's lot onto a busy road, which way does the handbook prefer you enter traffic?
1. Backing out into traffic
2. Whichever way is quicker
3. Driving forward into traffic
4. Backing out with flashers only
A sign bans trucks on a road on weekends. What must you do?
1. Ignore it if lightly loaded
2. Use flashers and proceed
3. Obey it and use another route
4. Drive under 40 km/h
Your truck has a back-up alarm. Does it remove your responsibility when reversing?
1. Only with a guide present
2. Only in daylight
3. Yes, the alarm warns everyone
4. No, the driver stays responsible
How should you back a truck according to the handbook's precautions?
1. Using only the backup camera
2. Quickly, to clear traffic sooner
3. Slowly, with mirrors and a guide
4. With all the windows closed
Your truck's rear wheels keep riding up on corner curbs. What should you do?
1. Use the sidewalk on purpose
2. Turn faster to finish more quickly
3. Go further in before turning
4. Turn the wheel sooner and sharper
If you must use part of another lane to make a sharp turn, whose job is it to do it safely?
1. Yours, the driver's
2. The police's
3. No one's
4. Other drivers' only
Why is turning a heavy straight truck different from turning a car?
1. The steering works in reverse
2. The rear wheels cut inside
3. The truck pivots on its centre
4. The front wheels slide outward
On a right-hand curve your rear wheels keep dropping onto the shoulder. What should you change?
1. Brake hard in the middle of the curve
2. Speed up through the rest of the curve
3. Drive nearer the right edge of the road
4. Front wheels nearer the lane's left
Before entering a two-lane roundabout, a large truck may need to do what?
1. Use the shoulder
2. Occupy both lanes
3. Stop and reverse
4. Sound its horn
Two straight trucks make the same turn. Which one off-tracks more?
1. The one with the heavier load
2. The one with air brakes
3. The one with the longer wheelbase
4. The one with wider tires
How does the radius of the rear wheels' path compare with the front wheels'?
1. It changes with speed only
2. It is the same
3. It is longer
4. It is shorter
While straight backing, the rear drifts left. What should you do?
1. Stop and walk away
2. Keep going and finish fast
3. Correct the alignment gently
4. Turn the wheel hard right
For a tight right turn, which lane of the street you are entering might you need to use?
1. The bike lane
2. Only the curb lane
3. The second lane
4. The opposite sidewalk
What is the maximum legal vehicle height in Ontario?
1. 4.5 m
2. 4.15 m
3. 3.9 m
4. 5.0 m
Why do drivers new to a truck often brake hard in curves?
1. Curve speeds are posted too low
2. They misjudge safe curve speed
3. Their brakes are always too weak
4. Trucks cannot downshift in curves
Turning left at an island, what can hit a sign post if you do not watch it?
1. Your roof lights
2. The rear of your truck
3. Your front bumper only
4. Your side mirror only

Off-track, turns, clearances and backing: 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 ↗

Turns and steering

In a turn, the rear wheels of a truck follow a shorter path than the front wheels; allow for it so you do not hit vehicles or fixed objects.
Rear wheels do not pivot, so they cut inside the front wheels' path; this is off-track.
The longer the wheelbase (distance between front and rear axles), the greater the off-track.
On a curve to the right, keep the front wheels near the left side of your lane so the rear wheels do not drop off the pavement.
On a curve to the left, keep the front wheels near the right edge so the rear wheels stay out of the opposing lane.
If possible do not change lanes to turn; if you must use part of another lane, make sure it is safe.

Right turns

Lead the turning arc according to your off-track, or the rear wheels will ride over curbs and sidewalks.
Drive well into the intersection before turning if needed; take space from the road you are leaving rather than the one you are entering.
Depending on the vehicle and lane width you may have to cross the centre line or use the second lane of the street you enter.
When you block another lane, make sure cyclists and small vehicles are not moving up on your right.

Left turns

Use the left mirror to watch the rear wheels so they do not hit vehicles or signs on islands.
Finish just right of the centre line and move right when safe.

On the road test

Approach a curve from the outside part of the lane so the rear wheels do not cut across the inside.
Inexperienced drivers often misjudge safe curve speed; too much speed before the curve forces hard braking.

Roundabouts

Large trucks may need the whole roadway in a roundabout, including the mountable central apron; give them room.
If an emergency vehicle comes while you are in a roundabout, continue to your exit and pull over past the island.

Clearances

You must know your vehicle's height and width; the maximum legal height in Ontario is 4.15 m.
Obey clearance signs at bridges and underpasses, and remember snow, ice, floods and road repairs can reduce clearance.
Obey signs that ban trucks from certain highways, times or days.

Backing

Plan your route to avoid backing; drive out into traffic rather than backing into it.
Do not stop or park behind a vehicle that may soon reverse.
When backing into a driveway from the road, you are responsible for taking every precaution.
Before backing, turn off the phone and radio, open the windows, turn on the four-way flashers, sound the horn and walk around to check for overhead wires, pedestrians and objects.
Straight backing is the easiest and safest manoeuvre: line the vehicle up, keep the wheels straight, watch both mirrors and correct any drift.
Use a guide when possible: they should stand where you can see them and they can see the area behind.
Back-up alarms do not take away the driver's responsibility.

Study the Off-track, turns, clearances and backing rules as flashcards →