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TDG: Shipping documents

What a TDG shipping document must contain and in what order, the 24-hour number, the consignor's certification, where the driver or crew keeps it, and how long consignors and carriers keep copies.

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Shipping documents · Question 1Score 0/0

A shipping document lists both dangerous and non-dangerous goods. Which option meets the Regulations?

Study reference: TDG Act and Regulations (current to 2026-09-30), Ch. 4 Documentation — Part 3, ss. 3.1–3.11

All 14 questions in this test

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

  1. A shipping document lists both dangerous and non-dangerous goods. Which option meets the Regulations?

    1. Listing them in any order with no special marking
    2. Listing the dangerous goods last, in smaller print, under "Other"
    3. Placing the dangerous goods on the back of the page
    4. Listing the dangerous goods first under the heading "Dangerous Goods"

  2. A driver is in the truck cab with dangerous goods on board. Where must the shipping document be?

    1. In the glove box, locked away from view
    2. In the trailer, in a holder next to the dangerous goods themselves
    3. At the dispatch office, ready to be faxed
    4. In a pocket on the driver's door or within the driver's reach

  3. What must the consignor's certification on a shipping document include?

    1. The name and signature of the carrier's driver
    2. The serial number of every container in the load
    3. The carrier's insurance policy number
    4. The name of the individual making the certification

  4. A train is stopped and no crew member is present. Where must the shipping document be kept?

    1. In the first locomotive
    2. At the nearest station office
    3. In the tank car itself
    4. In the last car of the train

  5. When must the consignor give the carrier a shipping document?

    1. At the end of each month for all shipments
    2. Within 15 days after the goods are delivered
    3. Before the carrier takes possession of the goods
    4. Only when an inspector asks for one

  6. When an approved ERAP is required, what must appear on the shipping document?

    1. The date the driver's licence expires
    2. The ERAP index copied from Schedule 1
    3. The name, home address and licence number of the driver
    4. The ERAP reference number and the ERAP telephone number

  7. A carrier receives the shipping document by email. What must it do before taking the goods?

    1. Nothing more: an email copy is enough on the road
    2. Return the email and ask for a fax copy instead
    3. Produce a shipping document from the electronic copy
    4. Ask CANUTEC to approve the electronic copy first

  8. In which languages may TDG shipping document information be written?

    1. English only
    2. English or French
    3. Any language the carrier reads
    4. French and English together

  9. For how long must a consignor be able to produce a copy of a shipping document?

    1. Five years
    2. Two years
    3. Six months
    4. Until the goods are used

  10. What must the "24-Hour Number" on a shipping document allow a caller to do?

    1. Reach someone with technical information about the goods immediately
    2. Leave a message that the consignor returns the next business day
    3. Book an inspection appointment with a Transport Canada office near the route
    4. Report the shipment's location to the receiving customer

  11. An inspector sends a consignor a written request for a copy of an old shipping document. How long does the consignor have to provide it?

    1. 24 hours
    2. 30 days
    3. 15 days
    4. 60 days

  12. A consignor wants to use CANUTEC's number as its 24-hour number. What does it need?

    1. Written permission from CANUTEC
    2. An approved ERAP for every product
    3. A letter from its insurance company
    4. Nothing: anyone may list CANUTEC

  13. In what order must the description of each dangerous good appear on a shipping document?

    1. Packing group, shipping name, primary class, UN number, subsidiary class
    2. UN number, shipping name, primary class, subsidiary class, packing group
    3. Primary class, packing group, UN number, shipping name, subsidiary class
    4. Shipping name, UN number, packing group, primary class, subsidiary class

  14. The driver steps out of the truck for a break. Which spot is allowed for the shipping document?

    1. In the sleeper berth
    2. Inside the cargo trailer
    3. On the driver's seat
    4. Under the passenger seat

Shipping documents: 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 ↗

Consignor and carrier responsibilities (ss. 3.1–3.2)

  • Before a carrier takes the goods, the consignor must prepare a shipping document and give it to the carrier, or an electronic copy if the carrier agrees.
  • A carrier must not take possession of dangerous goods for transport without the shipping document.
  • A carrier who accepts an electronic copy must produce a shipping document from it before taking the goods.
  • When another carrier takes over, the first carrier must hand over the shipping document or a copy.
  • If quantities or the number of containers change during transport, the carrier records the change on the document or on an attached page.

Legibility and language (s. 3.4)

  • Shipping document information must be easy to find, legible, in indelible print and in English or French.
  • When dangerous and non-dangerous goods share a document, the dangerous goods must be listed first under the heading "Dangerous Goods", shown in a contrasting colour, or marked with an X in a "DG" column.

Information on a shipping document (s. 3.5)

  • The document shows the consignor's name and place of business in Canada, and the date it was prepared or first given to a carrier.
  • Each description follows this order: UN number, shipping name, primary class, compatibility group (Class 1 only), subsidiary class in parentheses, and packing group.
  • The quantity of each item is shown with its unit of measure; explosives are expressed as net explosives quantity.
  • For labelled small means of containment, the number of containers for each shipping name is shown.
  • When an ERAP is required, the ERAP reference number and the ERAP telephone number appear, each with the letters ERAP.
  • A "24-Hour Number" must appear: a phone number, with area code, where someone can give technical information about the goods immediately, without breaking the caller's connection.
  • The 24-hour number may be CANUTEC's number only with CANUTEC's written permission.
  • For empty containers holding a residue, the quantity may be crossed out and the word "Residue" or "Residue – Last Contained" used, with some exceptions (Class 2 small containers and Class 7).

Consignor's certification (s. 3.6.1)

  • After the required information, the shipping document carries a certification signed for the consignor stating the goods are properly classified, packaged, marked and in proper condition for transport.
  • The certification must show the name of the individual who makes it.

Location of the shipping document (ss. 3.7–3.10)

  • Road: while in the power unit, the driver keeps the document in a pocket on the driver's door or within reach.
  • Road: when the driver leaves the power unit, the document goes in the door pocket, on the driver's seat or somewhere clearly visible to anyone entering through the driver's door.
  • Rail: a crew member keeps the document (and the consist); with no crew present, it stays in the first locomotive.
  • Marine: the master keeps the document or a list of the goods' classification on or near the bridge.
  • Goods left in an unsupervised area during transport: the document goes in a waterproof holder attached to or near the container.

Keeping shipping documents (s. 3.11)

  • The consignor must be able to produce a copy of each shipping document for two years.
  • The consignor must provide a copy within 15 days of an inspector's written request.
  • Carriers keep a copy for two years after the goods are no longer in transport; copies may be electronic.

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