Maine Hazmat CDL Practice Test

This is a free 20-question practice test for the Hazmat portion of the Maine Commercial Driver's License knowledge exam. Questions are pulled from a pool of 68 drawn from the AAMVA CDL Manual, which is the source document the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles uses to write its actual exam.

How it works: Click an answer. The correct choice highlights in green, and you'll see a short explanation. Aim for 85% or better before you sit for the real test in Maine.

Question 1 of 20

Bulk packaging of certain corrosives requires:

No special markings
Display of the proper shipping name on each side and the four-digit ID number on each side and end
Only one placard
Painted red

Correct. Bulk packaging of corrosives, like other hazmat, requires shipping name on the sides and ID-number marking on each side and end.

Question 2 of 20

Hazardous materials are products that:

Are heavier than normal cargo
Pose a risk to health, safety, or property during transportation
Can only be hauled at night
Require a special trailer color

Correct. Hazardous materials (hazmat) are products that pose a risk to health, safety, or property during transportation. Hazmat regulations are codified in 49 CFR.

Question 3 of 20

Hazard Class 1 is:

Flammable liquids
Explosives
Corrosives
Radioactive materials

Correct. Class 1 covers explosives, divided into divisions 1.1 through 1.6 by mass-explosion and projection hazard.

Question 4 of 20

Placards must be at least how many inches on each side?

10.75 inches (273 mm)
5 inches
15 inches
20 inches

Correct. Placards are diamond-shaped, at least 250 mm (about 10.75 inches) on each side.

Question 5 of 20

Who is responsible for proper hazmat packaging and labeling?

The shipper
The driver
The carrier
The consignee

Correct. The shipper packages, labels, and certifies the materials. The carrier and driver verify and refuse non-compliant shipments.

Question 6 of 20

Where can a hazmat-placarded vehicle never be parked?

On private property
Within 5 feet of the traveled portion of a roadway, except briefly for vehicle operation
Anywhere
At a truck stop

Correct. Never park within 5 feet of the traveled portion of a road. Avoid populated areas, near open fires, and near places where people congregate.

Question 7 of 20

A driver of a hazmat-loaded vehicle must check the tires:

Once before the trip
At the start of the trip and every time the vehicle is parked
Only at fueling
Never

Correct. Hazmat drivers must check tires at the beginning and again each time the vehicle is parked. A flat or smoking tire must be addressed before continuing.

Question 8 of 20

When refueling a hazmat-loaded vehicle:

Leave the engine running
Turn off the engine, do not smoke, and someone must control the fueling process
Smoke if you are far enough away
It does not matter

Correct. Engine off, no smoking within 25 feet of the vehicle being fueled, and someone must be in control of the fueling at the nozzle.

Question 9 of 20

Placards are required when:

Any amount of a Table 1 material is loaded, or 1,001+ lbs total of any combination of Table 2 materials
Any cargo is loaded
Only flammables are loaded
Only at the driver's discretion

Correct. Table 1 materials always require placards (any amount). Table 2 materials require placards when 1,001 pounds or more of any combination is loaded.

Question 10 of 20

Class 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives must be parked:

Anywhere
In an attended location with a qualified person within 100 feet, awake and able to see the vehicle
At a school
At a gas station

Correct. Division 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 explosives, and Division 2.3 or 6.1 PIH cargo, must have an attended-vehicle (qualified person within 100 feet, awake, able to see the vehicle).

Question 11 of 20

When loading a vehicle with hazardous materials, you should:

Set the parking brake, chock the wheels, turn off the engine
Leave the engine running
Smoke if outside the cab
Skip the brake check

Correct. Set the parking brake, chock wheels of cargo tank vehicles, and shut off the engine before loading or unloading flammables.

Question 12 of 20

A vehicle that has been transporting hazmat may need to be:

Decontaminated and re-placarded as required after unloading
Painted
Sold
Inspected by USCG

Correct. After unloading, the vehicle may need decontamination depending on the cargo. Placards may need to be removed unless residue still requires them.

Question 13 of 20

When unloading flammable liquids from a cargo tank, the driver should:

Bond and ground the tank to the receiving container to prevent static-spark ignition
Disconnect the ground
Smoke
Run the engine

Correct. Bonding and grounding equalizes electrical potential between the tank and receiving container, preventing static-spark ignition during product transfer.

Question 14 of 20

You discover a leak in a Class 3 (flammable liquid) shipment. You should:

Continue driving until you find a safe place
Stop, secure the area, notify emergency services, do not transfer cargo on the road, do not move the vehicle further than necessary
Drive faster to deliver the load
Open the placards

Correct. Stop in a safe location, secure the area, call 911, and notify your dispatcher. Do not transfer cargo by the side of the road.

Question 15 of 20

When loading hazmat that requires segregation, the driver must:

Refuse to mix incompatible materials in the same vehicle, per the segregation table
Mix them anyway
Load whatever fits
Stack on top

Correct. The segregation table in 49 CFR §177.848 lists which classes cannot be loaded together. Refusing improperly mixed loads is the driver's responsibility.

Question 16 of 20

A hazmat carrier with hazmat cargo must conduct security awareness training:

Once at hire
Once every 3 years for each driver
Annually
Never

Correct. PHMSA requires re-training every three years, including security awareness and the carrier's in-depth security plan if applicable.

Question 17 of 20

Hazmat marking on a non-bulk package includes:

Proper shipping name and UN/NA number
Just the weight
Just the destination
Color only

Correct. Non-bulk markings include the proper shipping name and UN/NA identification number, plus consignor/consignee information.

Question 18 of 20

You must notify your dispatcher and the carrier whenever:

You receive any traffic ticket
Any hazmat incident occurs
Anytime you stop
Anytime you fuel

Correct. Hazmat incidents — spillage, fire, contamination, injury, evacuation, or property damage — require immediate carrier notification.

Question 19 of 20

When you stop at a railroad crossing in a placarded hazmat vehicle, you must stop:

On the tracks
Between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail
Anywhere
Only if a train is visible

Correct. Placarded hazmat vehicles must stop at every railroad crossing 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail. Look and listen for trains.

Question 20 of 20

A leaking package of hazmat:

Should be immediately driven to the destination
Must not be transported; secure and report
Should be wrapped in plastic
Should be ignored

Correct. Never transport a leaking package. Secure the area, report to the carrier, contact emergency services if the leak poses immediate danger.

About the Maine Hazmat exam

Most states administer 30 Hazmat questions and require 80% to pass. The exam covers hazard classes, the shipping paper, placards and labels, loading and unloading, driving and parking rules, emergency response, and the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).

The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles follows the federal CDL standards established by FMCSA. To earn the Hazmat credential, you must answer at least 80% of the questions correctly. Many candidates score lower the first time because the test pulls from a large pool — refreshing this page will give you a different mix of questions, drawn from the same authoritative source.

Want more practice? Try the full Hazmat question bank or browse all Maine CDL practice tests.