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Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Training Certificate Test (Road)

There is no government TDG exam: under Part 6 of the TDG Regulations, your employer issues a training certificate, valid 36 months for road transport, once it is satisfied you are adequately trained, usually after a course and test set by the employer or a training provider. Our mock test uses 50 questions and an 80% target, a VoltExam practice format rather than an official standard. It covers the regulation topics training must address: classification, shipping documents, dangerous goods marks, means of containment, ERAPs, reporting and the Emergency Response Guidebook.

  • 50 questions
  • 80% to pass
  • 1 hours
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Last checked against Transport Canada (Transportation of Dangerous Goods Directorate) on .

TDG Training Certificate (Road) at a glance

Who needs training
Anyone who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods must be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, or work in the presence and under the direct supervision of a certificate holder. Camera or live monitoring does not count as direct supervision. source ↗
Exam
No government exam: the employer decides what adequate training is for each employee and issues the certificate. Any test you take is set by your employer or training provider. source ↗
Certificate contents
Employer's name and business address, employee's name, the expiry date preceded by "Expires on" or "Date d'expiration", and the aspects of handling or transport the employee is trained for; signed by the employer and the employee. There is no standard government form. source ↗
Validity
36 months from issue for road vehicle, railway vehicle or vessel; 24 months for aircraft. source ↗
Records and inspections
The employer keeps the training record (or statement of experience) and a certificate copy until two years after expiry and must provide them within 15 days of an inspector's written request. You must show your certificate to an inspector immediately on request. source ↗
Changing jobs
Certificates are not transferable: a person working for several employers holds one from each, and self-employed people issue their own. source ↗
Regulations version
Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (SOR/2001-286), current to 2026-10-19 and last amended 2026-07-01. Part 4 is now titled "Dangerous Goods Marks". source ↗
CANUTEC emergency line
24 hours: 1-888-CAN-UTEC (226-8832), 613-996-6666, or *666 on a cellphone. source ↗
Emergency Response Guidebook
ERG 2024 is the current edition, available in print, as a mobile app, PDF and web version. source ↗

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What the TDG Training Certificate (Road) covers

AreaWhat to know
Training and Training Certificates (Part 6)Part 6: who must be trained, direct supervision, what adequate training means (section 6.2), certificate contents and signatures, the 36-month road and 24-month air expiry, record keeping and showing proof to an inspector.
Classification and the Nine Classes (Part 2)Part 2: the consignor's duty to classify, proof of classification, the nine classes and their divisions, packing groups, precedence of classes and how Schedule 1 data becomes the classification.
Schedules, Special Provisions and Exemptions (Part 1)Using Schedules 1, 2 and 3 (columns, Forbidden entries, ERAP and passenger indexes), special provisions, key definitions, and Part 1 special cases such as the 150 kg and 500 kg gross mass cases, limited and excepted quantities.
Shipping Documents (Part 3)Part 3: who prepares the shipping document, the required information and its order, the 24-hour number, consignor's certification, where the document goes in a road vehicle and how long copies are kept.
Dangerous Goods Marks: Labels, Placards and UN Numbers (Part 4)Part 4 (Dangerous Goods Marks): labels and placards, sizes and colours, UN numbers and orange panels, the DANGER placard, the 500 kg placard exemption, and special marks such as the elevated temperature sign and inhalation hazard wording.
Means of Containment (Part 5)Part 5: selecting and using permitted means of containment, standardized containers that are 'in standard', compliance marks, filling limits, loading and securing, explosives compatibility and the CGSB and CSA standards.
Emergency Response Assistance Plans (Part 7)Part 7: when an approved ERAP is required (the Schedule 1 ERAP index), ERAP information on the shipping document, authorized users, tier 1 and tier 2 implementation and compensation.
Reporting Requirements (Part 8)Part 8: emergency reports to the local authority, release reports to CANUTEC and the consignor, the 30-day follow-up report, loss or theft, unlawful interference and ERAP incident reports.
Safe Handling, Emergency Measures and the ERGSafe handling practices, proper use of equipment and reasonable emergency measures (section 6.2(i) to (k)), plus how responders use the Emergency Response Guidebook's yellow, blue, orange and green sections.

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How to get certified

  1. 1

    Confirm your TDG duties

    List what you do with dangerous goods: handling (loading, unloading, packing), offering for transport (classifying, documenting, choosing a carrier) or transporting. Training only needs to cover the topics that relate directly to those duties and goods.

  2. 2

    Complete training on the section 6.2 topics

    Take your employer's training or a provider's course covering the relevant topics: classification, shipping names and schedules, documentation, dangerous goods marks, means of containment, ERAPs, reporting, safe handling, equipment use and emergency measures.

  3. 3

    Pass your employer's or provider's assessment

    There is no government test. Your employer or training provider decides how to check that you are adequately trained, often with a written or online test.

  4. 4

    Get your certificate issued and signed

    Your employer issues the certificate with its name and address, your name, the aspects you are trained for and an expiry date marked "Expires on". You and the employer sign it. Self-employed people issue and sign their own.

  5. 5

    Carry it and show it on request

    Keep the certificate or a copy with you when you handle or transport dangerous goods and give it to an inspector immediately on request. Until you are certified, work only under the direct supervision of a certificate holder who is present.

  6. 6

    Retrain before it expires

    A road certificate expires 36 months after issue (24 months for air). Plan refresher training early, and get a new certificate from each new employer, since certificates are not transferable.

How to study

  • Learn the description order cold: UN number, shipping name, class, subsidiary class in parentheses, packing group, for example "UN1203, GASOLINE, Class 3, PG II".
  • Know your numbers: 450 L splits small from large containers, placards are 250 mm and labels 100 mm, UN numbers on tanks are 65 mm, and the placard exemption stops at 500 kg gross.
  • Practise reading Schedule 1 rows: UN number, shipping name, class, packing group, special provisions, limited quantity index and ERAP index.
  • Match each Part 8 report to its recipient: local authority first, then CANUTEC and the consignor, then a written 30-day report to Transport Canada.
  • Walk through the ERG: find a UN number in the yellow pages, follow it to the orange guide and check the green tables when the entry is highlighted.
  • Check which special cases remove training (the 150 kg case, limited quantities) and which do not (the 500 kg case).

Frequently asked questions

Is there a government TDG test or licence?

No. The TDG Regulations set no government exam or licence. Your employer issues a training certificate once it has reasonable grounds to believe you are adequately trained; any test comes from your employer or training provider.

How long is a TDG certificate valid?

For road, rail or marine transport it expires 36 months after it is issued. For air transport it expires after 24 months. The expiry date must appear on the certificate after the words "Expires on".

What is the pass mark for the TDG test?

No official pass mark is published, because the test is set by your employer or training provider. Our mock exam uses 50 questions and an 80% target as a practice standard; ask your provider what score it requires.

Can I take my TDG certificate to a new job?

No. Certificates are not transferable. Each employer must satisfy itself that you are adequately trained and issue its own certificate, so a person who works for two employers holds two certificates.

Do I need TDG training if I only load and unload trucks?

Yes. Loading and unloading is handling, and Part 6 applies to anyone who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods. Until you are certified you may do the work only under the direct supervision of a certificate holder who is present.

Do small quantities need TDG training?

Sometimes not. The 150 kg gross mass special case for consumer quantities (section 1.15) and properly marked limited quantities (section 1.17) remove Part 6 when all their conditions are met. The 500 kg special case (section 1.16) does not remove training.

What happens if an inspector asks for my certificate?

You must give the inspector your certificate, or a copy, immediately. Your employer must provide its training records within 15 days of a written request and keep them until two years after the certificate expires.

Start practising for the TDG Training Certificate (Road) today

  • ✓ 600 TDG Training Certificate practice questions, every answer explained and cited
  • ✓ Full-length timed mock exams: 50 questions, 1 hours, scored against 80%
  • ✓ Practise by topic and review every question you missed
  • ✓ Every other Canadian exam on VoltExam included

From

C$8.99/month

3-day free trial · or C$44.99 once for lifetime

Unlock all 600 questions

Official sources

Sources checked November 3, 2026. VoltExam is independent and not affiliated with Transport Canada (Transportation of Dangerous Goods Directorate). Rules change: confirm details with the official source before your exam.