Swiss Category C Theory (Truck) study guide
Swiss Category C Theory (Truck) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Swiss Category C theory test is the written step that opens the path to a truck driving licence. In Switzerland, categories are set out in the federal road traffic legislation, and Category C covers motor vehicles used for goods transport with a total weight above 3.5 tonnes, excluding vehicles that fall under the lighter categories. The Swiss Category C Theory (Truck) study guide has 10 sections and about 4,586 words.
01Road traffic law: SVG/LCR, VRV/OCR, signals and markings
This domain checks whether you can rank the sources of Swiss traffic law and apply them to a concrete situation at the wheel of a truck. SVG/LCR (Strassenverkehrsgesetz / loi sur la circulation routière) is the framework law with licensing, liability and penalties; VRV/OCR (Verkehrsregelnverordnung / ordonnance sur les règles de la circulation) contains the conduct rules; SSV/OSR governs signs and markings.
497 words, about 2 min02Vehicle knowledge: truck construction, systems, tyres and load securing
The exam tests whether you understand what keeps a heavy vehicle controllable and legal: the brake system, the driveline and exhaust after-treatment, tyre condition and load securing. You are expected to know how the systems behave when something fails and how to check them before a trip.
468 words, about 2 min03Driving dynamics and physics: mass, braking distance, centrifugal force, aquaplaning
Physics questions reward candidates who can reason with two relationships: kinetic energy and braking distance grow with the square of speed, and lateral force grows with the square of speed and inversely with radius. Mass matters less for pure braking distance on a dry road than most candidates think, and far more for stability, rollover risk and downhill behaviour.
483 words, about 2 min04Driving technique and behaviour in traffic: observation, anticipation, hazard perception
This domain tests how you look, plan and react rather than what you can recite. The examiner wants to see a systematic scanning technique, correct use of mirrors and a driving plan that leaves room for other people's mistakes.
472 words, about 2 min05Weights and dimensions, loading and overloading rules
This domain is arithmetic and legality together. Swiss limits are fixed in the VRV/OCR and the vehicle admission rules, and overload is prosecuted - but the exam mostly tests whether you understand that several limits apply at once: total weight, axle load, tyre capacity and the load distribution.
465 words, about 2 min06Working time, rest periods and tachograph (ARV/OTR)
Questions here test the driving-time regime for goods vehicles over 3.5 t, the Swiss night and Sunday driving bans, and your practical handling of the smart tachograph. The rules are cumulative: daily, weekly and fortnightly limits all apply at once.
454 words, about 2 min07Dangerous goods transport basics (ADR/SDR) and special loads
Switzerland applies ADR, and the exam checks that you can recognise when a load falls under it, how it is documented and marked, and which Swiss tunnel restrictions apply. Special loads - oversize or abnormal - follow a separate permit logic.
438 words, about 2 min08Accident prevention, first aid, vehicle fire and emergency procedures
This domain is about the first five minutes: protecting the scene, calling the right number, keeping casualties alive and dealing with fire without becoming a second casualty. Answers are judged on order of actions.
435 words, about 2 min09Environmental awareness and economical driving (eco-driving)
Eco-driving questions are quantitative in disguise: they test whether you know that aerodynamic drag rises with the square of speed, that idling burns fuel for nothing, and that anticipation saves more than any gadget. On a 40 t vehicle, driver behaviour typically moves consumption by 10–20 %.
416 words, about 2 min10Licence categories, medical and fitness-to-drive requirements
The final domain tests the formal conditions attached to your licence: which category covers which vehicle, what training professional drivers need, when the medical certificate expires, and when you must not drive at all. C: motor vehicles over 3.5 t, other than category D, with a trailer up to 750 kg.
458 words, about 2 min