What does the Hill sign mean?
The Hill sign (MUTCD W7-1) is a warning sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. The grade falls away steeply enough to build speed on its own. Choose the lower gear at the top, because brakes held on all the way down will fade.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2C, Table 2C-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the Hill sign?
| MUTCD code | W7-1 |
|---|---|
| Group | Warning signs |
| Shape | Diamond |
| Color | Yellow background, black symbol and border |
What a diamond means. A warning. It tells you what the road does next and obliges you to do nothing in particular, which is the distinction test writers probe most often.
What yellow means. General warning of a permanent condition ahead.
Warning signs. A diamond reports a condition and orders nothing. What you do about it is left to you, and that gap between a report and an order is what test writers keep probing.
What is the Hill sign often mistaken for?
The Hill with Grade version (W7-1a) and the truck-specific plaques. On CDL tests the required action, not the symbol, is what is being examined.
What does the permit test ask about the Hill sign?
This question is from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
A sign showing a truck on a downward slope warns of:
- A.A truck route
- B.A steep descent where heavy vehicles need care(correct answer)
- C.A weigh station ahead
- D.A truck stop
Why: This warns of a steep grade. Descend in a lower gear so the engine helps hold your speed, rather than riding the brakes until they fade.
Source: Federal MUTCD, 11th Edition (FHWA)
What are the other warning signs?
All 55 warning signs on one page, or every US road sign by shape and color.
Test yourself on this sign and the rest of the set with a road signs practice test for Florida, Texas or California.
The artwork is the federal design itself, which the manual dedicates to the public domain in MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 1, Section 1D.06, checked 2026-09-09. The Interstate Shield, the 511 pictograph and the National Scenic Byway graphic are named exceptions and are not reproduced anywhere on this site.
Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 11th Edition. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration or any state agency.