Shippers not reporting HAZMAT on bills?

How common it is, I couldn't tell you. But one thing's for sure, Hazmat is nothing to goof around with. I drove for an LTL co, and we hauled fireworks into MI (so trlrs were placarded explosive), and it's scary just the kind of crap you see happening with those loads. For example:
1) With any explosive load, the shipper is supposed to provide you (the driver) with not just placards, but a written route plan as well. Of course, i never got any route plan.
2)Going from Indy to Romulus,MI, if you run US24, there is an active railroad crossing. I would so my proper stop (as would many other drivers) however, there were bunches that would just fly right over the tracks without a second thought.
I realize these thoughts are off the topic, so let me get back on track...
Now that you know some of the games the shippers play, you can of course be prepared and inspect the load if you need to. I love that shipper ripping the Radioactive placard off and saying 'it's OK!' What a turd.
Most shippers I dealt with that I did sealed trlr P/U's were thankfully honest (and i drove for a TL carrier, so we tended to P/u trlrs that were loaded with less varied freight).

 

You're absolutely right Mack, however, like you found out, shippers will pull that Bull-pucky with drivers (loading HM on a sealed trlr) and I bet a DOT officer would still try and tell you its your responsibililty.
Bottom Line seems like we are ALWAYS responsible, even when it's not our fault. I personally have no problem with breaking a seal to inspect a load, if I suspect there could be some HM on it. Of course, I would have to tell the shipper first, so they could reseal/re inspect the load, and deal with the backlash of BS from them, but I 'm not going to hang my neck out there to have it cut off by some unscrupulous shipper.

 

I work for a company that mostly hauls auto parts. And a couple time they've snuck haz. into a pallet and wrapped it up, or they don't mark it on the paper work.
By law you have the right to inspect your load and refuse anything you deem unsafe for transit. Even if it's a place that won't let you load your truck or assist in loading it. And the wharehouse and your employer can't do a thing about it, except fire you. Then you sue them.
Believe me, I've refused a few of our clients freight for inproper paper work, packaging, etc.
D.O.T don't care if they snuck it on your truck, your the one hauling it, and the one that should know what's on that truck.

 

Just 2 tiny cents here from someone who's worked hundreds of trailers (this is for Fedex Ground, I can't speak about others.)

There are two big problems among probably many more:

1) It's ridiculously easy for any ill-intentioned person to hide a hazmat package. Why? Well for starters apparently the law doesn't say those have to be labeled on ALL sides. Believe me, if a Package Handler can miss those (and it happens a lot, simply because when you grab a package you don't see all 6 sides... especially when you're supposed to unload your 1,050 boxes per hour...) then hiding one in the middle or the front of the trailer is child's play.

2) There's absolutely NO practical way a driver can know/see everything that's loaded on his/her trailer. At Fedex it's not unusual to find those all over the flaps, in the bellies, etc. I find it grossly unfair that DOT would consider the driver responsible for that.

And this is for what you'd call "low grade" hazmats. I shudder to think what happens with the "real deal" and as far as I'm concerned, any individual who scrapes off HM labels on those should go straight to jail.

 

Actually tdc, HM packages are supposed to be labeled on four sides (at least that was the reg when I was driving for ground). So most package handlers should be able to see it, despite their hectic pace. The other problem comes down to the package handlers; almost all of them (482 livonia MI) were so brain dead that one morning, my Step van was jammed full of boxes. I started looking, and most were for another Zip code. By the time it was all said and done, i pulled alomst 400 incorrectly loaded packages off my truck; then I had to load my 300 odd packages on.

But you're definitely correct, if the package handlers don't do a good job, you could have small packages of hazmat all over your trlrs and not know what any of it is.

 

Wallbanger I can assure you that in the working conditions that Fedex Ground has where I work, you're lucky if you catch ONE of those HM stickers. But we do agree on the core issue.

BTW that company has got to be one the stingiest around. They have set up a business model that pretty much circumvents all the labor laws that most other businesses adhere to.

I wonder if Fedex Freight is the same.

Anyway, the core problem is that the Feds don't require hazmat stickers on all sides. That would cost less than a buck per package. And they spend tens of billions of our tax money doing really stupid, unproductive stuff at DHS. It really boggles the mind, doesn't it?

 

If the shipment is less than 1,001 lbs., in most instances, it is considered "non reportable" and requires no placards. Therefore, many shippers and carriers don't even consider the shipment to be "hazmat", and treat it like general freight. Not correct thinking, but convenient.