Hauling Hazmat

The 1001 lbs threshold is now 2205 of a single hazmat commodity.then you need a specific placcard that matches the commodity. Do not smoke while carrying flammables or oxidizers or explosives. Certain items cannot be transported together unless your company has a waiver from fmcsa. Like no poisonous gas and flammables together. No foodstuffs transported with any kind of poison. Corrosives and liquid oxidizers transported together should be separated and 6 inches off the floor so if one leaks, it cannot react with the other. Look at the response book you must have, all loading haz mat commodities is covered. Just because you have a haz mat endorsement on your license, the carrier must also have the hazmat insurance and training etc, or it is breaking the rules.

 

Very important to read all signs.Some cities like indianapololis require haxmat haulers to take the bypass and don't enter any tunnels that could result in a huge fine up to ten thousand.Your company probably has hazmat briefing meaning you call them after your loaded and you have the bills in hand.They'll needsome infoand they'll tell youthe laws.Shipper will give you the placards and its best to ask them for a couple extra placards in case one falls off while driving.Always check when you stop to make sure all placards are still on trailer.

 

Sucks trying to placard a container. I bet with "budget cuts" you'd be lucky to get 4 placards out of these outfits. Many (all) times when I had Haz on a container, I'd stop just outside the rail yard, quick look around for the fuzz, and put them on there. Stupid rail, wouldn't accept the can if it wasn't placarded, but picking up a Haz from the rail was a different story.

 

Hi Mack, our compliance officer( shudder) told us, the worst, most universal placard you could put on a trailer, was "Dangerous". That always worried me, as putting "Dangerous" on a trailer would be like walking around with your zipper open.

 

Placarded or not. If your pulling a tanker you had better have a copy of the last contained or a current washout slip.

 

And just before you pull onto the scales hit the brakes real hard to get the load surging. Usually they will wave you thru instead of waiting for things to settle down.

 

I can imagine.I've never hauled containers but many van hazmat loads.

 

Don't forget inter trip inspection. Every 150 or 3 hrs.