HAZMAT trip planning?

Discussion in 'Hazmat Trucking Forum' started by RayBlaszak, Jan 26, 2019.

  1. Moose1958

    Moose1958 Road Train Member

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    There is some Hazmat that can be hauled with no placards. I have hauled hazmat before that was not placarded. As long as the shipment contains less then the Reportable Quantity (if any) no placards are needed. I would imagine all the other rules still apply.

    I think I told this story here already. I was doing some local work in my hometown. I was working for a ready-mix company. I got into it with the owner because he would not give me placards so I could haul drum acid up to one of our other mix plants. The Reportable Quantity if my memory is right was at the time 1000 pounds. I refused to haul it even though I had Hazmat on my CDL. I think we finally determined that as long as we stayed under 2 barrels we were OK, 3 or more and we had to placard.

    I'm not going to get too deep into this because I never hauled that much hazmat and I have not stayed up on the rules as they apply to Hazmat!
     
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  3. Jwhis

    Jwhis Heavy Load Member

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    Right but for the purposes of trucking, you’re either over the RQ or not. If you are under the RQ you don’t placard and have no restrictions. If over then you do. OP can check his SDS sheet and see what the RQ is and go from there.
     
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  4. Northerntanker

    Northerntanker Bobtail Member

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    No placards, no restriction!
     
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  5. Moose1958

    Moose1958 Road Train Member

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    I agree and understand your point. However, that was not my comment. You asked about unplacarded hazmat. I just said that hazmat is hazmat. Take that drum acid I was talking about. It doesn't matter if it is 1 barrel or 50, it's still harmful. That reportable quantity changes how the load is handled. The powers to be have determined that 1000 pounds of Sulfuric acid has to be reported and that risk transmitted through placards. The material even though the rules say you don't placard it is still harmful.
     
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  6. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    Not necessarily. Baltimore doesn’t even want portable propane tanks in the tunnels, so no hazmat through there whatsoever placards or not.
     
  7. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    That's right.

    Even if you had a tank of propane you just swapped at the refill... in the bed of your truck going home. The tunnel will get you stopped.

    Norfolk Tunnels are exactly the same way. ESPECIALLY one in particular where the Navy needs to get over in order to get to sea with the Carriers.

    Limits by weight less 1001 pounds does not require diamonds and therefore... eh you aint hazmat. HOWEVER you still have a half tone of something in that rig and would do well to treat it as such.

    Due to the construction of the Baltimore tunnels, both the Fort and 895 were very similar from the Shipyard and sunk into place by sections you cannot apply heat and so on to the tube, it will compromise them.

    If I remember right the old 895 is about a mile and half, 110 feet or so below the bottom of the harbor which itself should stand at about 50 feet give or take a little bit of water over that. I don't know about the Fort, except that one is also in the bottom of the harbor shipway as well. Just don't know how far down.
     
  8. me myself and I

    me myself and I Heavy Load Member

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    RQ has nothing to do with placards.
     
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  9. wis bang

    wis bang Road Train Member

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    they were confusing that term with the threshold amount where a, non bulk, HM requires placarding.

    RQ is an indication that the HM is capable of doing serious environmental damage and ANY spillage over the reportable quantity MUST be reported to the authorities.

    Some of them have an RQ of one pound.....and is the MOST nastiest stuff going...
     
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  10. Great-Way

    Great-Way Light Load Member

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  11. Great-Way

    Great-Way Light Load Member

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    As far as trip planning..each state has their own requirements. Usually I just avoid tunnels and congested areas.

    One thing I would like to point out is that OHIO does not allow hazmat loads on the interstates that go through Cleveland. That being said..if I have a hazmat load going to Cleveland area I always take safest route to my destination which is the interstate.

    Tunnels usually have a hazmat go-around but it has been my experience that those go-arounds take a lot of extra time and miles which could put your delivery time in jeopardy.

    Another thing I do now is use google maps street view to look at the signs along the road and particularly where approaching bridges & tunnels (it works really well). Many tunnels only restrict flammable & explosives. I do this because I have called state DOT offices, and haven't gotten the information I needed.

    I've also used both Rand McNally and Garmin truck GPS with hazmat routing. Rand McNally wasn't very good but the Garmin does a good job. ..but the garmin will see a small section of the road that has hazmat restriction and tell me the entire road is non-haz. This is where street view comes in handy.

    Also there are some companies that have special permits to allow trucks to use certain roads...even though the road is off limits to thru hazmat traffic.

    ..and yes we have all used detours (especially temporary construction closures). Use you best judgement. If I am uncertain and traffic enforcement is there I will jump out and ask...they have always told me it's ok...even when I've pointed out that the temp route is haz restricted. (except for tunnels!..never use a restricted tunnel)

    When planning routes it is usually best to stick to the interstates and us highways whenever possible.
     
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