Need dot consultant? Dot advice

It has to be on the vehicle that is transporting it.

I know the last time I hauled hazmat, the trailer was placarded only on 3 sides and not the front. It was not placarded on the truck either.

 

I've googled and checked my hazmat guide book and can't find a specific rule so it may not be regulated but I think the rule of thumb is that if pulling multiple trailers and one of them has hazardous materials, that would be the rear trailer. The reason is that if there is a problem, that trailer can be disconnected most quickly and isolated.

 

I actually find it odd that it would be the rear trailer. At no time can it be dropped like they like to do on deliveries because of the HAZMAT rules of the paperwork locations.

 

They're probably planning on unloading it first anyway. Or passing it off to another truck.

 

not sure what you mean, if its a T/L of material going to one consignee, it can be dropped (paperwork would be given to the receiver). And if the rear trailer is placarded on the front, it can be dropped temporarily also to allow him to back the front trailer in for a delivery. But it would be a violation if he had to unload because he would be out of sight of the hazmat load. I'm pretty sure that is the only restriction regarding the paperwork, it either has to be in the area of the driver's seat (the door pouch) if the driver leaves the vehicle, or if he takes the paperwork with him, he has to remain in sight of the trailer (so you could take your paperwork into the diner while parking your rig, but if you take a shower, you have to put the bills in the truck).

If you need to isolate a trailer with hazmat that, for instance, has overheating brakes and is in danger of a tire fire, you absolutely want to be able to drop it as quickly as possible and pull away with the other trailer (obviously then the driver has the paperwork and he is still within sight of the trailer to meet responding emergency personnel).

As I say, I dont see it in the regulation anywhere, but I have noticed the same thing Shriner75 has, doubles with one of them carrying hazmat, in my experience, always have the hazmat in the rearmost pup.

 

Alot of the day cab people in my area pulling doubles for local will drop the rear trailer and deliver the front and then come back and switch and deliver the other.

As far as the isolating theory, it really makes no difference. Consider the standard 53 footer if it has the same issue. Can't just drop it and run.

Better not be caught with the paperwork for the hazmat load in the diner and not the truck.

 

Hello iamdot. Just recently, our company acquired two heavy hitting clients for our recycling business in Orlando, FL. So far, I have taken the necessary steps to obtain my HAZMAT endorsement, as these companies will eventually require HAZMAT recycling as part of the written contract. To be a little more specific, we will be hauling mass quantities of batteries and fluorescent light bulbs. On a side note, I have not been able to find a HAZMAT classification for fluorescent light bulbs, and mercury is classified as a forbidden HAZMAT in the index table. Both myself and the company are new to transporting and recycling HAZMATs and are almost clueless as to where to start on getting our truck legal for transporting HAZMATs and how to classify fluorescent light bulbs for transport to our end of life recycler. Could you possibly shed some light on this topic for me and anyone else who may share this same topic of interest? Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

That throws a bit of a wrench in the plans to outlaw incandescent light bulbs since all the new ones have mercury in them, doesn't it?

 

Tell me about it. I know there is obviously a way to transport light bulbs from point A to point B, otherwise they would never make it from the manufacturer to the store shelves. Again, I've been researching as much as I can without banging my head against the wall, but I just have no clue how to classify a light bulb, let alone transport a truckload of them.

 

It might be under the limit that makes it a hazmat load. If the truck full of bulbs has under 1000lbs of mercury then it'd just be a regular load.