Hazmat Trucking & Placards
Fuel, propane, paint, acids, compressed gases and many other products are regulated as hazardous materials when shipped. The rules tell shippers and drivers how to package, label, placard and document them so that emergency responders know what they’re facing if something goes wrong.
- Truck drivers
- Hazmat endorsement
- Construction
Photo: placards on the side of a tank truck with the UN identification number
The nine hazard classes
| Class | Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explosives | Blasting agents, fireworks, ammunition |
| 2 | Gases | Propane, acetylene, oxygen, chlorine |
| 3 | Flammable liquids | Gasoline, diesel (as combustible), paints, solvents |
| 4 | Flammable solids | Matches, magnesium, materials dangerous when wet |
| 5 | Oxidizers and organic peroxides | Pool chemicals, ammonium nitrate |
| 6 | Toxic and infectious substances | Pesticides, medical waste |
| 7 | Radioactive | Nuclear gauges used to test soil density |
| 8 | Corrosives | Batteries, acids, lye |
| 9 | Miscellaneous | Lithium batteries, dry ice, molten asphalt (elevated temperature) |
When placards are required
- Any amount: certain very dangerous materials (like some explosives, poison gases, dangerous-when-wet materials, and highway-route-controlled radioactive materials) must be placarded in any quantity.
- 1,001 pounds or more: most other hazard classes must be placarded when the total gross weight of those materials on the vehicle is 1,001 pounds or more.
- Placards go on all four sides of the vehicle. Bulk packages (like tanks) also display the four-digit UN or NA identification number.
A placard-requiring load needs a CDL with the H endorsement. Even unplacarded hazmat (like a few propane cylinders in a work truck) can fall under the materials of trade exception, which has its own limits.
Shipping papers
- Describe each material: identification number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group and quantity.
- Include an emergency response phone number and emergency response information.
- Keep them within your reach while driving (or in the door pocket or on the seat when you leave the cab) so responders can find them.
The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
The ERG, found in most trucks and every fire truck, tells responders what to do in the first minutes for each identification number: isolation distances, fire and spill actions, and first aid. Know how to use it.
If there’s a leak, spill or fire
- Stop, if safe, away from people, buildings and water.
- Get yourself and others away and upwind.
- Call 911 and give the material, ID number, quantity and location.
- Keep people back; don’t walk through spills or smoke.
- Give responders the shipping papers.
- Notify your carrier.
Driving rules
- Follow designated hazmat routes and tunnel restrictions.
- Don’t smoke near flammable loads.
- Stop at railroad crossings when hauling placarded loads as required, and look and listen.
- Don’t leave placarded vehicles unattended except as the rules allow.
- Follow your company’s security plan.
Standards & references
- PHMSA: Hazardous materials safety
- PHMSA: Emergency Response Guidebook
- 49 CFR Parts 171–180 (Hazardous Materials Regulations) and 397 (driving and parking)
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