HazMat Transportation: What you need to know

WHAT THE REGULATIONS AND THIS SECTION ADDRESS

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), through its hazardous material regulations (HMRs), specifies requirements for the safe transportation of hazardous materials by rail, aircraft, vessel, and motor vehicle in intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce. The DOT has generally applicable requirements for identifying hazardous materials and for the packaging, labeling, vehicle loading and unloading, and handling, of hazardous materials as well as requirements specific to each of the four methods of transportation. This section outlines DOT requirements for the transportation of hazardous materials over roads and highways and addresses transporter and transportation requirements concerning registration, safety permits, financial responsibility, emergencies, security, training, and oil transporters. While it gives a very general overview of the responsibilities of other persons that handle hazardous materials such as those who offer hazardous materials for transport (offerors/shippers) and those who design, manufacture, test, and/or refurbish, packages and containers for hazardous materials, the focus of this section is on hazardous materials transporters.

DOT's requirements at 49 CFR 177 are specific to the transportation of hazardous materials on public highways by private, common, or contract carriers and are in addition to the other generally applicable requirements. Many of the requirements specific to highway transportation are discussed in the topics discussed in this section pertaining to:

• Registration and permitting
• Training
• Shipping papers
• Emergencies
• Loading and unloading
• Drivers and vehicles
• Financial responsibility
• Security
• Petroleum oil