Hazmat Transportation Compliance Checklist

Pull the driver's CDL and confirm the H or X endorsement is current and the TSA Security Threat Assessment has not expired (5-year cycle). A lapsed STA is a frequent roadside out-of-service finding under 49 CFR 383.93.

Per 49 CFR 172.704, hazmat employees need general awareness, function-specific, safety, security awareness, and in-depth security training recertified every three years. File the dated training certificate in the DQ file.

If the endorsement, STA, or training is not current, the driver cannot legally haul placarded hazmat. Notify dispatch to reassign the load and route the driver to recertification before any further hazmat dispatch.

Use the 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table to identify proper shipping name, hazard class/division, UN/NA ID number, packing group, and label codes. Cross-check the shipper's SDS — misclassification by the shipper is the carrier's problem too.

Confirm the BOL shows the UN ID, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group, total quantity, number/type of packages, and the shipper's certification in the basic description sequence required by 172.202.

49 CFR 172.602 requires a monitored 24/7 emergency response phone number on the shipping paper — CHEMTREC (1-800-424-9300) or equivalent. A missing or unmonitored number is an automatic out-of-service.

Check that each package bears the UN performance marking (e.g., UN 1A1/Y1.4/150) matching the hazard class and packing group on the shipping paper. Reject drums with dents, swelling, corrosion, or leaks — carrier acceptance shifts liability per 173.22.

Confirm UN ID number, proper shipping name, technical name (where required), consignee/consignor address, and orientation arrows are visible and unobstructed per 172.301 through 172.312.

Primary and subsidiary labels must be durable, legible, and on the same side as the proper shipping name. Reefer condensation lifting label corners is a common defect.

Photograph the defect, note the package ID and reason on the BOL, and notify the broker and shipper. Do not move the load until the shipper repackages or relabels — moving non-compliant hazmat exposes the carrier under 173.22(a)(2).

Run every UN number on the BOL against the 49 CFR 177.848 segregation table. Common gotchas: Division 5.1 oxidizers cannot ride with Class 3 flammable liquids; Class 8 acids segregate from 8 alkalis; food products may not ride with Division 6.1 poisons.

Drums on edge, IBCs centered over the trailer's bearing points, straps at the working load limit appropriate for cargo weight. A shifted hazmat load that ruptures becomes a release event under 171.15/171.16.

Look for residue from the prior load, protruding nails, damaged floor boards, and any incompatible residue (e.g., chlorine residue before a load of flammables). Photograph the empty trailer floor before loading.

Table 1 materials placard at any quantity; Table 2 materials placard at 1,001 lb aggregate gross weight. Confirm subsidiary placards (e.g., Subsidiary Risk for Class 6.1 PG I inhalation hazards) are also applied.

Front, rear, and both sides — readable from the direction they face, clear of dirt and obstructions, securely attached. A flapping placard at highway speed is a roadside OOS hit.

Per 172.302/172.332, bulk packagings (cargo tanks, portable tanks, IBCs over 119 gal) require the UN ID number on orange panels or on the placard itself in 6.3-inch numerals.

Driver must carry ERG guide page references or the manufacturer's emergency response information for each UN number on board, kept with the shipping papers within immediate reach of the driver's seat per 172.602(c).

Absorbents matched to the hazard class, chemical-resistant gloves, splash goggles, fire extinguisher (10 BC minimum, 396.3 requires inspection). For Class 3 loads add a non-sparking shovel and explosion-proof flashlight.

Walk the driver through who to call: 911, CHEMTREC, dispatch, safety director. Remind them that a reportable release triggers the NRC notification (1-800-424-8802) within the timing required by 171.15, and a written 5800.1 incident report follows within 30 days.