Shipping Hazmat, Help please.

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
So you are saying your insurance requirements go up if you carry hazmat? Huh.
That's correct. If you haul hazardous materials which requires placarding in an unregulated vehicle, the DOT requires you to have additional liability insurance.

Companies like FedEx pays more & charges more for hazmat, placarded or not.
I know. Mine does, too. It's great, isn't it?

Huh? Have you been stopped for roadside inspection, in a cargo van not placarded, and told any hazmat u have to log? Maybe they need to tell the Laredo,tx DOT that this blog on a website said he was wrong.
The police can pull over a CMV for any reason or no reason at all, including that of a roadside inspection (provided they have been trained in CMV inspections), but they cannot pull over unregulated vehicles without probable cause. There is no way a DOT officer pulled over an unregulated cargo van for a roadside inspection. A DOT bear on his first day on the job knows the definition of a Commercial Motor Vehicle.

Oh btw, FedEx Custom Critical requires cdl w/ hazmat endorsement for cargo vans.
So does Panther. Ironically, Panther will not put placarded HAZMAT on a cargo van. I asked them why once, and they said, "It's illegal to put placarded HAZMAT on a cargo van." So there ya go, ignorance can be found anywhere. Panther has a policy of only putting hazardous material on a cargo van if it does not require placards, and will only put it on a van if the driver has a CDL and a HAZMAT endorsement, even though non-placarded HAZMAT doesn't require an endorsement. If the material requires placarding, they put in on a straight truck (that logs every load all the time). But that's a Panther policy, not the FMCSA.

What we need is a third person to give their information.
Not really. My information is correct, as it follows exactly the FMCSA regulations.
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
It was a roadside inspection station, last one south I-35, was stopping everyone that day. Got a lot of cargo vans for license plate lights. It was comical @ the j.
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Lol so now suddenly a thread is limited as to who can post? My apologies but that's not how it works.
 
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2centz

Rookie Expediter
This is an information site. They asked everyone. I answered. U can listen to it or not. That's what I tell the rookies, if more than one driver says it, consider it gospel.
 

akkshole

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Air Force
As far as I know, XPO will haul non placards hazmat in CV, but if requires placards, must have HazMat and logs...I have hauled non RQ qty HazMat here
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
Appreciate it. Done both. Some companies won't load vans unless u have a bulkhead. Fine by me.
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
That's what I tell the rookies, if more than one driver says it, consider it gospel.

You misspelled gossip. The amount of ignorance in the driving industry is mind boggling, it doesn't matter if it's the company, driver, or DOT. You should tell rookies not to trust anything a driver or their company tells them but instead read the regs when a question comes up. Start asking drivers and companies about carrying a gun in a CMV and see how many tell you that it is illegal. The industry is burdened with a massive amount of regulations to learn and no one knows them all but the regs are easy to get a hold of so that you have the correct answer.
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
True. Most of it is in lawyer speak. Tons of websites that tell u how to interpret it. This is it, unless of this, this,& this. Not this. It's like ready the tax codes from the irs.
 

beachbum

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
It was a roadside inspection station, last one south I-35, was stopping everyone that day. Got a lot of cargo vans for license plate lights. It was comical @ the j.

I need to ask why you went into the scales if you didn't have placards on in the first place and two do you go into all scales since you don't need to, unless you have a placard on your vehicle.

You also don't need to log and you also don't need to follow the 11/14 rule because the only driving rules you need to follow are your companies rules. I'm talking about DOT rules.

BTW I pull for Landstar and if I was required to log anything under 1001 pounds they would have made me do that sometime in the last 4 years.
 
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beachbum

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
2centz, please read the hazmat rules, you'll learn a lot there. You just might need a refresher course on hauling hazmat from your company. Not trying to be mean or anything, but Turtle was right on hauling less then 1001 pounds of hazmat in table 2
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
No problem. Custom Critical requires us to log anything when carrying hazmat, placards or not. I stopped only @ that particular roadside inspection because they had a sign posted that said and cargo vans. I don't normally stop. The scale has always been a grey area. I try to error on the side of caution. Same w/ FedEx. I would rather have too much than not enough. Example it says if you are delivering in the state of Wyoming, u have to stop @ port if entry. I stopped, was told by DOT, I didn't have to. That's up to the discrepancy of them. Same w/ crossing scales w/ placards. State of Ohio requires All placarded vehicles must stop. In other states, not posted, so I drive right past. Been doing it for years. Read the rules and requirements for hauling hazmat, dealt w/ DOT on the street. Two different animals. No body mentioned you must have @ least a 10 bc fire extinguisher mounted in arms reach. Same w/ paperwork while restrained by a seatbelt. That hazmat paperwork must be on top of all other paperwork. That the description of the hazmat must be in the proper order. This information on the proper way to list it on paperwork for transportation is on the msds sheet.
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
Did you know that now, in the description on the paperwork, they have to say what type of containers the shipment is being transported in? Not the PG, but @ the beginning of the description. You also still need the PG ( package group).
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
Things change almost daily on regulations w/ transporting hazmat. That's why a lot of drivers and companies don't haul it. Not worth the risk. That's why drivers and companies get more money to haul it.
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
Rules & regulations change almost daily anymore. I never get the memo!:) I always find out something new when I get recertification. What a pain! I try to the best of my ability, to comply w/ rules & regulations. It's almost a cat & mouse game.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
All rule changes go through the arduous rulemaking process, and are detailed on the FMSCA website, complete with the date they will go into effect,with the dates usually being months or years in advance.
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
And u check this on a daily basis? You're one of the few. Did u know about the container description? That just changed recently.
 

2centz

Rookie Expediter
I'm sure you already knew about this "The final rule announced today removes the requirement that drivers file a report for approximately 95 percent of inspections when equipment problems or safety concerns are not identified".just posted it today on fmsca. U want to hear me say it? U are the man! How's your ego? Is this Michigan Mike reincarnated? That's for the old FedEx drivers.
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
And u check this on a daily basis? You're one of the few. Did u know about the container description? That just changed recently.

You don't need to check on a daily basis because rules are posted well before they go into effect. If you read the free publications at truck stops you can usually be well informed of future changes.
 
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