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Placards used to identify the primary or subsidiary
hazard class of a material must have the hazard
class or division number displayed in the lower
corner of the placard. Permanently affixed
subsidiary hazard placards without the hazard class
number may be used as long as they stay within
color specifications.
Placards may be displayed for hazardous materials
even if not required so long as the placard identifies
the hazard of the material being transported.
Bulk packaging is a single container with a capacity
greater than 119 gallons. A bulk package, and a
vehicle transporting a bulk package, must be
placarded, even if it only has the residue of a
hazardous material. Certain bulk packages only
have to be placarded on the two opposite sides or
may display labels. All other bulk packages must be
placarded on all four sides.
Subsections 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3
Test Your Knowledge
1. Shippers package in order to (fill in the
blank) the material.
2. Driver placard their vehicle to (fill in the
blank) the risk.
3. What three things do you need to know to
decide which placards (if any) you need?
4. A hazardous materials identification
number must appear on the (fill in the blank)
and on the (fill in the blank). The
identification number must also appear on
cargo tanks and other bulk packaging.
5. Where must you keep shipping papers
describing hazardous materials?
These questions may be on your test. If you can’t
answer them all, re-read subsections 9.1, 9.2 and
9.3.
9.4 – Loading and Unloading
Do all you can to protect containers of hazardous
materials. Don't use any tools, which might damage
containers or other packaging during loading. Don't
use hooks.
9.4.1 – General Loading Requirements
Before loading or unloading, set the parking brake.
Make sure the vehicle will not move.
Many products become more hazardous when
exposed to heat. Load hazardous materials away
from heat sources.
Watch for signs of leaking or damaged containers:
LEAKS SPELL TROUBLE! Do not transport leaking
packages. Depending on the material, you, your
truck, and others could be in danger. It is illegal to
move a vehicle with leaking hazardous materials.
Containers of hazardous materials must be braced
to prevent movement of the packages during
transportation.
No Smoking. When loading or unloading
hazardous materials, keep fire away. Don't let
people smoke nearby. Never smoke around:
Class 1 (Explosives)
Class 2.1 (Flammable Gas )
Class 3 (Flammable Liquids)
Class 4 (Flammable Solids)
Class 5 (Oxidizers)
Secure Against Movement. Brace containers so
they will not fall, slide, or bounce around during
transportation. Be very careful when loading
containers that have valves or other fittings. All
hazardous materials packages must be secured
during transportation.
After loading, do not open any package during your
trip. Never transfer hazardous materials from one
package to another while in transit. You may empty
a cargo tank, but do not empty any other package
while it is on the vehicle.
Cargo Heater Rules. There are special cargo heater
rules for loading:
Class 1 (Explosives)
Class 2.1 (Flammable Gas )
Class 3 (Flammable Liquids)
The rules usually forbid use of cargo heaters,
including automatic cargo heater/air conditioner
units. Unless you have read all the related rules,
don't load the above products in a cargo space that
has a heater.
Use Closed Cargo Space. You cannot have
overhang or tailgate loads of:
Class 1 (Explosives)
Class 4 (Flammable Solids)
Class 5 (Oxidizers)
Section 9 - Hazardous Material Page 9-10
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Commercial Driver’s License Manual – 2005 CDL Testing System
You must load these hazardous materials into a
closed cargo space unless all packages are:
Fire and water resistant.
Covered with a fire and water resistant tarp.
Precautions for Specific Hazards
Class 1 (Explosives) Materials. Turn your engine
off before loading or unloading any explosives.
Then check the cargo space. You must:
Disable cargo heaters. Disconnect heater power
sources and drain heater fuel tanks.
Make sure there are no sharp points that might
damage cargo. Look for bolts, screws, nails,
broken side panels, and broken floorboards.
Use a floor lining with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3.
The floors must be tight and the liner must be
either non-metallic material or non-ferrous metal.
(Non-ferrous metals are any metal that does not
contain iron or iron alloys).
Use extra care to protect explosives. Never use
hooks or other metal tools. Never drop, throw, or roll
packages. Protect explosive packages from other
cargo that might cause damage.
Do not transfer a Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 from one
vehicle to another on a public roadway except in an
emergency. If safety requires an emergency
transfer, set out red warning reflectors, flags, or
electric lanterns. You must warn others on the road.
Never transport damaged packages of explosives.
Do not take a package that shows any dampness or
oily stain.
Do not transport Division 1.1 or 1.2 in vehicle
combinations if:
There is a marked or placarded cargo tank in the
combination.
The other vehicle in the combination contains:
Division 1.1 A (Initiating Explosives).
Packages of Class 7 (Radioactive) materials
labeled "Yellow III."
Division 2.3 (Poisonous Gas) Hazard zone A or B or
Division 6.1 (Poisonous) materials Hazard zone A.
Hazardous materials in a portable tank, on a DOT
Spec 106A or 110A tank.
Class 4 (Flammable Solids) and Class 5
(Oxidizers) Materials. Class 4 materials are solids
that react (including fire and explosion) to water,
heat, and air or even react spontaneously.
Class 4 and 5 materials must be completely
enclosed in a vehicle or covered securely. Class 4
and 5 materials, which become unstable and
dangerous when wet, must be kept dry while in
transit and during loading and unloading. Materials
that are subject to spontaneous combustion or
heating must be in vehicles with sufficient
ventilation.
Class 8 (Corrosive) Materials. If loading by hand,
load breakable containers of corrosive liquid one by
one. Keep them right side up. Do not drop or roll the
containers. Load them onto an even floor surface.
Stack carboys only if the lower tiers can bear the
weight of the upper tiers safely.
Do not load nitric acid above any other product.
Load charged storage batteries so their liquid won't
spill. Keep them right side up. Make sure other
cargo won't fall against or short circuit them.
Never load corrosive liquids next to or above:
Division 1.4 (Explosives C).
Division 4.1 (Flammable Solids).
Division 4.3 (Dangerous When Wet).
Class 5 (Oxidizers).
Division 2.3, Zone B (Poisonous Gases).
Never load corrosive liquids with:
Division 1.1 or 1.2
Division 1.3
Division 1.5 (Blasting Agents).
Division 2.3, Zone A (Poisonous Gases).
Division 4.2 (Spontaneously Combustible
Materials).
Division 6.1, PGI, Zone A (Poison Liquids).
Class 2 (Compressed Gases) Including
Cryogenic Liquids. If your vehicle doesn't have
racks to hold cylinders, the cargo space floor must
be flat. The cylinders must be:
Held upright.
In racks attached to the vehicle or in boxes that will
keep them from turning over.
Cylinders may be loaded in a horizontal position
(lying down) if it is designed so the relief valve is in
the vapor space.
Division 2.3 (Poisonous Gas) or Division 6.1
(Poisonous) Materials. Never transport these
materials in containers with interconnections. Never
Section 9 - Hazardous Material Page 9-11
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Commercial Driver’s License Manual – 2005 CDL Testing System
load a package labeled POISON or POISON
INHALATION HAZARD in the driver's cab or
sleeper or with food material for human or animal
consumption. There are special rules for loading
and unloading Class 2 materials in cargo tanks. You
must have special training to do this.
Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials. Some packages
of Class 7 (Radioactive) materials bear a number
called the "transport index." The shipper labels
these packages Radioactive II or Radioactive III,
and prints the package's transport index on the
label. Radiation surrounds each package, passing
through all nearby packages. To deal with this
problem, the number of packages you can load
together is controlled. Their closeness to people,
animals, and unexposed film is also controlled. The
transport index tells the degree of control needed
during transportation. The total transport index of all
packages in a single vehicle must not exceed
50.Table A to this section (49 CFR 177-842) shows
rules for each transport index. It shows how close
you can load Class 7 (Radioactive) materials to
people, animals, or film. For example, you can't
leave a package with a transport index of 1.1 within
two feet of people or cargo space walls.
Do Not Load Table
Do Not Load In The Same Vehicle With
Animal or human food unless the
for Hazardous Materials) name other materials you
must keep apart.
Subsection 9.4
Test Your Knowledge
1. Around which hazard classes must you
never smoke?
2. Which three hazard classes should not be
loaded into a trailer that has a heater/air
conditioner unit?
3. Should the floor liner required for Division
1.1 or 1.2 materials be stainless steel?
4. At the shipper’s dock you’re given a paper
for 100 cartons of battery acid. You already
have 100 pounds of dry Silver Cyanide on
board. What precautions do you have to
take?
5. Name a hazard class that uses transport
indexes to determine the amount that can
be loaded in a single vehicle.
These questions may be on your test. If you can’t
answer them all, re-read subsection 9.4.
Division 6.1 or 2.3
(POISON or poison
inhalation hazard
labeled material).
Division 2.3
(Poisonous) gas Zone
A or Division 6.1
(Poison) liquids, PGI,
Zone A.
Charged storage
batteries.
Class 1 (Detonating
primers).
Division 6.1
(Cyanides or cyanide
mixtures).
Nitric acid (Class 8).
poison package is over packed in
an approved way. Foodstuffs are
anything you swallow. However,
mouthwash, toothpaste, and skin
creams are not foodstuff.
Division 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Explosives,
Division 5.1 (Oxidizers), Class 3
(Flammable Liquids), Class 8
(Corrosive Liquids), Division 5.2
(Organic Peroxides),
Division 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Explosives,
Division 1.5 (Blasting Agents),
Division 2.1 (Flammable Gases),
Class 4 (Flammable Solids).
Division 1.1.
Any other explosives unless in
authorized containers or
packages.
Acids, corrosive materials, or other
acidic materials which could
release hydrocyanic acid.
For Example:
Cyanides, Inorganic, n.o.s.
Silver Cyanide
Sodium Cyanide.
Other materials unless the nitric
acid is not loaded above any other
material.
Figure 9.9
9.5 – Bulk Packaging Marking, Loading
and Unloading
The glossary at the end of this section gives the
meaning of the word bulk. Cargo tanks are bulk
packaging permanently attached to a vehicle. Cargo
tanks remain on the vehicle when you load and
unload them. Portable tanks are bulk packaging,
which are not permanently attached to a vehicle.
The product is loaded or unloaded while the
portable tanks are off the vehicle. Portable tanks are
then put on a vehicle for transportation. There are
many types of cargo tanks in use. The most
common cargo tanks are MC306 for liquids and
MC331 for gases.
9.5.1 – Markings
You must display the identification number of the
hazardous materials in portable tanks and cargo
tanks and other bulk packaging (such as dump
trucks). Identification numbers are in column 4 of the
Hazardous Materials Table. The rules require black
100 mm (3.9 inch) numbers on orange panels,
Mixed loads. The rules require some products to be
loaded separately. You cannot load them together
in the same cargo space. Figure 9.9 lists some
examples. The regulations (the Segregation Table
placards, or a white, diamond-shaped background if
no placards are required. Specification cargo tanks
must show re-test date markings.
Section 9 - Hazardous Material Page 9-12
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Portable tanks must also show the lessee or
owner's name. They must also display the shipping
name of the contents on two opposing sides. The
letters of the shipping name must be at least two
inches tall on portable tanks with capacities of more
than 1,000 gallons and one-inch tall on portable
tanks with capacities of less than 1,000 gallons. The
identification number must appear on each side and
each end of a portable tank or other bulk packaging
that hold 1,000 gallons or more and on two opposing
sides, if the portable tank holds less than 1,000
gallons. The identification numbers must still be
visible when the portable tank is on the motor
vehicle. If they are not visible, you must display the
identification number on both sides and ends of the
motor vehicle.
Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) are bulk
packages, but are not required to have the owner’s
name or shipping name.
9.5.2 – Tank Loading
The person in charge of loading and unloading a
cargo tank must be sure a qualified person is always
watching. This person watching the loading or
unloading must:
Be alert.
Have a clear view of the cargo tank.
Be within 25 feet of the tank.
Know of the hazards of the materials involved.
Know the procedures to follow in an emergency.
Be authorized to move the cargo tank and able to
do so.
There are special attendance rules for cargo tanks
transporting propane and anhydrous ammonia.
Close all manholes and valves before moving a tank
of hazardous materials, no matter how small the
amount in the tank or how short the distance.
Manholes and valves must be closed to prevent
leaks. It is illegal to move a cargo tank with open
valves or covers unless it is empty according to 49
CFR 173.29.
9.5.3 – Flammable Liquids
Turn off your engine before loading or unloading
any flammable liquids. Only run the engine if
needed to operate a pump. Ground a cargo tank
correctly before filling it through an open filling hole.
Ground the tank before opening the filling hole, and
maintain the ground until after closing the filling
hole.
9.5.4 – Compressed Gas
Keep liquid discharge valves on a compressed gas
tank closed except when loading and unloading.
Unless your engine runs a pump for product
transfer, turn it off when loading or unloading. If you
use the engine, turn it off after product transfer,
before you unhook the hose. Unhook all
loading/unloading connections before coupling,
uncoupling, or moving a cargo tank. Always chock
trailers and semi-trailers to prevent motion when
uncoupled from the power unit.
Subsection 9.5
Test Your Knowledge
1. What are cargo tanks?
2. How is a portable tank different from a cargo
tank?
3. Your engine runs a pump used during delivery
of compressed gas. Should you turn off the
engine before or after unhooking hoses after
delivery?
These questions may be on your test. If you can’t
answer them all, re-read subsection 9.5.
9.6 – Hazardous Materials -- Driving
and Parking Rules
9.6.1 – Parking with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3
Explosives
Never park with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives
within five feet of the traveled part of the road.
Except for short periods of time needed for vehicle
operation necessities (e.g., fueling), do not park
within 300 feet of:
A bridge, tunnel, or building.
A place where people gather.
An open fire.
If you must park to do your job, do so only briefly.
Don't park on private property unless the owner is
aware of the danger. Someone must always watch
the parked vehicle. You may let someone else
watch it for you only if your vehicle is:
On the shipper's property.
On the carrier's property.
On the consignee's property.
Section 9 - Hazardous Material Page 9-13
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