Safely transporting hazardous cargo across state lines is one of the biggest concerns of the trucking industry. In order to transport hazardous cargo, a trucking firm will need more than just interstate authority to ferry waste materials and toxic supplies. Federal and state regulations decree that apart from a motor carrier permit number and other licenses, a trucking company must secure a Hazardous Materials (HM) Safety Permit before transporting hazardous materials as defined by law.
The following materials warrant an HM Safety Permit before they can be forwarded to their destination:
- • Radioactive materials
• Explosives
• Toxic by inhalation materials
• Methane
What Do I Need before I Transport Hazardous Cargo?
Trucking companies that have secured proper trucking interstate authority and HM Safety Permits must subject themselves to the specifications provided in the Hazardous Materials Transportation Guide with regards to the specific amount of their hazardous cargo.
In other states such as California, there are several permits and requirements trucking companies and forwarders must obtain before they can transport legally-deemed hazardous materials, apart from the HM Safety Permit and motor carrier permit number:
- • Nuclear Shipment Form
• Rocket Fuel Shipment Form
• Hazardous Materials Transportation License Application Form
Additional Requirements and Parameters
- • For radioactive materials, it must reach highway-controlled quantity
• Division 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 explosives that reaches or exceeds 25 kg (55 lbs)
• More than a liter of poisonous gas belonging to "hazard zone A" as defined in 49 CFR 172
•Any "material poisonous by inhalation," that belongs to "hazard zone B," in a bulk packaging (capacity greater than 460 liters)
•Any "material poisonous by inhalation" that satisfies the criteria for "hazard zone C," or "hazard zone D," in a packaging that has a capacity equal to or greater than 13, 248 liters
• A shipment of compressed or refrigerated liquefied methane or liquefied natural gas, or other liquefied gas with a methane content of at least 85 percent, in a bulk packaging having a capacity equal or greater than 13,248 liters
Apart from interstate authority and motor carrier permit number, it is imperative that trucking firms also secure the permits necessary to transport hazardous materials in a way that ensures everyone’s safety.