A driver transporting chlorine in cargo tanks must keep an approved gas mask and an emergency kit in their vehicle.

In the event of a cargo fire, you should not open the trailer doors. Doing this could cause the fire to flare up by giving it access to more oxygen.

Hazardous materials warning placards are diamond-shaped.

Unless excepted, hazardous materials shipping papers must list an emergency response telephone number.

Unless your engine runs a pump for product transfer, turn it off when loading or unloading a compressed gas tank. If you do use your engine to run a pump, you should turn the engine off after the product transfer but before unhooking the hoses.

The loading and unloading of a tank must be watched by a qualified person. They must be alert; have a clear view of the tank; stay within 25 feet of the tank; know the hazards of the materials involved; know the procedures to follow in an emergency; and be authorized and able to move the tank if necessary.

In the event of a leak in a cargo of hazardous materials, use the shipping papers, labels, or package locations to identify the materials involved. Do not touch the leaking materials.

Containers of hazardous materials should be braced so they will not fall, slide, or bounce around during transportation.

A vehicle carrying hazardous materials must be appropriately placarded to be driven. An improperly placarded vehicle may only be driven if necessary to protect life or property in an emergency.

If you are involved in an accident while carrying hazardous materials, it is your responsibility as the driver to keep people away from the scene; limit the spread of material if you can safely do so; inform emergency response personnel of the dangers posed by the materials; and provide emergency personnel with the shipping papers and emergency response information. Unless you have protective equipment and the necessary training, do not try to fight hazardous materials fires yourself.

If you are experiencing a truck fire, you should not attempt to open trailer doors without first feeling the doors to see if they are hot. If the doors are hot, there may be a cargo fire. Leave the doors closed if there is a cargo fire.

The person in charge of loading or unloading a hazardous materials cargo tank must ensure that a qualified person is always supervising the process. The supervisor must be alert; have a clear view of the tank; be within 25 feet of the tank; know the hazards of the involved materials; know the procedures to follow in the case of an emergency; and be authorized to and capable of moving the tank.

While the manual contains all of the information needed to pass the written exam for a hazardous materials endorsement, it does not contain all of the information necessary to do the job safely. You can learn more by attending hazardous materials training courses.

If a driver stops and exits their vehicle, the hazardous materials shipping papers must be left on the driver's seat.

In the event of a leak in a cargo of hazardous materials, do not continue to drive any longer than is necessary for safety. Continuing to drive would result in a larger area becoming contaminated. Instead, park the vehicle, secure the area, stay with the vehicle, and send someone to get help.

If you are transporting radioactive material and believe there is a leak or broken package in your cargo, you should tell your dispatcher or supervisor as quickly as possible. Do not touch or inhale the material. Do not use the vehicle until it has been cleaned or checked with a survey meter.

Shipping papers must be quickly accessible in the event of an emergency. While driving, operators must keep the papers in a pouch on the driver’s door or in clear view and within immediate reach while their seat belt is fastened. Shipping papers may be kept on the driver’s seat when the driver is out of the vehicle.

It is always a good idea to compare package markings and labels to accompanying shipping papers. Always make sure the shipper has displayed the correct basic description on the shipping paper and has provided the proper labels on the packages.

Shippers of certain kinds of hazardous materials are required to display diamond-shaped warning signs, known as placards, on any transporting vehicles. Shippers are required to provide applicable placards, labels, shipping papers, and emergency response information.

The use of cargo heaters is not always permitted. When transporting materials that are categorized as Class 1 (Explosives), Class 2.1 (Flammable Gas), or Class 3 (Flammable Liquids) materials, heaters are generally prohibited.

Fighting a hazardous materials fire requires special training and protective gear. Unless you have the proper equipment and training, do not try to fight a hazardous materials fire yourself.

Shippers must retain a physical copy or an electronic image of hazardous materials shipping papers for a minimum of two years after the materials are accepted by the initial carrier. For hazardous waste, this increases to three years.

Due to the risks involved, government on federal, state, and local levels may impose regulations on the transportation of hazardous materials. These regulations exist to protect the driver, others near the vehicle, and the environment.

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) lists all hazardous chemicals and their assigned identification numbers.

A person attending a parked placarded vehicle must be either awake inside the vehicle or they must be within 100 feet of it. If not inside the vehicle itself, the person must have a clear view of the vehicle. The person attending may not be inside the sleeper berth.

If a substance is being transported in a reportable quantity, the shipper must display the letters "RQ" on the shipping paper and package.

Always turn the engine off before refueling a vehicle carrying hazardous materials. Someone must always be at the nozzle controlling the fuel flow.

Radiation will surround each package of radioactive materials and pass through to all nearby packages. The number of packages that can be loaded together is controlled.

To obtain a hazardous materials endorsement, you must pass a background check conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

One clue that a shipment may contain hazardous materials is that the shipper is in a line of business that you would expect to involve hazardous materials. Examples of such businesses include paint dealers, chemical suppliers, scientific supply houses, pest control companies, agricultural suppliers, and dealers in explosives, fireworks, or munitions.