Shipping papers for hazardous materials should always be easily accessible. When a driver is not in their vehicle, hazardous materials' shipping papers should be left on the driver's seat.

If the words "Inhalation Hazard" appear on a package or its shipping paper, the "Poison Inhalation Hazard" or "Poison Gas" placards, as appropriate, must be displayed.

The third column of the Hazardous Materials Table lists items' hazard classes and divisions. Drivers should never transport a material that is marked by the word "Forbidden."

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.

Many products classed as poison are also flammable. Take the appropriate precautions if you think your cargo may be flammable.

You must take and pass the written English version of the HazMat knowledge test and be cleared through a federal background check before every renewal of your CDL.

A person should not smoke within 25 feet of a placarded tank that is used to transport Class 3 (flammable liquids) or Division 2.1 (gases) materials. Additionally, no person should smoke or carry a lit cigar, cigarette, or pipe within 25 feet of any vehicle containing Class 1 (explosives), Class 4 (flammable solids), or Class 4.2 (spontaneously combustible).

The shipper of hazardous materials is responsible for packaging, marking, and labeling the materials. They must supply any necessary placards.

Keep liquid discharge valves on a compressed gas tank closed, except when loading and unloading.

You must have a commercial driver license with a hazardous materials endorsement before driving a vehicle of any size that is used to transport hazardous materials, even if the vehicle is not transporting hazardous materials at the time of operation.

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.

A vehicle with tanks that are used to transport hazardous materials must always be stopped before being driven over railroad tracks, even if the tanks are empty.

When the shipper packages hazardous materials, they certify that the package has been prepared according to Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). Unless a package is clearly unsafe or noncomplying with HMR, you may accept the shipper’s certification concerning the proper packaging of a material.

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.

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 supply businesses, or pest control firms.

Transporting hazardous materials can be risky. The regulations are intended to protect you, those around you, and the environment.

To obtain an original or renewed hazardous materials endorsement, you must pass a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) background check.

A material's ID number must appear on its accompanying shipping paper as well as on its packaging. It must also appear on cargo tanks and other bulk packaging.

Shippers must place diamond-shaped hazard warning labels on most packages of hazardous materials. If the label won't fit on the package, it can be placed on a tag that is securely attached to the package.

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

As a resource to police and firefighters, the National Response Center helps coordinate emergency response to chemical hazards.

For applicable materials, the "Poison Inhalation Hazard" placard and the appropriate hazard class placard must always be displayed, even for small amounts of the materials.

The shipper of hazardous materials is responsible for identifying the product's identification number; proper shipping name; hazard class; packing group; and correct packaging, labels, marking, and placards.

Column 2 of the Hazardous Materials Table lists the proper shipping names and descriptions of regulated materials.

A shipping paper describes hazardous materials being transported. Shipping orders, bills of lading, and manifests are all shipping papers.

There are nine different classes of hazardous materials. A class reflects the risks associated with a type of material.

When marking hazardous materials in an "HM" column on a shipping paper, the letters "RQ" may be used instead of an "X" if a reportable quantity of the material must be identified.

At a minimum, emergency response information must include the basic descriptions and technical names of the materials being transported; immediate hazards to health; risks of fire or explosion; immediate precautions to be taken in the event of an accident or incident; immediate methods for handling fires; initial methods for handling spills or leaks in the absence of fires; and preliminary first aid measures.

For all shipments of hazardous materials, the shipper must use shipping papers to inform drivers and dockworkers of the risks presented by the cargo.

Except when parking briefly to perform necessary functions for vehicle operation (such as refueling), never park a vehicle carrying Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives within 300 feet of a bridge, tunnel, or building. Never park such a vehicle within five feet of the traveled portion of a road. Such vehicles should be parked only briefly.