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.

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.

When hazardous materials placards are required, they must be placed on all four sides of the transporting vehicle.

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

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.

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

Before loading or unloading a tank with flammable liquids, you should turn off the engine, unless running the engine is necessary to operate a pump.

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.

In general, vehicles carrying hazardous materials are required to display diamond-shaped warning signs on all four sides. These warning signs are called "placards."

Shippers of hazardous cargo must alert drivers and others to relevant hazards through proper shipping papers, hazard warning labels on packages, emergency response information, and placards.

Packages containing liquid containers should display arrows pointing in the correct upright direction. These packages should be placed facing the correct direction.

When transporting hazardous materials, you may leave your vehicle unattended in a safe haven. A safe haven is a location that has been approved for parking unattended vehicles that are loaded with explosives.

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.

Carriers and drivers must be able to quickly identify hazardous materials' shipping papers. Shipping papers for hazardous materials should be on the top of a stack of shipping papers.

If a package of hazardous materials is not large enough to display the proper label, the label may be placed on a tag that is securely attached to the package.

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

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

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.

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.

You should examine your tires at the beginning of every trip and after every stop to ensure that they are properly inflated. The only acceptable way to check tire pressure is to use a tire pressure gauge.

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

A Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest must be signed by hand. The name and EPA registration number of the shippers, carriers, and destination must also appear on the manifest.

When transporting hazardous materials, shipping papers should be kept in a pouch in the driver's side door, or in another location where the driver is able to easily reach them while their seat belt is fastened. The papers must be easily visible to anyone who is entering the cab.

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

Because of the risks presented by the nature of the materials, government on federal, state, and local levels may impose regulations on the transportation of hazardous materials.

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.

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.

Radiation surrounds packages of radioactive materials and passes through to other nearby packages. To address this, the number of radioactive packages that can be loaded together is limited.

Before loading or unloading a tank with flammable liquids, you should turn off the engine, unless running the engine is necessary to operate a pump. Ground the tank before opening the filling hole and maintain the ground until after closing the filling hole.

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.