A placard must be placed at least three inches away from any other markings. The placard should be kept clear of attachments or devices, such as doors and ladders. Placards should always be placed against a background of a contrasting color.

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.

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.

It is a driver's responsibility to refuse packages or shipments of hazardous materials if they contain leaks.

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.

The shipper of hazardous materials is responsible for using the hazardous materials regulations to determine the product's identification number, proper shipping name, hazard class, and packing group. They are also responsible for determining the correct packaging, labels, markings, and placards to use.

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.

Cargo tanks remain on a vehicle at all times, regardless of whether or not they are carrying cargo. Portable tanks are bulk packaging and are not permanently attached to a vehicle.

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.

Hazardous materials should always be loaded away from heat sources. Many materials become more hazardous if their temperatures increase.

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

Hazardous materials are products that pose risks to health, safety, and property during transportation. Materials that are considered hazardous include explosives; flammable and poisonous gases; and flammable and other hazardous solids.

It is a driver's responsibility to refuse packages or shipments of hazardous materials if they contain leaks.

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.

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 a shipping paper describes both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, the hazardous materials must be distinguished in one of three ways. They must be entered first on the shipping paper, highlighted in a contrasting color, or properly marked with an "X" in a column titled "HM."

The shipper of hazardous materials is responsible for correctly labeling and marking them. The driver should make sure that the shipper properly labeled and marked the materials before beginning a trip.

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.

When loading or unloading containers of hazardous materials, you should not use hooks, or any other tools that could damage containers or packaging.

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

Employees who work with hazardous materials must be trained and tested at least once every three years.

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

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

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

Before transporting hazardous materials, you should research any restrictions that may apply to the routes you plan to take.

Shippers of hazardous materials are required to provide proper shipping papers to communicate the risks of the materials.

Cylinders and drums are often used to contain hazardous materials. Be sure to take the proper precautions if transporting a cargo of hazardous materials.

When applying for an original or renewed HazMat endorsement, you must undergo a federal security threat assessment done by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Some radioactive materials are required to be accompanied by a transport index. A transport index is a number that indicates how much control the material will require during transport. The total transport index of all cargo in a single vehicle may not exceed 50.

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