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

In some emergencies, the best strategy for avoiding a hazard may be to drive onto the shoulder. Most shoulders are strong enough to support the weight of a large vehicle.

While regular mirror checks should always be part of your driving routine, you should make a particular point of checking the mirrors when changing lanes, turning, merging, or making tight maneuvers.

If your drive wheels begin to spin while accelerating on a surface with poor traction, you should remove your foot from the accelerator.

If a cargo of hazardous materials begins to leak, do not move your vehicle any more than safety requires. If you continue to drive, an even larger area will become contaminated. Instead, you should park your vehicle, secure it, stay with the vehicle, and contact the proper emergency personnel. If you do not have access to a phone, you should send someone else to get help.

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

If transporting Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives, you must follow a written route plan. Whenever placarded, avoid heavily populated areas, crowds, tunnels, narrow streets, and alleys. Be sure to research any restrictions that may apply to the routes you plan to take.

If you are not confident that your vehicle will have enough room to safely pass under an overhead object, you should slow down and seek another route, if possible.

Due to their high centers of gravity, tanks are especially prone to rollovers. When driving a tank vehicle, you should take curves well below the posted speed limit.

If your vehicle breaks down while you are transporting explosives and you need to use warning signals, use reflective triangles or red electric lights. Never use burning signals, such as flares or fuses, when transporting explosives.

When inspecting a vehicle that is equipped with power steering, check the hoses, pumps, and fluid level. In particular, you should look for leaks in the hoses.

Among other information, shipping papers must include a description of the specific hazardous materials being transported.

As the first step of a vehicle inspection, you should review any inspection report left by the previous driver.

Reduce your speed as you approach a railroad crossing. Remember that you will not necessarily be able to hear a train, and don't assume that signals will warn you of its approach. Never try to outdrive an approaching train at a railroad crossing.

To lower the risk of a rollover, load your cargo as closely to the ground as possible. To further reduce this risk, take curves and corners slowly.

When inspecting your brakes, you should check for cracked drums; shoes or pads covered in oil, grease, or brake fluid; and shoes that are missing, broken, or worn dangerously thin.

When a shipping paper includes both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, one acceptable method of identifying the hazardous items is to highlight them in a contrasting color.

Check your engine during the pre-trip inspection. After starting the engine, you should listen for unusual noises.

Liquids expand as they get warmer and drivers must allow extra space in a tank to accommodate this expansion. Different liquids expand to different degrees, so drivers must be aware of the outage requirements of the specific load they are carrying.

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.

If transporting any amount of chlorine, a driver must always stop at a railroad crossing 15 to 50 feet from the nearest track, regardless of the presence of a train.

When checking your tires as part of a pre-trip inspection, it is important to verify that the tire pressure is neither too low nor too high.

Check hydraulic brakes by pumping the brake pedal three times before applying firm pressure to the pedal for five seconds. The pedal should not move. If it does, there may be a leak or some other problem in the braking system.

Knowing proper coupling and uncoupling technique is fundamental to the safe operation of combination vehicles. Improper coupling can be very dangerous.

Backing a truck is always dangerous because the driver may not be able to see everything behind them. CMV operators should avoid backing whenever possible.

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.

Ice cream trucks can create hazardous conditions for other drivers because they attract children. Children often do not notice or pay attention to other vehicles on the roadway when running to or from ice cream trucks.

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

When checking your vehicle's tires, you should confirm that air pressure is neither too low nor too high; that there is at least 4/32 of an inch of tread depth in every major groove on the front tires; that there is at least 2/32 of an inch of tread depth in grooves on other tires; and that radial and bias-ply tires are not used together.

An empty combination vehicle will come to a complete stop more slowly than a fully-loaded vehicle. With less weight in a trailer, the stiff suspension springs and strong brakes will have lower traction than they would if the vehicle carried more weight.