The loading of a tank with hazardous materials must always be watched by a qualified person. This person must be alert; have a clear view of the tank; stay within 25 feet of the tank; know the hazards associated with the materials; know what to do in an emergency; and be able and authorized to move the tank if necessary.

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

A vehicle must be properly placarded before it can be driven. A vehicle that does not display the proper placards may not be moved unless doing so is necessary to protect life or property in an emergency.

Do not smoke within 25 feet of a placarded cargo tank used to transport Class 3 or Division 2.1 hazardous materials.

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

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.

Many hazardous materials become more dangerous when exposed to heat. Hazardous materials should be loaded and unloaded away from heat sources.

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.

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.

Radioactive materials are categorized as Class 7 hazardous materials.

There are nine different hazard classes. A material's hazard class reflects its associated risks.

Shippers of hazardous materials are required to provide emergency response information to drivers.

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.

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

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

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.

If a shipping paper includes information about both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, the hazardous materials must be differentiated in one of three ways. They must be listed first, highlighted in a contrasting color, or identified with an "X" placed before the shipping description in a column labeled "HM."

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.

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.

Signs are placed on the outside of vehicles and bulk packages to warn drivers and others about hazardous materials. These diamond-shaped signs are known as "placards."

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

Drivers must be aware of the risks associated with materials they are transporting. Hazardous materials shipping papers must include an emergency response telephone number.

It is a good idea to compare a shipping paper to the applicable package markings and labels. Ensure that the shipper has included the correct basic description on the shipping paper and that it matches markings and labels.

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

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

Flammable liquids should not be transferred from one vehicle to another on a public roadway, unless being moved due to an emergency. Always warn others of the hazards presented by the materials.

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).

It is the responsibility of a carrier to refuse improper shipments of hazardous materials.

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

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.