Placards, any quantity of chlorine, or cargo tanks used for hazmat (even empty ones) are what make the railroad stop mandatory; a hazmat load that meets none of these conditions does not by itself require it.
Hazmat rules call for a look at every tire when a trip starts and again whenever you park, with a pressure gauge used to confirm inflation; catching a soft or hot tire early helps prevent fires and blowouts.
When a hazmat load must stop at a railroad crossing, the vehicle must stay between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail, which makes 50 feet the greatest distance allowed.
When a radioactive shipment is limited to a set route, the carrier must give the driver special training, and that training has to have taken place within the previous two years so the driver's knowledge stays current.
A leaking or flat tire may be driven only as far as the nearest safe place, where it must be fixed before the trip continues; a blowout with hazardous cargo aboard can quickly turn into an emergency.
Federal rules for hazmat drivers say an overheated tire must be taken off right away and moved a safe distance from the vehicle, because a hot tire can catch fire. The vehicle may not be driven again until the cause of the overheating has been fixed.
Under 49 CFR 397.67(b), a placarded vehicle must be routed around tunnels, crowds, and heavily populated areas unless there is no practicable alternative. Convenience or saving time is not a reason to go through, so light traffic or a late schedule does not allow it.
An overheated tire can burst into flames, so it must come off and be placed well away from the vehicle and its hazardous cargo, and you may not drive on until the cause of the overheating is found and fixed.
A driver carrying explosives in Divisions 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 needs to keep a written route plan on hand, plus the shipping papers, written emergency instructions, and a copy of FMCSR Part 397. The carrier's insurance policy is not among the documents required.
The carrier has to supply each driver of these explosives with a copy of Part 397, which sets out the driving and parking rules for hazardous materials, plus written instructions for handling an accident or delay. A spare extinguisher or a list of fuel stops is not part of that requirement.
With a placarded load riding on dual tires, each tire has to be examined before departure and again at every stop, since an underinflated tire can overheat and catch fire. Finding a soft or hot tire early keeps a small problem from becoming an emergency.
Federal equipment rules call for an extinguisher with a UL rating of at least 10 B:C on the power unit of a vehicle that displays placards; the B and C ratings mean it is made for flammable liquid and electrical fires.
Federal rules call for a placarded vehicle to have an extinguisher with a UL rating of 10 B:C or higher, which means it is suited to flammable-liquid and electrical fires.
Because Division 4.3 falls under Placard Table 1, placards are needed even for 100 pounds. A vehicle displaying Division 4.3 placards has to halt between 15 and 50 feet before the nearest rail prior to crossing the tracks.
Federal regulations require a stop 15 to 50 feet before the nearest rail for a vehicle hauling most placarded hazardous materials, for a cargo tank used for hazardous materials whether loaded or empty, and for any vehicle carrying chlorine. After looking and listening for trains, the driver crosses without shifting gears.
A placarded vehicle must stop within 50 feet of the nearest rail but no closer than 15 feet, so 15 feet is the minimum distance; 50 feet is the farthest point of the stopping zone, not the closest.
Hazardous materials rules call for checking the tires of a placarded vehicle with duals at the start of every trip and whenever you stop to park. Checking that often helps you catch a flat, leaking or overheated tire before it causes a fire or a blowout.
Federal equipment rules require the power unit of any placarded vehicle to carry an extinguisher rated 10 B:C or higher, meaning it is suited to flammable-liquid and electrical fires.
Explosives in Divisions 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 must travel under a written route plan, which the carrier usually draws up ahead of time and gives to the driver. A driver who picks up the explosives somewhere other than the employer's terminal may write out the plan beforehand.
For Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives, the carrier prepares a written route plan, and the driver must keep it on hand throughout the trip along with the shipping papers and the emergency instructions. The plan fixes the approved route in advance.
Because chlorine is an extremely toxic gas, a chlorine cargo tank must travel with an approved gas mask to protect the driver and an emergency kit to seal leaks in the dome cover plate fittings.
Chlorine is so toxic that even a small quantity calls for a stop before the tracks, just as placards do; halt there, then look and listen in both directions before crossing.
Some roads, bridges, and tunnels are closed to placarded vehicles, and some areas require permits for hazardous loads, so the route must be planned and the paperwork secured before departure. Finding a restriction partway through the trip can leave you with no legal way to continue.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
