Commercial motor vehicle inspectors examined 6,204 vehicles transporting hazardous materials/dangerous goods and 6,668 packages in the U.S. and Canada during an unannounced five-day enforcement initiative in June for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
Held June 13-17, inspectors found 1,774 hazardous materials/dangerous goods violations. Vehicles issued hazardous- or dangerous-related out-of-service violations—or any other driver or vehicle out-of-service violations—were restricted from traveling until all out-of-service violations were addressed.
See also: OOS ‘dis-order’: Inspectors aren’t perfect, but bulk carriers aren’t powerless
Drivers transporting hazardous materials and dangerous goods are trained in emergency safety and applicable federal regulations. CVSA’s Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods Road Blitz spotlights the safety-compliant drivers, shippers, and motor carriers that ensure those materials and goods are appropriately marked, placarded, packaged, and secured while hauled on roadways.
During the 2022 Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods Road Blitz, inspectors discovered the following violations:
- 408 shipping papers violations
- 269 non-bulk/small means of containment packaging violations
- 272 bulk packaging/large means of containment packaging violations
- 76 non-bulk/small means of containment labeling violations
- 159 bulk packaging/large means of containment placard violations
- 79 other safety marks violations
- 168 loading and securement violations
- 43 HM/DG package integrity (leaking) violations
- 84 Transportation of Dangerous Goods Training Certificate violations (Canada only)
Here is a summary of the Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods class types inspected, broken out by country, and combined for a North American total.
Governments in Canada and the U.S. have strict inspection and enforcement programs to ensure compliance with regulations regarding the transportation of HM/DG, according to CVSA. In the U.S., the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are responsible for regulating and ensuring hazardous materials safe and secure movement. In Canada, the TDG Regulations are the safety requirements for transporting dangerous goods.
According to FMCSA’s data for the previous calendar year (as of Aug. 26), the top five hazmat violations in the U.S. were:
- Package not secure in vehicle
- No copy of U.S. Department of Transportation HM registration number
- No or improper shipping papers (carrier)
- Shipping paper accessibility
- Vehicle not placarded as required
The Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods Road Blitz aims to increase awareness of the HM/DG rules and regulations to keep the driver, the public, and the environment safe. The initiative also highlights the hard-working and specially trained commercial motor vehicle law enforcement individuals who inspect vehicles transporting hazardous materials or dangerous goods.
