Guide to Hazardous Materials (Haz Mat) Trucking

Whether you have a short or long distance to transport your hazardous chemicals and materials, you need the experienced and licensed help of a hazardous material trucking company that knows how to keep your business on the move. You will need someone experienced to properly fill out your paperwork, load and unload the product, and who can react safely in case of an unexpected spill or leak.

Hazmat trucking companies are your resource to meet all of the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for the safe transport of your domestic and international materials. Are you transporting explosives, gases, flammable liquids or solids, poisonous and infections substances, radioactive, corrosive materials or other miscellaneous dangerous goods? If, so hazmat trucking will be required to safely transport your product.

To safely transport your material:

1. Work with or consult with an experienced company to help you label and pack your materials prior to passing it off to your haz mat trucking company.

2. Safely load your material in a registered hazmat trucking vehicle.

3. Make sure that you are following all federal, state, and local regulations in transit in regards to your hazmat trucking jobs or hazardous waste trucking.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Be knowledgeable about the government agencies overseeing hazmat transport

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is the place to start looking at compliance and requirements for trucking hazmat. The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is another regulation agency that can help you support the safe transport of your hazardous materials.

I recommend: OSHA is the government agency that establishes and enforces the protective standards that Hazmat shipping companies have to follow. They cover emergency response personnel who handle and spills that may occur at your hazmat trucking jobs. Make sure that the Hazmat trucking companies that you are working with are compliant with OSHA standards and that they have had training like that offered by Lion Technology Inc. PHSMA offers you information on the range of functions that their agency provides as well as where you can find the names of companies and types of businesses that have had hazmat infractions or had accidents/incidents fatalities or fines.

Promote safety and security when completing hazardous materials trucking runs

You have inherent risks when hazardous materials trucking as well as security concerns.

I recommend: Check out the government's information on hazmat shipping regulations, permits and approvals, security and initiatives. You can even get email updates when this information is changed.

Work with an experienced hazardous material trucking packing provider

Work with a company experienced in packaging your hazmat materials.

I recommend: Check out companies like HAZPlus, Inmark, Inc., and LPS Industries. All three offer a large variety of packing materials dedicated to hazmat needs.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Be aware that there is a maximum $50,000 civil penalty for violations that can be laid down on you by one of PHMSA's 35 investigators. They work in conjunction with Federal, state, and local agencies to investigate your packaging manufacturers, requalifiers, certifiers, shippers, consolidators, and freight forwarders.
• Your shipment will be one of close to one million daily shipments of hazardous materials, so pack it safely and avoid leakage or spillage.

The official source of Hazardous Materials (Haz Mat) Trucking is
the Hazardous Materials (Haz Mat) Trucking page at Business.com