A shipper offers you a drum of corrosive liquid that is seeping at the bung. What should you do?
- Load it upright near the rear doors
- Wrap it in plastic and then load it
- Accept it if the papers mention it
- Refuse to accept the leaking drum
Show the answer
D. Refuse to accept the leaking drum
Drivers must refuse leaking packages and shipments. Wrapping the drum or noting the leak on the paperwork does not make it safe or legal to carry; the shipper has to correct the packaging.
Reference: AAMVA CDL Manual, Section 9.2; 49 CFR 177.801
Before driving a load that requires placards, who must make sure the correct placards are on the vehicle?
- The shipper's loading crew
- The driver of the vehicle
- The receiving consignee
- The roadside inspector
Show the answer
B. The driver of the vehicle
The shipper must offer the right placards, which is why 'the shipper' is tempting, but the driver may not move the vehicle until it is correctly placarded. Checking and displaying placards is a driver duty.
Reference: AAMVA CDL Manual, Section 9.2 and 9.3; 49 CFR 172.506 and 177.823
A driver is assigned a box truck of 14,000 pounds GVWR carrying a load that requires placards. What license does the driver need?
- A regular license plus employer hazmat training
- A CDL without any added endorsements
- A CDL with a hazardous materials endorsement
- A regular license and a carrier permit
Show the answer
C. A CDL with a hazardous materials endorsement
Any vehicle used to carry hazardous materials in amounts that require placards is a commercial motor vehicle, whatever its weight, so the driver needs a CDL with the H endorsement. Employer hazmat training is also required, but it does not replace the license.
Reference: AAMVA CDL Manual, Section 9 introduction; 49 CFR 383.5 and 383.93