Shipping Papers
Shipping papers are the primary record of what is being transported and are required for most hazardous materials shipments. A candidate must know the required basic description sequence: the proper shipping name, hazard class or division, UN identification number, and packing group (when assigned). The UN number must be preceded by "UN" and the packing group by "PG." Emergency response telephone number, total quantity, and shipper certification are also required elements.
Questions often test the order and placement of these elements and the rule that the hazard class must appear immediately after the proper shipping name, with the UN number following. Another trap is the emergency response phone number: it must be monitored at all times during transport, and it cannot simply be an answering machine or a number that rings unanswered. Also know that shipping papers must be kept within reach of the driver, readily visible to anyone entering the cab, and preserved for a specified period after delivery.
Rule of thumb: read the description left to right as Name, Class, UN number, Packing Group - if any element is missing or out of order, the paper is deficient.
Worked example: "Gasoline, 3, UN1203, PG II" is correct. "UN1203 Gasoline PG II Class 3" is not, because the class must immediately follow the proper shipping name.