Driving and Parking Rules for Hazardous Materials
Driving rules for hazardous materials focus on routing, speed, stops, and parking. Candidates must know that certain materials require the driver to stop at railroad crossings and look and listen before proceeding, and that some routes are restricted (tunnels, bridges, populated areas). Parking rules prohibit leaving a placarded vehicle unattended except in specified circumstances, and require parking away from heat sources, crowds, and occupied buildings.
A common trap is assuming that a placarded vehicle may be parked anywhere a normal truck can. In fact, placarded loads must be parked in a safe place, and the driver must keep the vehicle attended or secured. Questions also test whether the driver must stop at crossings for all hazardous materials or only certain classes, and whether the vehicle must be placarded when parked. Another trap: confusing the rules for a vehicle carrying hazardous materials with those for an empty but previously placarded vehicle.
Rule of thumb: placarded means restricted - stop at crossings, avoid restricted routes, and park away from people and heat.
Worked example: A driver with a placarded load must cross railroad tracks. The driver must stop, look, and listen before crossing, and should not park the placarded vehicle near a building or heat source during a rest stop.