Driving and Parking Rules for Hazardous Materials
Driving and Parking Rules for Hazardous Materials
This domain tests 49 CFR 397 operating rules: attendance, parking, smoking, fueling, tires, shipping papers, and special routes. Indiana questions often use a scenario where the driver must leave a placarded vehicle.
Core rules
- A placarded vehicle must be attended by the driver or another qualified person. Attended means the person is within 100 feet of the vehicle and it is in plain view (397.5). Exceptions include parking on private property with consent, at a shipper or consignee premises, or in a designated secure parking area.
- Parking: do not park a placarded vehicle on a public street or highway within 5 feet of the traveled portion (397.7). Park on private property with the owner’s consent, at a designated parking area, or where the vehicle is attended. Never park near an open flame, a bridge, a tunnel, or a congested area if avoidable.
- Smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of a vehicle containing certain flammable, oxidizing, or corrosive materials (397.13). Keep the engine off and brakes set during fueling; do not fuel with the engine running.
- Check tires at the beginning of each trip and each time the vehicle is parked; do not operate with a tire visibly underinflated, flat, or exposed to the roadway (397.17).
- Shipping papers must be within the driver’s reach and accessible to emergency responders (397.19). Follow any designated hazmat route; some tunnels, bridges, and communities restrict placarded loads.
Worked example
You are driving a placarded gasoline tanker and need a restroom break at a truck stop. You may park on private property with the property owner’s consent and keep the vehicle attended by a qualified person within 100 feet and in plain view. If you cannot meet attendance, use a designated secure parking area. You may not simply lock the truck and leave it within 5 feet of a public highway.
Traps
Attended is not satisfied by locking the doors. Five feet from the traveled portion is a parking limit, not a following distance. A placarded vehicle is not banned from all parking; the exceptions matter. Smoking restrictions are not limited to the cab.