Driving and Parking Rules for Hazardous Materials
Driving and parking rules for hazmat test your judgment about where a placarded vehicle may stop, who must watch it, and what you must avoid. The key rules are 49 CFR 397.5, 397.7, 397.13, and the railroad-crossing stop requirement.
Attendance and parking
- A vehicle carrying certain placarded quantities, such as explosives other than 1.4, flammable gas, poisonous gas, flammable liquid, oxidizer, PG I poison, and radioactive material, must be attended by a qualified person or parked in a safe haven.
- Do not park within 5 feet of the traveled portion of a roadway.
- Do not park near open flames, crowds, tunnels, bridges, or congested areas. Park away from other vehicles and ignition sources.
- Set the parking brake, place chocks, and secure the load before leaving the cab.
Driving rules
- Stop before railroad crossings at grade, look and listen, and proceed only when clear.
- No smoking within 25 feet of a vehicle carrying explosives, oxidizers, or flammables.
- Follow route restrictions; some tunnels and bridges prohibit hazmat.
Worked example
You are carrying placarded gasoline and need to stop for a meal. You may not leave the rig unattended at a restaurant lot that is within 5 feet of the road or next to a crowded building. Use a designated safe haven or keep a qualified person with the vehicle. If no safe place exists, keep moving to the next approved stop.
Traps that cost marks
"Attended" means a qualified person is within 100 feet and has an unobstructed view, not merely that the truck is locked. Parking rules apply even for short stops. A safe haven is not any truck stop; it must meet the rule's location criteria.