Quote:
Originally Posted by SlacTrac
How do drivers of placarded loads of Flammable Liquids Class 3, Combustible Liquids and Class 8 Corrosive Materials get rest when its time to shut down and get some sleep? Do you just pull up at the favorite Truck Stop and bed down? This is a drop deck trailer with totes and drums of these materials strapped down in the open air, where anybody passing by could flip a cig. butt. Or on a more malicious note, reach in and uncap a tote and open the drain port, or punch holes in the plastic drums. I've looked through the HazMat Endorsement guide, but can't find much about down time and sleeping while OTR with such a load. Under a paragraph about "Parking a Placarded Vehicle..." Says The person attending a placarded vehicle must be in the vehicle, awake, and not in the sleeper berth, or within 100 feet of the vehicle and have it within clear view, Be aware of the hazards of the materials being transported, know what to do in emergencies, be able to move the vehicle if needed. But I think this is talking about parking on the side if the road for a short period of time, like checking the straps, tires, etc. What's the solution? I see a paragraph about "Safe Haven" dealing with transporting Class 1 Explosives, but don't know where any of these are at. Are there truck stops set up for these HazMat loads?
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Rev gave you the reading answer.
To answer your parking question, in the real work-a-day world...Yes...you park at truck stops.
You can only do "so-much" to protect your load. You are expected to be awake while driving your truck, so it goes to the logical conclusion that you are going to park to sleep. You do so at truck stops.
Things you don't do...Don't stop on the shoulder of the road to check cargo control devices. Stop at truck stops, rest areas, or if you must, on the shoulder of the "On-ramp", where vehicles coming past you are less likely to have a head of speed.
Don't travel through housing areas, if there are less populated alternatives. The same applies to business areas. Stay away if at all possible.
Many cities and states have "Haz-Mat" routes that you are expected to follow. There are times that it seems illogical...but you have to remember...Emergency Response units are positioned to respond along those routes, to handle various situations.
If you are parking for an extended period of time...say for 1 or 2 days.... and decide to use a motel, you choose one that is in a less populous area, with off street parking, then you make sure that the property owner understands what you have as a cargo.
You make yourself aware of the situations around you. This applies to traffic while you are moving, surroundings while you are parked, and people, whether they are passengers of other vehicles or pedestrians on a street or lot.
It isn't hard to be safe. Just use large quantities of common sense.
I just completed a trip from TX to NJ and back. I hauled some very nasty material, yet I stopped en-route at a motel for 2 nights, less than 5 miles from the delivery. The delivery was delayed due to bad weather conditions. Had the customer been willing to allow me to drop the trailer at their property during the delay, that would have been the best solution for "Safety", but the customer was unwilling to accept the drop and storage liability.......so I had to stay under the trailer, while waiting out the delayed delivery time. This in NJ.
I found a motel with acceptable parking space, informed the management of the cargo and it's risks, and was allowed to park in a location that reduced the risk to traffic, to the population and to the unit itself. It was also parked under lights and under video surveillance. It all worked well.
I have been doing haz-mat for 30 years. :thumbsup:
HazMat Placarded Loads and Down Time
