8.4 General Requirements

This document cannot address all the requirements and exceptions of the Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs), but there are some topics that all motor carriers should be aware of:

Insurance

Refer to section 4.2 Insurance:Minimum Levels of Financial Responsibility.

Communication Standards

• Shipping Papers (49 CFR 172 Subpart C and 49 CFR 177.817)
  • Be sure to review the retention requirements
• Marking (49 CFR 172 Subpart D)
• Labeling (49 CFR 172 Subpart E)
• Placarding (49 CFR 172 Subpart F)

Training
All hazardous materials employees, not just drivers (49 CFR 177.816), must meet the training requirements of 49 CFR 172.704. Note that there are five categories. Each employee must be trained in each applicable category every three years. The documentation requirements are specified in 49 CFR 172.704. In-depth security training is only required if the employee has duties or responsibilities under the company’s security plan.

Security Plan
49 CFR 172.800 lists the hazmat and quantities that are subject to the security plan requirements. Persons responsible for managing or writing security plans should carefully review 49 CFR 172.802.

More information on hazmat compliance is available at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat.