FMCSA Revises Hazmat Compliance Regulations for Commercial Vehicles

Safety measurement system chages are coming to the Compliance Safety Accountability program (CSA) this month.

The most noteworthy is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) addition of a new Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC), which will regulate transportation of hazardous materials.

Hazardous material, or hazmat, is a name used to describe material that could cause harm to humans, animals or the environment.

BASICs cover the areas that are most likely to cause trucking accidents:  unsafe driving, fatigue, driver fitness, controlled substances and alcohol, vehicle maintenance, cargo, and crash history.

The new Hazardous Materials Compliance BASIC, which replaces the Cargo BASIC, will mean closer inspection of hazmat transportation compliance, even for trucking companies that are not considered hazardous materials carriers. To illustrate: a truck ordinarily hauls fruit from Florida to Tennessee.  On a return trip to Florida with an otherwise empty trailer, the truck hauls a 4-wheeler that has gasoline in the tank.  Technically, gasoline is a hazardous material.  If the driver fails to properly display the required hazardous materials signage on his trailer, an inspector could cite the driver for a violation. 

Transporting hazardous materials does not increase the frequency of crashes, but these materials can greatly increase the severity of crashes and cargo spills.

The goal of the Hazmat Compliance BASIC is not to reduce the number of crashes involving commercial vehicles but to identify and address compliance issues related to hazardous materials.  In turn, the change will keep our roads safer by providing valuable information to first responders.

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