NEW DOT DATA REVEALS THE TOP 10 MOST COMMON
VIOLATIONS AT ROADSIDE INSPECTIONS:
New data released by the U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reveals the 10
most frequently cited violations of federal hazardous
material transportation regulations issued at routine
roadside truck inspections. The data covers more than
154,000 roadside inspections performed in 2012 by the
FMCSA. During this period roadside inspectors found more
than 35,000 violations of federal regulations. The most
common violation was failure to have a copy of the
carriers U.S. DOT HAZMAT registration certificate in the
cab of the vehicle. All petroleum marketers operating a
placarded vehicle must register with the U.S. DOT and
pay an annual fee in return for a HAZMAT operating
certificate. A current copy of the HAZMAT certificate
must be kept on file at the marketers principle place of
business. A copy of the certificate must also be kept in
the cab of all placarded vehicles. Three of the top ten
violations involved shipping papers. For example, it is
a violation of U.S. DOT regulations to carry shipping
papers in a clipboard with a metal cover unless the
metal cover clearly states that shipping documents are
kept inside (ex. “SHIPPING PAPERS CONTAINED INSIDE”). In
addition, four of the top ten violations involved
placard violations. These violations issued for missing,
obscured or damaged hazardous material placards. The
following is the top 10 federal HAZMAT transportation
violations issued in 2012:
|
|
Regulation |
Violation Description |
# of inspections |
# of violations |
% of total violations |
|
1 |
49 CFR 107.620 |
No copy of US DOT hazardous
materials registration number |
2,822 |
2,823 |
8.14% |
|
2 |
49 CFR 177.834 |
Package not secure in vehicle |
2,603 |
2,669 |
7.69% |
|
3 |
49 CFR 172.516 |
Placard damaged, deteriorated, or obscured |
2,119 |
2,419 |
6.97% |
|
4 |
49 CFR 172.504 |
Vehicle not placarded as required |
1,901 |
2,044 |
5.89% |
|
5 |
49 CFR 177.817 |
No shipping papers (Carrier) |
1,754 |
1,780 |
5.13% |
|
6 |
49 CFR 177.817 |
Shipping paper accessibility |
1,641 |
1,646 |
4.74% |
|
7 |
49 CFR 172.602 |
Emergency response information missing |
1,540 |
1,547 |
4.46% |
|
8 |
49 CFR 172.502 |
Failure to provide carrier required placards |
1,450 |
1,519 |
4.38% |
|
9 |
49 CFR 172.200 |
Offering a hazardous material without preparing
a shipping paper. (None at all) |
1,009 |
1,032 |
2.97% |
|
10 |
49 CFR 177.823 |
No placards/markings when required |
912 |
1,005 |
2.90% |
|
|
Marketers should audit their procedures to ensure that
these regulatory requirements are being followed. |
