Transporting Hazardous Materials | Material Trucking

Transporting Hazardous Materials

Gr Trucking | Concrete Recycling | Material Trucking | Sacramento

If you are a truck driver you know that transporting hazardous materials (hazmat) must be taken seriously. For new drivers looking to enter the industry know that transporting hazmat safely is the most important responsibility you have. That is why we are here today. We are going to give you tips for hazmat transportation.

When transporting hazmat materials, you need to have access to the Product Safety Data Sheet (SDS). The supplier of chemicals is required to provide shippers with an up to date safety data sheet. An SDS is required because it has instructions on how the products should be handled. The SDS must include information like the properties of each chemical, the hazards, and guidance on PPE. In short, make sure you have access to the SDS and make sure you understand it before anything else.

Secondly, do not accept hazmat products if the packaging is faulty or has been tampered with. Packaging must be certified and tested to meet travel requirements. Packaging must be constructed and closed in a manner that prevents loss of contents according to the manufacturer specifications. Remember that any packaging variation from the manufacturer’s instructions could compromise the material’s integrity and violate the law. Inspect what you are transporting before it gets loaded.

Lastly, if anything were to go wrong you need to have an emergency plan. As a driver you should have government-issued training that build the necessary skills to handle any emergencies during hazmat transportation. It is a good idea to get proper training before you even start driving freight. It will be part of your certificate training but having it be a priority will only help you if anything were to go wrong.

Transporting hazmat is a huge part of our global supply chain but must be done safely. Knowing how to ship hazmat is imperative to ensure everyone’s safety. To all the new drivers out there, do your part by taking the necessary steps in preparation and training for transporting hazmat.