# Halliburton — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 16-0166  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2017-01-12

16-0166 response to Halliburton concerning 172.504, 172.516.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

43/3 s. Loop 1604 E.
Elmendorf, TX 78114
Reference No. 16-0166
Dear Mr. Vandeaver:
This letter is in response to your October 12, 2016, letter requesting clarification of the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to placarding. You
describe in your letter a scenario where a pickup truck with a trailer attached contains an amount
of hazardous materials that requires placarding. Specifically, you ask whether the front of the
pickup truck may be placarded to satisfy the front placard requirement prescribed in
§ 172.504(a).
The answer is yes. Except as otherwise provided by the HMR, each bulk packaging must be
placarded on each side and each end with the type of placards specified in Tables 1 and 2 of
§ 172.504(e). However, as authorized in § 172.516(b), the required placarding of the front of a
motor vehicle may be on the front of a truck-tractor instead of or in addition to the placarding on
the front of the cargo body to which a truck-tractor is attached. Therefore, the placarding
scenario you describe in your letter is authorized by the HMR.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Please submit this as a letter of interpretation. I spoke with Mr. Vandeaver.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Jordan
From: Albert Vandeaver [mailto:Albert. Vandeaver@halliburton.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2016 3:42 PM
To: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Cc: Albert Vandeaver
Subject: Request for clarification
See attachment regarding clarification of placarding regulation.
Thanks,
Albert R. Vandeaver
Halliburton HRD
Office # 210-621-1815
Mobile # 210-400-9948
This e-mail, including any attached files, may contain confidential and privileged information for the sole use of
the intended recipient. Any review, use, distribution, or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not
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by reply e-mail and delete all copies of this message.

<<<PAGE 3>>>

This is in regards to a question of placard placement on a pickup/trailer combination. The
pickup is attached to a trailer that is carrying hazardous materials (placardable amount), and
the driver places the placard on the front of the pickup, as opposed to the front of the trailer.
The other three sides of the trailer are appropriately placarded. From my take on 172.516(b),
the regulation specifically addresses a placard may be placed "on the front of the cargo body to
which a truck-tractor is attached."
An assistance you may provide in clarification would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
asht R. Vonseou
Albert R. Vandeaver

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2017/160166.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `05f878c75054dd78915c9854755a4af6f9daba42c09abae28a3051cfa334089e`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T19:23:16.282Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-16-0166`

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