# ICL Americas — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation **Citation:** 20-0045 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration **Effective:** Not stated **Published:** 2020-10-15 20-0045 response to ICL Americas concerning 173.24b. ## Document text <<>> U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration October 15, 2020 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Mr. Gregory S. Phillips Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager - Americas ICL Americas 622 Emerson Rd. Suite 500 St. Louis, MO 63141 Reference No. 20-0045 Dear Mr. Phillips: This is in response to your May 26, 2020, letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to lading density and the maximum weight of lading when loading cargo tanks. Specifically, you ask whether a previous Letter of Interpretation (LOI) issued under Reference No. 96-0182 on September 25, 1996, remains valid. The answer is yes. As stated in the LOI, a hazardous material with a density which exceeds the maximum lading density for the cargo tank indicated on the name plate may be loaded in to a cargo tank as long as the maximum weight of the lading marked on the specification plate is not exceeded. See § 173.24b(d)(2). 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 <<>> Pollack AICL 20-0045 ICL Americas 622 Emerson Rd. Suite 500 St. Louis, MO 63141 Mr. Shane Kelley Director, Standards and Rulemaking Division U.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10) 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20590 May 26, 2020 Dear Mr. Kelley, This letter is to request guidance and interpretation involving which values appearing on a hazardous materials tank trailer certification plate determine the acceptability for loading a material which exceeds the "MAX PRODUCT WT." (density) but for which the net weight is below the stated "MAX. PRODUCT LOAD" (weight). Several recent rejections have occurred at a terminal due to the product density (Phosphoric Acid - density = 14.15 Lbs./gal.) exceeding the "MAX. PRODUCT WT. 13 LBS/GALS XX" on the specification plate. The intended load net weights were below the "MAX. PRODUCT LOAD 53,810 LBS." on the plate. (See image below, and attached). FOLET DU LAC, WISCONSIN U.S.A. 02:60P150 LANNING. D.O.T. SPEC. MFR'S SERIAL NO. ORIG. TEST DATE DATE lAFR. DESIGN PRESSURE 1 PSG TEST PRESSUSE I PSIG CERT. DATE IS « HEAD MATERIAL WANUFACTUSEU THE SA 240.1 C (SS SHELL MATERIAL MANUFACTUREG TAK SART E ANIMUM THK WELD MATERIAL T-31C1.S1 SS LINING MATERIAL NOMINAL CAPACITY BY COMPT. (FRONT TO REAR) MAX PRODUCT LOAD LOADING LISTE MAX, PRODUCT WIT. GPM TIES LES. GALS 1pslc A prior September 25, 1996 interpretation from Delmer Billings to McKenzie Tank Lines (attached) states "A hazardous material with a density which exceeds the maximum lading density for the tank indicated on the specification plate may be loaded into a cargo tank if the maximum weight of lading marked on the specification plate is not exceeded. See provision in 49 CFR 173.24b(d)(2).". Neither 173.24b in general nor this specific provision refer to the material density as a limiting factor for lading. We seek confirmation that the prior interpretation letter includes tank trailers, that it is still valid, and that the specification plate weight limit is the load limiting factor for liquid materials with densities higher than the stated maximum density. I hope this sufficiently summarizes our inquiry. Please contact me if you require clarification. Thank you in advance and | look forward to your response. Sincerely, Gap 8. Phillips Gregory S. Phillips Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager - Americas ICL 622 Emerson Rd., Suite 500 St. Louis, MO 63141 Telephone: 314-983-7807 E-mail Gregory.phillips@icl-group.com <<>> 2-1 2037. US. GALS. NP.B-26 - - TIN. HG 400 CERT. DATE 13-18-07 TEST PRESSURE A51 PSIG SS- MINIMUM THK. MAX, TEMP 5-•T0F SS- MINIMUM THK. PSIG DATE MFR. OF A PSIG TOGUT VELA LBS. / GALS-* DU LAC, WISCONSIN U.S.A. BRENNER DANK IU. I LBS. SA 240 T SA 240-1 PSIG WELD MATERIAL T-316LSI SS LINING MATERIAL NOMINAL CAPACITY BY COMPT. (FRONT TO REAR) GPM GPM 021.- MANUFACTURED THK 11255 MANUFACTURED THK 120/0 FOND MAX. PRODUCT LOAD MFR'S SERIAL NO. ORIG. TEST DATE DESIGN PRESSURE MAX. PRODUCT WT. UNLOADING LIMITS SHELL MATERIAL LOADING LIMITS D.O.T. SPEC. - HEAD MATERIAL <<>> - 1-2001 09:52 HMIC Us. Deportment of Transportation Special Programs Restarch and 100 Sevent Step, SW Administration 25 1896 Washington OC 20380 SEP 2 5 53C Mr. Ton burden Mokenzie Tank Lines, InC. Post Office Box 1200 Tallahasser, PL 32302 •DeAR Mr. Durder: Inie is in response to your letter requesting clarification on the use. ot maximum lading density and maximum weight of lading when Joading cargo tanke under the Hazardous Matarials Regulations (HMR; 49 CER Parte 171-180) - * hazardous macezial with & density which exceeds the maximum 1ading density fox the tank indicated on the apecification plate may be loaded into a cargo tank 1f the maximum weight of lading it 49 CPR: 173, 24b (d) (2). mazked on the specifloation plate if not exceeded. See provision I hope this answers your inguizy. assistance, do not hegitate to contact us. If you heed additional Sincerely, Delmer #. BIllinga Chief, Regulations Development office of Hazardous Materials Standazde TOTAL P.BZ 90 39Vd ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `phmsa` - SHA-256: `c3d81327719c78408d9f7424fd2593732c5be74efdff76fac81001e33fe0bfa8` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z - Exported: 2026-08-22T03:44:30.622Z - Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-20-0045` ### Source metadata ```json { "materialSubtype": "interpretation", "interpretationArea": "hazardous_materials", "representation": "full_text_from_official_pdf", "companies": [ "ICL Americas" ], "individuals": [ "Gregory Phillips" ], "refIds": [ "20-0045" ], "catalogDates": [ "2020-10-15" ], "catalogParts": [ 173 ], "catalogRowCount": 1, "sourceRecordUrls": [ "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/node/72421" ], "linkedAttachmentUrls": [], "unavailableResponseUrls": [], "duplicateRepresentationUrls": [], "citedSections": [ "173.24b", "173.24b(d)(2)" ], "catalogPageUrls": [ "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/17324b" ], "pdfUrls": [ "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/74476/200045.pdf" ], "representations": [ { "viewUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/74476/200045.pdf", "detailUrl": null, "detailHtmlPath": null, "pdfUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/74476/200045.pdf", "pdfArtifactPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/20-0045-5cc031f719.pdf", "pdfArtifactSha256": "20b8de209766d2b940361d56d4fa38cae1f037a070fb25d62153f0467c4d67ab", "extractedTextPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/20-0045-5cc031f719.v2.txt", "extractedTextSha256": "50dfe2e059608ac1825c0a754c9edd512e62ceeb3ab6162672ea86cbadb3f712", "pageCount": 4, "extractionVersion": 2 } ], "caveat": "Interpretations apply regulations to the facts presented and do not create independently enforceable requirements.", "jurisdiction": "US" } ```