# Rite Aid Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 06-0254
- **title:** Rite Aid Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2007-01-09
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 06-0254 response to Rite Aid Corporation concerning 173.308.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0254.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0254.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0254
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2006/060254.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

or sporation
Washington, D.C. 20590
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
JAN - 9 2007
Mr. Glenn A. Courtney
Ref. No. 06-0254
Harrisburg, PA 17105
Dear Mr. Courtney:
This responds to your November 1, 2006 letter concerning the applicability of the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) to shipments of lighters.
Specifically, you ask if the exception in §173.308(e)(2) for shipments of lighters by
private carriage applies to Rite Aid's distribution of individual lighters by your fleet of
According to your letter, Rite Aid operates eight distribution centers that service stores in
several states. You ask if you may utilize the private carriage exception in §173.308(e) to
Stores. You further state that some of your drivers are Rite Aid company drivers and
transport lighters using Rite Aid-owned or-leased trailers for delivery directly to Rite Aid
others are Dedicated Contract Providers that operate Rite Aid trailers owned or leased
directly to Rite Aid stores.
Exceptions for lighters transported by private motor carrier were included in a final rule
published January 23, 2006 under Docket No. RSPA-2004-18795 (HM-237; 7. FR
private motor carrier from all EMR requirements provided the lighter designs have been
3418). The final rule adopted a new §173.308(e) that excepts lighters transported by
examined and successfully tested in accordance with applicable requirements and
conform to the conditions established in §173.308(e)(2). The effective date of the
amendments in the HM-237 final rule is January 1, 2007; however, voluntary compliance
is authorized as of April 25, 2006.
173.308
060254

<<<PAGE 2>>>

It is the opinion of this Office that you are a private carrier for purposes of the HMR and
may utilize the exception provided in §173.308(e)(2) for the highway transportation of
lighters.
I hope this answers your inquiry.
Sincerely,
REAL SA
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 3>>>

| RITE
Boothe
HAID
3173.308
Lighters
• GENERAL OFFICE
Frite Aid Corporation
0 Hunter Lan
06-0254
jamp Hill, PA 1701
• 1-800-RITE AID
November 1, 2006
Edward Mazzullo
USDOT / PHMSA (PHH-10)
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
400 7h Street SW
20590-0001
Washington, DC
Dear Edward Mazzullo,
conversation with Cameron Satterthwaite at the Hazardous Materials Information Center.
This correspondence shall serve as a follow-up to my Friday, October 13, 2006, telephone
Specifically, I inquired as to CFR 49 Part 173.308 HM-237 (Lighters) and the Private Carriage
exception (Part 173.308 (e) (2)). As a result of our conversation, Mr. Satterthwait: requested
that I detail the question to you for guidance.
On behalf of Rite Aid Corporation, I respectfully request that the Office of Hazardous Material
Standards apply the Private Carriage Exception to Rite Aid's distribution of individual lighters.
Rite Aid currently operates eight (8) distribution centers which service approximately 3,350
stores in twenty-seven (27) states and the District of Columbia.
Rite Aid Distribution Centers pick individual lighters (in blister packs) into plastic totes which
are loaded onto Rite Aid owned or leased trailers for delivery directly to Rite Aid Stores. The
stores on average receive approximately eighteen (18) lighters per shipment with an average of
2.6.3 stops per route with a maximum deliveries topping at six (6) per trailer.
Sorne of our facilities utilize Rite Aid company drivers to make the deliveries from our
istribution centers to Rite Aid stores and thus we will utilize the Private Carriage Exceptic
nd complete the requirements as outlined in that section when shipping lighters from thes
facilities. Our other facilities utilize Dedicated Contract Providers for the tractor and driver labor
to haul the loaded Rite Aid trailers (owned or leased) directly to Rite Aid stores.
vehicle and that these outbound loads are on Rite Aid trailers and are exclusively bound for Rite
Based upon the fact that these shipments are significantly fewer than 1,500 lighters in a single
Aid locations, I request that the Private Carriage Exception be applied to these shipments as
informed of the requirements of the exception and specifically on how to identify a package
well. Just as we train our own company drivers, Rite Aid will ensure that our partner carriers are
containing lighters ("LIGHTERS, excepted quantity").

<<<PAGE 4>>>

reference to the application of these regulations, please feel free to contact me directly at
If you have any questions or need clarification on how our delivery operations function in
(717)760-7865.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
ghah
Dector, Outbound Transportation
Rite Aid Corporation
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