# Fleet Safety Services, Inc — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 09-0120
- **title:** Fleet Safety Services, Inc — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2010-04-01
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 09-0120 response to Fleet Safety Services, Inc concerning 171.8, 172.504.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0120.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0120.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0120
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2009/090120.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
APR 0 1 2010
Mr. Gary LaBreck
Fleet Safety Services, Inc
l2 Harvard Street
Worcester, MA 01609
Ref. No. 09-0120
Dear Mr. LaBreck:
I
This responds to your letter requesting clarification of the placarding requirements under the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CPR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ~sk
whether a pickup truck towing a trailer is considered two separate transport vehicles for the
purposes of placarding under the HMR. Your client intends to tr~sport less than 1 ,dp1 Ibs
aggregate gross weight of non-toxic compressed gases in both the! pickup truck and t~e trailer
where the total aggregate gross weight of cylinders in both cargo-¢arrying bodies exqeeds
1,001Ibs. I
I
As you are aware, § 171.8 of the HMR defines a transport vehicle as "a cargo-carryirlg
vehicle such as an automobile, van, tractor, truck, semitrailer, tank car or railcar used\ for the
transportation of cargo by any mode. Each cargo-carrying body {trailer, rail car, etc'tiS a
separate transport vehicle." Additionally, you are aware that placards are not require' on a
transport vehicle which contains less than 454 kg (I,OOllbs) aggregate gross weight, f
I
hazardous materials covered by table 2 of paragraph ( e) under § 172.504. In the scen~rio you
describe, the pick-up truck and trailer are two separate transport vehicles each carrying less
than 454 kg (l,OOllbs) of eligible hazardous materials. Therefore, neither the pick-up truck
nor the trailer is required to be placarded in highway transportation.
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Hattie L. Mitchell
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 2>>>

. Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>
.. From: INFOCNTR <PHMSA>
. Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:34 PM
To: Drakeford, Carolyn :<PHMSA> I
Subject: FW: Hazmat Information Center Feedback: General Information, RegU~lations, al"ld Definitions
(Sections 171 1 &ndash; 171.26) ~
·
-----Original Message----From:
PHMSA-Feedback [mailto:PHMSA-Feedback] ~ r. ' tS 1112 .6D'1 .
~'1.1
~ ,)
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:06 PM
~nl-hoV\~ 1/ g1f.!a~d'd
To: PHMSA HM InfoCenter; PHMSA Webmaster
ect: Hazmat Information Center feedback: General Information, Regu1atio~s, and(J it
Definitions (Sections 171.1 &ndash; 171.26)
REQUEST FOR A INTERPRETATION LETTER
§171.8 Definitions and abbreviation~.
Transport vehicle means a vehicle such as an automobile, van. tractor,
truck, semitrailer, tank car or used for the transportation of car¢o by any mode.
Each cargo-carrying body (trailer, car, etc.) is a transport vehicle.
§172.504 General placarding requirements.
(c) (1) A transport vehicle or freight container which less than 45 kg (1001
pounds) aggregate gross of hazardous materials by Table 2 of paragraph (e)
of this section; or
Could I please receive an interpretation letter on the
I have a client that does environmental testing. They which as
a GVWR of 10,001 lbs or more. They also tow a trailer
more.
They haul cylinders of compressed the trailer. They ~nder 454kg
(1001 pounds). Per 172.504(c) (1) it not meet the plac~rding requiremen~s.
! I
Under 171.8 it states that the and trailer are a e transport cleo
The question for the interpretation letter is, can they cartry cylinders in
vehicle as long as each vehicle has a weight under 454 (~001 pounds)?
Name: Gary LaBreck
Organization: Fleet Services lIne.
Email: glabreck@fleet-safety.com
Address: 12 Harvard Street
: Worcester
Zip Code: 01609
Phone: 508-868-1380
FAX: 508-831-7611
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