More Than 7,500 Vehicles Transporting Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods Were Inspected During CVSA’s Unannounced Five

August 24, 2023

Trained professional inspectors in Canada and the U.S. inspected 7,572 commercial motor vehicles transporting hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG) during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual five-day unannounced HM/DG inspection and enforcement initiative.

Thirty-seven jurisdictions participated in this year’s HM/DG Road Blitz, which was June 12-16. A total of 8,395 packages were inspected, and inspectors discovered 2,578 HM/DG violations, of which 701 were HM/DG out-of-service (OOS) violations.

Vehicles that had out-of-service HM/DG violations were removed from roadways until those violations could be corrected. Vehicles that passed a North American Standard Level I Inspection without any critical inspection violations or specification cargo tank vehicle violations were eligible to receive a CVSA decal and permitted to continue to their destination.

The transportation of HM/DG demands rigorous training and heightened compliance requirements. For motor carriers and drivers, safely transporting HM/DG is imperative to the safety of the driver, the public and the environment. For inspectors, inspecting vehicles transporting HM/DG is a complex and detailed process that involves safely looking for any leaking materials or unsecured HM/DG cargo, and checking shipping papers, placarding, marking, labeling, packaging and loading compliance.

The annual unannounced HM/DG Road Blitz aims to:

There are nine recognized classes of HM/DG. These classes designate HM/DG into categories, based on the materials’ specific chemical and physical properties, and describe the different types of risks associated with those materials.

Table 1

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a hazardous material has properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. Commercial motor vehicles transported the largest volume of hazardous materials through the U.S. transportation system, moving 1.2 out of 2.2 billion tons of hazardous materials. To minimize the risks associated with transporting hazardous materials, anyone involved in HM transportation is required to comply with the federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs). The HMRs govern the transportation of hazardous materials in interstate, intrastate and foreign commerce.

In the U.S., 6,123 vehicles and 6,722 HM packages were inspected during the five days of the HM/DG Road Blitz (2,658 non-bulk packages, 3,256 cargo tank packaging and 808 other bulk packaging). Inspectors identified 2,096 HM violations, of which 538 were out-of-service HM violations.

Inspectors also discovered eight undeclared packages. According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, each year, approximately 1,500 transportation incidents occur when undeclared hazardous materials are shipped. Hazardous materials must always be properly classified, packaged, labeled, handled and stowed for transportation. This protects workers, emergency responders and the general public from the risks associated with HM transportation.

Table 2

In Canada, a dangerous good is defined as any substance or material capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property when transported in commerce. Shipments of dangerous goods number in the multi-millions annually. The federal, provincial and territorial governments enacted legislation to regulate the transportation of dangerous goods via the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations. Canada’s TDG Regulations prescribe safety standards and shipping requirements for dangerous goods, and communicate the nature and level of hazard and risk associated with those dangerous goods.

In Canada, 1,449 vehicles and 1,673 DG packages were inspected during the five days of the HM/DG Road Blitz (799 small means of containment, 690 highway tank packaging and 184 other large means of containment). Inspectors discovered 482 DG violations, of which 163 were out-of-service DG violations.

Table 3

The HM/DG Road Blitz is an annual unannounced HM/DG inspection and enforcement initiative with participation from CVSA member jurisdictions in North America. It is supported by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Transport Canada. The initiative was adopted by the CVSA Hazardous Materials Committee, which provides technical HM/DG guidance and assistance to government and industry in an effort to reduce HM/DG incidents and encourage uniformity and consistency in the application of the regulations.

View last year’s HM/DG Road Blitz results.