Estes | Placarding

Uptown I be

TB Lurker
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Any idea why Estes doesn't placard hazmat on trailers or why they leave placards on empty trailers when I thought it was up to the dock to placards and unplacard per fire and safety reasons
 
Because the company has never gotten fined for not doing it. There are some terminals out there that flip them or at least flip the 3 sides that they can. I've always assumed it's because they're cheap. They don't want to pay a dockman or spotter to do it when the road driver can do it for free.
 
The only place I ever worked that enforced the placard when it goes on and take em off when the trailer is unloaded was CCX/ Con-Way Freight, and that was probably only because no matter who did it they were gonna be paid to do it.
 
Any idea why Estes doesn't placard hazmat on trailers or why they leave placards on empty trailers when I thought it was up to the dock to placards and unplacard per fire and safety reasons
I work for SAIA it's the same here, meet man brings you empties with placards.... On the other hand brings you loaded trailers that should have placards..... :poster oops:
 
Ultimately, regardless of company policy, it is the driver's responsibility to ensure proper placarding going down the road. I believe, could be wrong, the yard is a safe haven. Placards can remain on even when empty
 
Ultimately, regardless of company policy, it is the driver's responsibility to ensure proper placarding going down the road. I believe, could be wrong, the yard is a safe haven. Placards can remain on even when empty
I think it's as long as the trailer is against the dock it doesn't have to have placards on/off it but as soon as it's pulled away it needs to have the correct placards. That's how it was explained to me when I first started as a dock worker/spotter.
 
I think it's as long as the trailer is against the dock it doesn't have to have placards on/off it but as soon as it's pulled away it needs to have the correct placards. That's how it was explained to me when I first started as a dock worker/spotter.
Think this must be on an "Company policy" basis. My company regularly leaves loaded trailers on the ready line with incorrect or no placards. up to us drivers to placard correctly. Empties are sometime left with the placards.
 
I work for SAIA it's the same here, meet man brings you empties with placards.... On the other hand brings you loaded trailers that should have placards..... :poster oops:
Unless rule has changed......... no.

Unfortunately, it absolutely is the drivers responsibility. Go ahead and explain why your trailer has the wrong placards to DOT. Be prepared to pay the fine.
 
Wrong the fire Marshall's would have a field day at all the trucking facilities loaded hazmat proper placards are to be put on immediately hazmat taken off hazmat placards are to be taken off immediately by the loader and unloaded for fire reasons
When I worked LTL, at the time my employer declared ‘a trailer parked at the dock door is considered an extension of the dock’, thus the practice of putting placards on/off a trailer with every trip of a forklift was eliminated. Once the trailer was closed out, then all appropriate placards are displayed.
 
Ultimately, regardless of company policy, it is the driver's responsibility to ensure proper placarding going down the road. I believe, could be wrong, the yard is a safe haven. Placards can remain on even when empty
Unless rule has changed......... no.

Seems to me the law states that whenever a transport vehicle contains a hazardous material it must be placarded. Doesn't say only when moving down the road. Common sense would say placard when loaded to notify/protect anyone involved right?

§172.504 General placarding requirements.
(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, each bulk packaging, freight container, unit load device, transport vehicle or rail car containing any quantity of a hazardous material must be placarded on each side and each end with the type of placards specified in tables 1 and 2 of this section and in accordance with other placarding requirements of this subpart, including the specifications for the placards named in the tables and described in detail in §§172.519 through 172.560.
 
I think it's as long as the trailer is against the dock it doesn't have to have placards on/off it but as soon as it's pulled away it needs to have the correct placards. That's how it was explained to me when I first started as a dock worker/spotter.
Wrong. As soon as the haz mat leaves the trailer or goes on it the placards MUST be attached. The Feds DO NOT care who puts them on. They care if the product in the trailer is Haz Mat & communication telling them that info.


You work the dock. Door 63 has flammable and inhalation gas products. The trailer in door 62 becomes fully engulfed with fire & spreads to door 63. The workers flee to the staging area. During the fire fighting, the flammable product explodes, rupturing the inhalation gas product. 3 fire fighters are killed during this incident. The trailer with the Haz Mat product had no signs telling the fire fighters what they were up against. We did the same thing @ ABF for many years. Yes it is a pain to crawl down to the trailer & change the placards. On a swing door, the placards would be impossible to reach without pulling it out. I worked the 330 to midnight bid. And many times we would go out to the ready line & flip placards because the road driver's paper told him it had Haz Mat but the trailer did not. It all falls back to COMMUNICIATION. Fail to do that & people could be killed or hurt. Most people in this industry knows the dock people won't jump down or pull out the trailer to COMMUNICATE until it s empty or pulled out loaded in to the yard. Just the way it is. von.
 
Seems to me the law states that whenever a transport vehicle contains a hazardous material it must be placarded. Doesn't say only when moving down the road. Common sense would say placard when loaded to notify/protect anyone involved right?

§172.504 General placarding requirements.
(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, each bulk packaging, freight container, unit load device, transport vehicle or rail car containing any quantity of a hazardous material must be placarded on each side and each end with the type of placards specified in tables 1 and 2 of this section and in accordance with other placarding requirements of this subpart, including the specifications for the placards named in the tables and described in detail in §§172.519 through 172.560.
I was told by Safety once the trailer had 2000 lbs or more the placards went on. And some products, but few, did not have to meet the 2000lb threshold. Once the product went below 2000 the placards were flipped. Rare, but 2000 of lacquer thinner & 2000 of batteries could be dangerous placards. Remove all of one & you would have to change it to the corresponding material. As a local driver it could be hard to figure out the Haz Mat placards needed. Got to the point I would call Safety direct & get the answer I needed. There could be to many mistakes from dispatch. It only takes one to cost you 2500 & the company 11,500. I gave the fed's enough over the years. Did not want to increase it. von.
 
Seems to me the law states that whenever a transport vehicle contains a hazardous material it must be placarded. Doesn't say only when moving down the road. Common sense would say placard when loaded to notify/protect anyone involved right?

§172.504 General placarding requirements.
(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, each bulk packaging, freight container, unit load device, transport vehicle or rail car containing any quantity of a hazardous material must be placarded on each side and each end with the type of placards specified in tables 1 and 2 of this section and in accordance with other placarding requirements of this subpart, including the specifications for the placards named in the tables and described in detail in §§172.519 through 172.560.


There are so many options in Haz Mat it could be hard to remember all the Haz Mat placards needed. Got to the point I would call Safety direct & get the answer I needed. There could be to many mistakes from dispatch. It only takes one to cost you 2500 & the company 11,500. I gave the fed's enough over the years. Did not want to increase it. von.
 
Unless rule has changed......... no.
Yes Placards only apply on public roads. PHMSA cannot fine for placards on private property as there is no jurisdiction.
Same goes for CDL rules.
Now local fire department codes is another story but the placarding rules in 172.504 do not apply on private property
 
Yes Placards only apply on public roads. PHMSA cannot fine for placards on private property as there is no jurisdiction.
Same goes for CDL rules.
Now local fire department codes is another story but the placarding rules in 172.504 do not apply on private property

I think if any local, state, or federal LE, catches an improperly marked trailer on private or public property,
you might have a problem.
Years ago a Charlotte fireman lost his life, another badly injured in a building fire that had no hazmat markings.
Also had trailers at dock with no placards for chemicals that exploded when contacted with water.
The company was fined for both if I recall.
 
Yes Placards only apply on public roads. PHMSA cannot fine for placards on private property as there is no jurisdiction.
Same goes for CDL rules.
Now local fire department codes is another story but the placarding rules in 172.504 do not apply on private property

On private property, osha has guidance on this. http://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1915/1915.92


1915.92(b)
Any employer who receives a freight container, rail freight car, motor vehicle, or transport vehicle that is required to be marked or placarded in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations shall retain those markings and placards on the freight container, rail freight car, motor vehicle, or transport vehicle until the hazardous materials are sufficiently removed to prevent any potential hazards.
1915.92(c)
The employer shall maintain markings, placards, and labels in a manner that ensures that they are readily visible.
 
On private property, osha has guidance on this. http://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1915/1915.92


1915.92(b)
Any employer who receives a freight container, rail freight car, motor vehicle, or transport vehicle that is required to be marked or placarded in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations shall retain those markings and placards on the freight container, rail freight car, motor vehicle, or transport vehicle until the hazardous materials are sufficiently removed to prevent any potential hazards.
1915.92(c)
The employer shall maintain markings, placards, and labels in a manner that ensures that they are readily visible.

Besides being the law, common sense would say to keep placards on when hazardous materials are on board. Then again common sense sadly isn't all that common.
 
On private property, osha has guidance on this. http://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1915/1915.92


1915.92(b)
Any employer who receives a freight container, rail freight car, motor vehicle, or transport vehicle that is required to be marked or placarded in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations shall retain those markings and placards on the freight container, rail freight car, motor vehicle, or transport vehicle until the hazardous materials are sufficiently removed to prevent any potential hazards.
1915.92(c)
The employer shall maintain markings, placards, and labels in a manner that ensures that they are readily visible.
There you go Puffy, how's your foot taste?
 
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