And then you get the talk about being on the yard to long or accused of stealing time
ODFL | Safety problems
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vongrimmenstein
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Ok professionals. The buck stops with us. If the company says put on 'Dangerous' & you are inspected, & wrong, it is on you regardless of what the company said, in the eyes of the law. So who do we go to have the right answer? Does FMSCA have a toll free # to get the right answer? How about the NTSB that investigates chemical incidents. I am retired 3 years, but sometimes I found I had to call safety @ Fort Smith for the answer. And sometimes I was still not confident about the answer. Depends who I was talking to. After Labor Day I will try to find out if there is a source other than our company’s to give the answers. Von.
vongrimmenstein
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Another thought. We renew & retest every 4 years on our CDL’s. The Hazmat test is the only one we have to retake because of new product or changes in the reg’s. Whether you just renewed or getting ready to, the information can change overnight. Did your company post the changes? Did you see the posting? If you did, did you remember the info? Did you understand it? Other than loads I hauled before & new the product & proper placard, I always called Fort Smith if I questioned the accuracy of the info given to me by dispatch. Chad my supervisor would always look it up. He would grumble, but he would look it up if there was any doubt. Especially if you had 3 different chemicals with 3 different weights on board requiring 3 different placards. Having another source to use so you are not fined by the authorities could save you & the company big bucks.von.
Von, I question and verify everything. If I have a question or problem I reach for the book and look it up. We have a hazmat tracker program that tells you everything that is on the, including type, amount, bulk or not and specific placards to be used. Yes, I have caught wrong stuff before. But our day dispatcher is a former driver and she knows her stuff. No what got me is being inspected and getting a citation for hazmat improperly loaded. I then got a letter for it. I hook to sealed trailers. How can I be responsible for how it’s loaded.
Grumpy O' Man
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Yep,hooked to load this morning.Hazmat and no placards.Called the dock and gave them trailer# Pro# Loaders Name.I did my job.lol
As someone with a HM endorsement, you are supposed to know how to placard your trailer. That is why you go in and take a test to get it. That shows that you know what you are doing. When I was at FedEx years ago, we didn't have any software that would tell you how to placard, since the driver is the one who is responsible dispatch would just give you a stack of HM bills that were on your trailers and you'd have to figure it out on your own with a calculator and a HM guidebook.
Really, yes I agree that before that set moves it’s up to us to insure that the placards are correct. But, I don’t supervise how they’re loaded and properly segregated. What about empty trailer’s with placards. If you have a HM endorsement, you should know that once the hazmat is loaded on a trailer, if needed the placards need to be turned. Doesn’t matter if that trailer sits in the yard for a week. Accountability needs to go back to the dock.
I wasn't talking about what is behind a sealed door. I was talking about things that drivers should check and should know, but we have too many drivers who have no idea what they are doing and they claim that it's not their responsibility and blame dispatch when it actually is their responsibility to check paperwork and make sure placards are correct and bills have all the required information.
Correct. I can’t count the times where a trailer came all the way from SoCal with no paperwork, no placards, nada. It’s on the freakin BLU also.
vongrimmenstein
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You can't. Or can you. The reg's say you have to make sure your load is properly secured before driving. If you can't look in the trailer because dispatch said no peeking, what do you do. Refuse the load even though the plackard on the outside says 'Dangerous'. Catch 22. What would you do? von.
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vongrimmenstein
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I go back to a sealed trailer. Any load, especially a placard load must be inspected for proper ID, the pallet or container has proper markings, & the items in question are properly secured. To do any of that you must view the load. Depending on a piece of paper without confirming the above on a Haz Mat load is asking for trouble. I am retired but I would refuse it in a heartbeat if the company said no peeking. How can you confirm the proper securement of a Haz Mat Load or any load without looking at it? And, keep in mind, the reg’s say you MUST be sure the load is secured before starting you trip. Haz Mat or not. Not trying to argue with anyone but I believe my reasoning is based on the current reg’s. Von.
FMSCA 392.9 Question 2
Question 2: Does the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have authority to enforce the safe loading requirements against a shipper that is not the motor carrier?
Guidance: No, unless HM as defined in §172.101 are involved.
It is the responsibility of the motor carrier and the driver to ensure that any cargo aboard a vehicle is properly loaded and secured.
vongrimmenstein
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Has anyone found Haz Mat freight on their trailer without any bills? In other words, they forgot to post it when loading or it was miss loaded. If the answer is yes, that is the reason you open it up & check. Doesn't Haz Mat have to be loaded on the rear if possible & not in the nose.? von.
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The state DOT enforcers know the truth too. They know you did not load the trailer. They also know that in a lot of instances you are not even from the originating terminal. I would bet they enjoy legally messing with the driver and seeing if they can get the driver to make mistakes. I would also say that if that is true it is a very tiny percent like one tenth of one percent.
vongrimmenstein
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Playing Devil's advocate. I tell the Judge & Jury that even though the reg’s say I have to inspect the Haz Mat Load in the trailer, I did not because it was locked & sealed & dispatch said not to. They will tell me I am still @ fault because I didn’t perform the required Federal Regulation before beginning the trip. Doing the inspection can help keep you out of jail & still employed in this business. Von.
1 Lone Ranger
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If RTO does it Its ok.Anyone else and there are emails and pictures flying everywhere.JMO.
You are completely no argument
We can "if" and "but" this to death. Chances are if your paperwork and placards are correct you won't get much trouble from DOT.. Do a good pre trip, make sure your tires are good and your lights work. Be courteous and do what's asked if given an inspection.
All of vons scenarios could happen but the reality is if you're prepared and have everything else in order they'll leave you alone. Most the time they crack the trailer and see the rack system and understand
why you can't do all those safety checks von brought up.
Now city operations is a different story. Everything von says should be checked before you leave the yard..
All of vons scenarios could happen but the reality is if you're prepared and have everything else in order they'll leave you alone. Most the time they crack the trailer and see the rack system and understand
why you can't do all those safety checks von brought up.
Now city operations is a different story. Everything von says should be checked before you leave the yard..
You line boys need to know the dock take pics every time of loads before they close the door. Ask your sup to show you the pics if you having question on your load. If that don’t satisfy you, rip the seal off and look for yourself and tell central you gonna.
But naaaah, 98 percent linehaul hooking and don’t even walk around before leaving
But naaaah, 98 percent linehaul hooking and don’t even walk around before leaving
vongrimmenstein
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I witnessed many drivers not even doing a walk around. By the time they loaded their 300lb radio box, they were to tired to walk to the back, much less bend over to inspect.
