NCDMV CDL Handbook

Commercial Driver’s License Manual – 2005 CDL Testing System

Pay attention to warning labels for legitimate drugs and medicines, and to doctor's orders regarding possible effects. Stay away from illegal drugs. Don't use any drug that hides fatigue--the only cure for fatigue is rest. Alcohol can make the effects of other drugs much worse. The safest rule is don't mix drugs with driving at all. Use of drugs can lead to traffic accidents resulting in death, injury, and property damage. Furthermore, it can lead to arrest, fines, and jail sentences. It can also mean the end of a person's driving career.

Hazard Class Definitions

Class

Class Name

Example

Ammunition, Dynamite, Fireworks

1

Explosives

Propane, Oxygen, Helium Gasoline, Acetone

2

Gases

3

Flammable Flammable Solids

4

Matches, Fuses

Ammonium Nitrate, Hydrogen Peroxide

5

Oxidizers

2.22.3 – Illness

Pesticides, Arsenic Uranium, Plutonium

6

Poisons

Once in a while, you may become so ill that you cannot operate a motor vehicle safely. If this happens to you, you must not drive. However, in case of an emergency, you may drive to the nearest place where you can safely stop.

7

Radioactive

Hydrochloric Acid, Battery Fluid

8

Corrosives

Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials

Formaldehyde, Asbestos

9

2.23 – Hazardous Materials Rules For All Commercial Drivers

ORM-D (Other Regulated Material Domestic)

Hair Spray or Charcoal

None

All drivers should know something about hazardous materials. You must be able to recognize hazardous cargo, and you must know whether or not you can haul it without having a hazardous materials endorsement on your CDL license.

Combustible Liquids

Fuel Oils, Lighter Fluid

None

Figure 2.24

2.23.1 – What Are Hazardous Materials?

After an accident or hazardous material spill or leak, you may be injured and unable to communicate the hazards of the materials you are transporting. Firefighters and police can prevent or reduce the amount of damage or injury at the scene if they know what hazardous materials are being transported. Your life, and the lives of others, may depend on quickly locating the hazardous materials shipping papers. For that reason, you must identify shipping papers related to hazardous materials or keep them on top of other shipping papers. You must also keep shipping papers:

Hazardous materials are products that pose a risk to health, safety, and property during transportation. See Figure 2.24.

2.23.2 – Why Are There Rules?

You must follow the many rules about transporting hazardous materials. The intent of the rules is to:

Contain the product.

Communicate the risk.

In a pouch on the driver's door, or

Ensure safe drivers and equipment.

In clear view within reach while driving, or

To Contain the Product. Many hazardous products can injure or kill on contact. To protect drivers and others from contact, the rules tell shippers how to package safely. Similar rules tell drivers how to load, transport, and unload bulk tanks. These are containment rules. To Communicate the Risk. The shipper uses a shipping paper and diamond shaped hazard labels to warn dockworkers and drivers of the risk.

On the driver's seat when out of the vehicle.

2.23.3 – Lists of Regulated Products

Placards are used to warn others of hazardous materials. Placards are signs put on the outside of a vehicle that identify the hazard class of the cargo. A placarded vehicle must have at least four identical placards. They are put on the front, rear, and both sides.

Section 2 – Driving Safely

Page 2-42

Version: July 2017