Shipping Hazmat? Here’s What You Need to Know.

If you play a big role in the transportation and logistics industry, you know that a lot of behind-the-scenes work has to take place to arrange a shipment. There are additional requirements, monitored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Department of Transportation (DOT), to ensure shippers are compliant in how they ship hazardous materials. For those who arrange transportation, you’ll want to find a trusted source for shipping hazmat – which is something we’ve been arranging for more than 40 years.

In the automotive, agricultural, industrial, and specialty chemical fields, there are different requirements for transportation of hazardous materials, known as hazmat shipping. Not only do we have the best operating procedures in place to ensure safety in arranging transportation for hazmat chemicals, but we also have the right contacts in place with reliable trucking companies. Read more to find out how we can save you time, money, and headaches when it comes to shipping hazmat.

What shipments are Hazmat Shipments?

While the word “hazmat” may sound daunting, the materials considered in this realm are necessary to keep the economy moving. Industries requiring hazmat materials include farming, manufacturing, mining, the medical field, and more. While hazmat shipments are needed every day, there are necessary security measures put into place to make sure these materials are transported safely.

Hazmat Certification

FMCSA regulates hazmat shipping. To qualify to haul a hazmat load, both the carrier must have a hazmat certificate registered with the DOT, and the driver performing the load must have a hazmat certificate on their CDL. Our compliance team monitors carrier certificates and ensures trucking companies and drivers are adhering to these regulations before arranging hazmat loads. This ensures best possible safety in transit with trained, qualified drivers, while helping mitigate risk for customers.

Tanker Endorsement

In 2014, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rolled out a new regulation meant to keep the roads safe from commercial drivers carrying large amounts of liquid or gaseous freight without the proper training. All states began enforcing this regulation in July 2015. In order to make these changes, the FMCSA changed the definition of “tanker endorsed,” meaning even those who are driving dry vans, reefers, flatbeds, and box trucks were required to hold a “tanker endorsement” on their CDL. Our Carrier Relations team works with our carriers to make sure those hauling hazmat loads have this education under their belt. Read more about these requirements in our blog about the regulation.

Hazmat Capacity

When shipping hazmat, it can become tough to find a carrier for your shipment, especially in harder to service specialty moves or those requiring additional certification. We’re in compliance with the requirements set forth in the Department of Transportation HM-232 Hazmat security plan regulations. Thanks to our relationships with specialty hazmat carriers, we can help you with capacity for your hazmat shipping needs – even if they are harder to service.

Responsible Care ®

In 2009, we became part of the Responsible Care ® Partnership Program to further our dedication to the chemical shipping industry.  As part of this partnership, Trinity has committed to following Responsible Care’s program, through endorsing their guiding principles; measuring and publicly reporting our performance on an annual basis;  implementing the Responsible Care Product Safety Code, Process Safety Code and Security Code; implementing the Responsible Care Management System ® to achieve and verify results; and obtaining independent certification that a management system is in place and functions according to professional specifications. As a Responsible Care ® partner, we are committed to improving our environmental, health, safety, and security performance for all of our functions. You can find out more on how Trinity implements Responsible Care ® in our blog here. 

Choose to save time, money, and headaches with your hazmat shipping.

The hardest part can be filling out a form. We’ll handle the rest.

Originally published April 20, 2017. Updated by Christine Griffith.