• Documentation required for a hazardous materials shipment includes shipping papers, emergency response information, permits, and more.

Documentation associated with a hazardous materials shipment is often overlooked, and carriers typically don’t find out they are missing it or it's incorrect until it’s too late. When reviewing hazmat documentation, carriers should be on the lookout for:

• Shipping papers
• Emergency response information
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) registration
• Special permit
• Explosive documentation

Shipping papers

Most hazardous materials shipments must be accompanied by proper shipping papers, such as bills of lading, hazardous waste manifests, etc. During the trip, the driver is responsible for maintaining the shipping papers so they are easily accessible to authorities in the event of an incident, accident, or inspection.

• If the hazardous material shipping paper is carried with any other papers, it must be clearly distinguished, either by tabbing it or having it appear first.
• When the driver is at the controls, the shipping papers must be within immediate reach when the driver is restrained by the seat belt.
• The shipping papers must be readily visible to someone entering the driver’s compartment or in a holder mounted on the inside of the door on the driver’s side.
• If the driver is not in the vehicle, the shipping papers must be either in the holder on the door or on the driver’s seat.

Each carrier receiving a shipping paper must retain a copy or an electronic image of the shipping paper for one year after the material is accepted. Each shipping paper copy must include the date of acceptance by the carrier. Hazardous waste shipping papers must be retained for three years after the material is accepted by the initial carrier.

Emergency response information

Most hazardous material shipments (except those that do not require shipping papers, such as most limited quantity materials) must have emergency response information on or in association with the shipping paper. If the information is in association with the shipping paper it may be in the form of the Emergency Response Guidebook, a Safety Data Sheet, or any other form that provides all the information required in 172.602.

In most cases, a numeric emergency response telephone number must be entered on the shipping paper. It can be immediately following the description of each hazardous material or, if the number applies to every hazardous material entered on the shipping paper, entered once on the shipping paper in a clearly visible location.

When the person offering hazardous materials for transport is also the emergency response telephone information provider, that person’s name must be entered on the shipping paper near the emergency response telephone number. In addition, when the telephone number of an emergency response information (ERI) telephone service provider is used, the name of the person who is registered with the ERI service provider, or the contract number or other unique identifier assigned by the ERI provider, must be placed on the shipping paper near the emergency response telephone number. However, the above requirements do not apply if the name or identifier is entered elsewhere on the shipping paper in a prominent, readily identifiable, and clearly visible manner to be easily and quickly found.

PHMSA registration

Carriers that are required to register with PHMSA must carry on board each vehicle that is transporting a hazardous material requiring registration:

• A copy of the carriers’ current Certificate of Registration; or
• Another document bearing the registration number identified as the “U.S. DOT Hazmat Reg. No.”

Special permit

Certain hazardous materials that shipped or transported under a special permit require a copy of the permit to be carried with the hazmat shipping papers.

Explosive documentation

Carriers transporting Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 (explosive) materials are required to carry:

• A copy of Part 397, Transportation of Hazardous Materials; Driving and Parking Rules (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations).
• A document containing instructions on what to do in the event of an accident or delay in the shipment. This information must also include the name of the Class 1 materials being transported and the names and phone numbers of all individuals to be contacted in the event of an accident or delay.
• Proper shipping papers.
• A written route plan for the movement of Class 1 materials.