CDL Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME)Communication RulesMedium
A driver is delivering a shipment of UN1203, Gasoline, Class 3, PG II, in 55-gallon drums. The shipping papers are kept in a pouch on the driver's door. During a roadside inspection, the inspector asks for the shipping papers. What is the maximum distance the driver should have to travel to retrieve the shipping papers from their location?
- AImmediately accessible when the driver is outside the vehicle
- BWithin the driver's reach when seated with the seatbelt fastened
- CImmediately accessible from the driver's seat
- DWithin arm's reach of the driver's seatbelt
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Within the driver's reach when seated with the seatbelt fastened
When the driver is at the vehicle's controls, the shipping papers must be either in a pouch on the driver's door, in clear view within arm's reach while seated and belted, or on the driver's seat when out of the vehicle. The phrase 'within the driver's reach when seated with the seatbelt fastened' best captures this requirement.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is true when the driver is outside the vehicle, but the question implies the driver is at the controls or able to quickly access them from the controls, making 'when seated with the seatbelt fastened' the more precise answer for immediate accessibility while driving.
- C. While 'immediately accessible' is a general principle, the regulation specifies 'within the driver's reach when seated with the seatbelt fastened'.
- D. This option is too restrictive. The regulation allows for placement on the seat when out of the vehicle, or in a door pouch, which might not be within arm's reach of the seatbelt itself.
Immediate Accessibility of Shipping Papers
Hazardous materials shipping papers must be immediately accessible to the driver while at the vehicle's controls, or on the driver's seat when out of the vehicle.
- Essential for emergency responders.
- Must be within driver's reach when seated and belted.
- Alternatively, on the driver's seat when driver is out of vehicle.
Memory trick: Keep the 'Papers' close, for safety's 'Sake'!