Results: 4,000-Vehicle Surprise Hazmat Inspection Blitz

Last month, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance published the results of its unannounced, five-day hazmat/dangerous goods inspection blitz that took place from June 10–14 in forty-five jurisdictions in the US and Canada.

Of the 3,929 vehicles inspected, inspectors found hazmat/dangerous goods violations on 576 of them. On the flip side, inspectors placed CVSA decals on 1,009 vehicles—inspectors only place these decals on vehicles without critical vehicle or specification cargo tank violations.

Inspectors found 702 hazmat/dangerous goods violations. During the inspection blitz, the following were found to be the most common violations in the US:

• 108 Shipping Papers violations
• 72 Loading and Securement violations
• 40 Bulk Packaging Placarding violations
• 40 Bulk Package Marking violations
• 40 No Copy of PHMSA Registration violations

See CVSA’s news release.

Consequences for Hazmat Shippers

If a hazmat package is found to be in violation of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR), the shipper may have to re-package, re-label, and re-offer the shipment. If a hazmat package is found to be damaged or leaking, it must be reported. If the shipping facility is named in the report, an inspection of the facility may occur soon.

Hazmat shipping mistakes that result in violations can affect your reputation, too. Carriers that have been affected by hazmat shipping mistakes or who have heard of a shipper who often gets it wrong might hesitate to accept or outright decline to work with them.

Right now, the maximum monetary penalty for a hazmat shipping violation is $99,756 per day, per violation. For a violation that results in death, serious illness, severe injury, or substantial property damage, that maximum is $232,762 per day, per violation. Finally, the minimum penalty for a hazmat training violation is $601 per employee, per day.

Those totals are going up and have been since the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2015. BBA 2015 amended Federal law to require DOT to adjust civil penalties for inflation annually. The Final Rule that adjusted these figures for 2024 was published to the Federal Register on December 27, 2023.

The CVSA is a nonprofit association comprised of commercial motor vehicle safety officials and industry representatives (CVSA.org).

Last Hazmat Shipper Trainings of 2024

Develop in-depth expertise needed to classify and name materials, package hazmat, mark and label packages, fill out shipping papers, and comply with DOT reporting and recordkeeping mandates. These upcoming workshops guide shippers through a step-by-step process to navigate and apply the US and international hazardous materials/dangerous goods regulations.

Hazmat Ground Shipper Certification (DOT) Workshop & Webinar
Hazmat Air Shipper Certification (IATA) Workshop &   Webinar

Tags: dangerous goods, hazmat, hazmat inspections