5.4 The Hazardous Materials Table: Columns 6 through 10 and Looking Up a Material

5.4 The Hazardous Materials Table: Columns 6 through 10 and Looking Up a Material

The Hazardous Materials Table: Columns 6 through 10

Column 6: Label Codes

Column 6 identifies the numerical hazard warning labels that must be affixed to packages. The first code listed represents the primary hazard label, while subsequent codes represent subsidiary hazard labels (e.g., 3, 6.1 indicates a Class 3 primary label and a Division 6.1 toxic subsidiary label).

Column 7: Special Provisions (49 CFR § 172.102)

Column 7 contains alphanumeric codes that modify packaging, testing, or handling requirements:

• Numeric codes (1–100): General multimodal special provisions.
• B codes: Apply to bulk packaging requirements.
• IB and IP codes: Apply to Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs / totes).
• N codes: Apply to non-bulk packaging restrictions.
• T and TP codes: Apply to portable tanks (specifying tank shell thickness, test pressure, and bottom outlet limits).
• W codes: Apply to water transport.

Column 8: Packaging Authorizations (49 CFR Part 173)

Column 8 directs the user to the specific sections in 49 CFR Part 173 governing certified packaging:

• Column 8A — Exceptions: References sections providing relief from packaging, labeling, or specification requirements (e.g., limited quantities). If Column 8A states None, absolutely no packaging exceptions are authorized.
• Column 8B — Non-Bulk Packaging: Sections establishing authorized packaging for packages with a maximum capacity $\le 119\text{ gallons}$ for liquids, $\le 882\text{ pounds}$ for solids, or water capacity $\le 1,000\text{ pounds}$ for gases (e.g., 55-gallon drums, wooden boxes, steel cylinders).
• Column 8C — Bulk Packaging: Sections governing large containers (cargo tanks, tank cars, portable tanks) exceeding non-bulk volume or mass limits.

Column 9: Quantity Limitations

Column 9 specifies the maximum net quantity of hazardous material permitted per package on aircraft and rail:

• Column 9A: Passenger-carrying aircraft or passenger railcars.
• Column 9B: Cargo aircraft only.
• Where Column 9 states Forbidden, the material cannot be transported on that category of conveyance.

Column 10: Vessel Stowage Requirements

Column 10 specifies stowage rules for water transport:

• Column 10A: Authorized vessel stowage category (Locations A, B, C, D, or E, indicating on-deck vs. under-deck placement).
• Column 10B: Specific stowage codes (e.g., separate from acids, keep dry, stow away from living quarters).

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Special Provisions 1 through 6: The Poison-Inhalation Flag

The Virginia CDL manual singles out one detail in Column 7 that the knowledge exam is fond of: the numbers 1 through 6 in Column 7 mean the hazardous material is a poison inhalation hazard (PIH). Those low-numbered special provisions assign the material's hazard zone — Zone A, B, C, or D — which in turn drives special requirements for shipping papers, package marking, and placarding.

Practical consequence for a driver: if you see a single-digit special provision in Column 7, expect the shipping paper to carry the words Poison Inhalation Hazard or Inhalation Hazard plus a hazard zone, expect the package to be marked INHALATION HAZARD, and expect the vehicle to need a POISON GAS or POISON INHALATION HAZARD placard in any quantity — the 1,001-pound exception does not apply.

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Step-by-Step Driver Walkthrough: Looking Up a Material

To see how the table operates in daily trucking practice, consider three distinct commodities:

+-----+-------------------------------+-------+--------+-----+--------+-------+-------------------+-----------------+----------------+
| (1) | (2) Proper Shipping Name      | (3)   | (4)    | (5) | (6)    | (7)   | (8) Packaging     | (9) Qty Limit   | (10) Vessel    |
| Sym |                               | Class | ID No. | PG  | Labels | Spec  | (8A)  (8B)  (8C)  | (9A)    (9B)    | (10A)  (10B)   |
+-----+-------------------------------+-------+--------+-----+--------+-------+-------------------+-----------------+----------------+
|     | Sulfuric acid                 | 8     | UN1830 | II  | 8      | A3,A7 | None  202   242   | 1 L     30 L    | C      14      |
|     | Paint                         | 3     | UN1263 | II  | 3      | 149   | 150   173   242   | 5 L     60 L    | B              |
| G   | Flammable liquids, n.o.s.     | 3     | UN1993 | II  | 3      | IB2,T7| 150   202   242   | 5 L     60 L    | B              |
+-----+-------------------------------+-------+--------+-----+--------+-------+-------------------+-----------------+----------------+

1. Specific Chemical Name: Sulfuric acid

• Proper Shipping Name: Sulfuric acid (Column 2).
• Identification & Class: UN1830, Class 8 (Corrosive), Packing Group II (medium danger).
• Packaging Analysis: Column 8A states None. This is a critical finding for drivers and shippers: sulfuric acid of this concentration has no limited quantity packaging exceptions. It must be placed in certified non-bulk packaging under § 173.202 (e.g., heavy-duty UN-spec polyethylene drums) or certified bulk cargo tanks under § 173.242 (e.g., MC-312 / DOT-412 corrosive liquid cargo tanks).

2. Product Group Name: Paint

• Proper Shipping Name: Paint (Column 2).
• Identification & Class: UN1263, Class 3 (Flammable Liquid), PG II.
• Packaging Analysis: Column 8A cross-references § 173.150, allowing limited quantity exceptions (e.g., 1-gallon cans packaged in strong outer fiberboard boxes up to 66 lbs gross weight are exempt from specification packaging and placarding).

3. Generic / N.O.S. Entry: Flammable liquids, n.o.s.

• Column 1 Symbol: Symbol G alerts the driver that this is an n.o.s. (not otherwise specified) entry.
• Documentation Rule: The driver must verify that the shipper has written the technical chemical constituents in parentheses on the shipping paper: UN1993, Flammable liquids, n.o.s. (contains Ethanol, Acetone), 3, PG II. If the parenthetical technical name is missing, the shipping paper is illegal, and the driver must refuse the load.

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Commercial Driving Scenarios in Virginia

Scenario 1: Port of Virginia Intermodal Container Audit

A drayage driver picking up a sea container at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) receives an ocean bill of lading listing NA1993, Compounds, cleaning liquid, 3, PG III. The shipping line rep intends to dispatch the container to an overseas vessel. The driver flags the documentation: NA identification numbers are authorized strictly for domestic commerce within the United States and Canada under 49 CFR § 172.101 Column 4. An export ocean shipment requires a recognized UN number (UN1993). The paperwork must be corrected prior to terminal gate departure.

Scenario 2: Virginia State Police Scale Inspection on I-95

A motor carrier driver transporting mixed solvent drums is pulled into the Carson Weigh Station on Interstate 95 for a Level II CVSA inspection. The trooper reviews the shipping paper, which reads UN1993, Flammable liquid, n.o.s., Class 3, PG II. The trooper issues a safety violation citation because Column 1 of the HMT designates this entry with symbol G. By omitting the required chemical technical names in parentheses (e.g., contains Xylene, Toluene), the carrier violated 49 CFR § 172.203(k).

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Common Exam Traps & Pitfalls

• Brand Names vs. Proper Shipping Names: Exam questions often ask if a driver can accept shipping papers listing common trade names like "Clorox Bleach", "Roundup Herbicide", or "SuperFlush Solvent". The answer is strictly NO. A commercial driver can only accept paperwork containing the legal proper shipping name designated in Column 2 of the HMT (e.g., Hypochlorite solutions, Pesticides, liquid, toxic, n.o.s.).
• The Meaning of "None" in Column 8A: Many candidates mistakenly assume that when Column 8A states None, the material is forbidden from transportation. In reality, None means no packaging exceptions (such as limited quantity relief) are authorized. The shipment must move in fully certified packaging specified in Columns 8B or 8C.
• Italicized Text Trap: Test questions may present a shipping paper with italicized words from Column 2 and ask if the description is valid. Remember: only words in roman type form the proper shipping name. Italicized words cannot be included as part of the official shipping name.