The trucking industry attends to a diverse base of customers. If you travel the highways you are sure to see over-the-road truckers hauling products for any of the top retailers across the country. What might not be as obvious are drivers in rigs that are hauling any of a wide variety of hazardous wastes across the country.
While many of the responsibilities of a hazardous waste material truck driver are identical to that of other semi truck drivers there are some differences.
In order to join the ranks of the semi trucking industry at all a man or woman must attend school and pass the state requirements to receive their commercial driver's license or CDL. However, to transport the more dangerous materials your license will require a special endorsement as well as a criminal background check - that would include getting fingerprinted - by the Transportation Security Administration.
There is no argument that hauling hazardous materials poses a risk to the public at large. Americans are blissfully unaware that actually millions of shipments containing hazardous material are transported daily across the country!
Trucks are marked with a special placard that identifies their contents as hazardous and names the contents as well. The helps to expedite appropriate decision making on the part of first-responders - in the case of an accident or other catastrophe.
Additional markings may also be required by law depending on the hazardous material in question.
Hazardous material transport is not expected to decrease in the years to come and involves additional regulations due to the increased risk to the public.
Greg Baumgartner is a Texas truck accident lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping injury victims seek civil justice. For a free no obligation consultation with a semi truck accident lawyer in Texas call the Baumgartner firm.
