The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released the results from an unannounced inspection effort targeting trucks hauling hazmat or dangerous materials.
The surprise Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods (HM/DG) Road Blitz took place June 21 — 25, 2021, throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
During the five day effort, 10,905 commercial motor vehicles and 8,363 HM/DG packages were inspected.
Inspectors identified 2,714 violations, including:
- 496 shipping papers violations
- 628 non-bulk/small means of containment packaging violations
- 390 bulk packaging/large means of containment placarding violations
- 277 non-bulk/small means of containment labeling violations
- 307 bulk/large means of containment placarding violations
- 167 other safety marks violations
- 288 loading and securement violations
- 50 HM/DG package integrity (leaking) violations
- 63 Transportation of Dangerous Goods Training Certificate violations (Canada only)
The table below breaks down the class types of HM/DG goods inspected during the blitz.
| Class | Description | Canada | Mexico | U.S. | Total |
| Class 1 | Explosives, such as ammunition, fireworks, flares, etc. | 115 | 90 | 317 | 522 |
| Class 2 | Flammable, non-flammable/non-poisonous and poisonous. | 286 | 367 | 1,564 | 2,217 |
| Class 3 | Flammable liquids, such as acetone, adhesives, paints, gasoline, ethanol, methanol, some pesticides, etc. | 484 | 1, 526 | 3,140 | 5,150 |
| Class 4 | Flammable solids, substances liable to spontaneously combust and substances that, on contact with water, emit flammable gases, such as white phosphorus and sodium. | 102 | 17 | 133 | 252 |
| Class 5 | Oxidizing agents and organic peroxides, such as hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, sodium nitrite, ammonium nitrate fertilizers and oxygen generators. | 110 | 26 | 203 | 339 |
| Class 6 | Toxic and infectious substances; any material, other than a gas, that is so toxic to humans that it presents a health hazard during transportation, such as cyanide, biological samples, clinical wastes and some pesticides. | 113 | 39 | 120 | 272 |
| Class 7 | Radioactive materials, such as cobalt and cesium. | 96 | 2 | 40 | 138 |
| Class 8 | Liquid or solid corrosive substances, such as sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, that cause full thickness destruction of human skin at the site of contact within a specified time. | 192 | 160 | 1,149 | 1,501 |
| Class 9 | Miscellaneous HM/DG, such as acetaldehyde ammonia, asbestos, elevated temperature materials and benzaldehyde. | 114 | 146 | 430 | 690 |
“The HM/DG Road Blitz helps increase awareness of the HM/DG rules and regulations in place to keep the driver, the public and the environment safe. It also highlights the hard-working, specially trained commercial motor vehicle law enforcement individuals who inspect vehicles transporting HM/DG,” the CVSA said in a news release.
The CVSA conducted a similar blitz targeting hazmat haulers from August 12 — 16, 2019. During that effort, officers throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico conducted 9,259 inspections on commercial vehicles and discovered 683 out of service HM/DG conditions during the blitz.