Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 25, 2024

Title 49 - Transportation last revised: Nov 18, 2024
§ 177.835 - Class 1 (explosive) materials.

(See also § 177.834 (a) to (j).)

(a) Engine stopped. No Class 1 (explosive) materials may be loaded into or on or be unloaded from any motor vehicle with the engine running, except that the engine of a multipurpose bulk truck (see paragraph (d) of this section) and the engine of a cargo tank motor vehicle transporting a single bulk hazardous material for blasting may be used for the operation of the pumping equipment of the vehicle during loading or unloading.

(b) Care in loading, unloading, or other handling of Class 1 (explosive) materials. No bale hooks or other metal tools shall be used for the loading, unloading, or other handling of Class 1 (explosive) materials, nor shall any package or other container of Class 1 (explosive) materials, except barrels or kegs, be rolled. No packages of Class 1 (explosive) materials shall be thrown or dropped during process of loading or unloading or handling of Class 1 (explosive) materials. Special care shall be exercised to the end that packages or other containers containing Class 1 (explosive) materials shall not catch fire from sparks or hot gases from the exhaust tailpipe.

(1) Whenever tarpaulins are used for covering Class 1 (explosive) materials, they shall be secured by means of rope, wire, or other equally efficient tie downs. Class 1 (explosive) materials placards or markings required by § 177.823 shall be secured, in the appropriate locations, directly to the equipment transporting the Class 1 (explosive) materials. If the vehicle is provided with placard boards, the placards must be applied to these boards.

(2) [Reserved]

(c) Class 1 (explosive) materials on vehicles in combination. Division 1.1 or 1.2 (explosive) materials may not be loaded into or carried on any vehicle or a combination of vehicles if:

(1) More than two cargo carrying vehicles are in the combination;

(2) Any full trailer in the combination has a wheel base of less than 184 inches;

(3) Any vehicle in the combination is a cargo tank which is required to be marked or placarded under § 177.823; or

(4) The other vehicle in the combination contains any:

(i) Substances, explosive, n.o.s., Division 1.1A (explosive) material (Initiating explosive),

(ii) Packages of Class 7 (radioactive) materials bearing “Yellow III” labels,

(iii) Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A or Hazard Zone B materials or Division 6.1, PG I, Hazard Zone A materials, or

(iv) Hazardous materials in a portable tank or a DOT specification 106A or 110A tank.

(d) Multipurpose bulk trucks. When § 172.101 of this subchapter specifies that Class 1 (explosive) materials may be transported in accordance with § 173.66 of this subchapter (per special provision 148 in § 172.102(c)(1)), these materials may be transported on the same vehicle with Division 5.1 (oxidizing) materials, or Class 8 (corrosive) materials, and/or Combustible Liquid, n.o.s., NA1993 only under the conditions and requirements set forth in IME Standard 23 (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter) and paragraph (g) of this section. In addition, the segregation requirements in § 177.848 do not apply.

(e) No sharp projections inside body of vehicles. No motor vehicle transporting any kind of Class 1 (explosive) material shall have on the interior of the body in which the Class 1 (explosive) materials are contained, any inwardly projecting bolts, screws, nails, or other inwardly projecting parts likely to produce damage to any package or container of Class 1 (explosive) materials during the loading or unloading process or in transit.

(f) Class 1 (explosive) materials vehicles, floors tight and lined. Motor vehicles transporting Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 (explosive) materials shall have tight floors; shall have that portion of the interior in contact with the load lined with either non-metallic material or non-ferrous metals, except that the lining is not required for truck load shipments loaded by the Departments of the Army, Navy or Air Force of the United States Government provided the Class 1 (explosive) materials are of such nature that they are not liable to leakage of dust, powder, or vapor which might become the cause of an explosion. The interior of the cargo space must be in good condition so that there will not be any likelihood of containers being damaged by exposed bolts, nuts, broken side panels or floor boards, or any similar projections.

(g) No detonator assembly or booster with detonator may be transported on the same motor vehicle with any Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 material (except other detonator assemblies, boosters with detonators or detonators), detonating cord Division 1.4 material or Division 1.5 material. No detonator may be transported on the same motor vehicle with any Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 material (except other detonators, detonator assemblies or boosters with detonators), detonating cord Division 1.4 material or Division 1.5 material unless—

(1) It is packed in a specification MC 201 (§ 178.318 of this subchapter) container; or

(2) The package conforms with requirements prescribed in § 173.62 of this subchapter, and its use is restricted to instances when—

(i) There is no Division 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 or 1.5 material loaded on the motor vehicle; and

(ii) A separation of 61 cm (24 inches) is maintained between each package of detonators and each package of detonating cord; or

(3) It is packed and loaded in accordance with a method approved by the Associate Administrator. One approved method requires that—

(i) The detonators are in packagings as prescribed in § 173.63 of this subchapter which in turn are loaded into suitable containers or separate compartments; and

(ii) That both the detonators and the container or compartment meet the requirements of the IME Standard 22 (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter).

(h) Lading within body or covered tailgate closed. Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, dealing with the transportation of liquid nitroglycerin, desensitized liquid nitroglycerin or diethylene glycol dinitrate, all of that portion of the lading of any motor vehicle which consists of Class 1 (explosive) materials shall be contained entirely within the body of the motor vehicle or within the horizontal outline thereof, without overhang or projection of any part of the load and if such motor vehicle has a tailboard or tailgate, it shall be closed and secured in place during such transportation. Every motor vehicle transporting Class 1 (explosive) materials must either have a closed body or have the body thereof covered with a tarpaulin, and in either event care must be taken to protect the load from moisture and sparks, except that subject to other provisions of these regulations, Class 1 (explosive) materials other than black powder may be transported on flat-bed vehicles if the explosive portion of the load on each vehicle is packed in fire and water resistant containers or covered with a fire and water resistant tarpaulin.

(i) Class 1 (explosive) materials to be protected against damage by other lading. No motor vehicle transporting any Class 1 (explosive) material may transport as a part of its load any metal or other articles or materials likely to damage such Class 1 (explosive) material or any package in which it is contained, unless the different parts of such load be so segregated or secured in place in or on the motor vehicle and separated by bulkheads or other suitable means as to prevent such damage.

(j) Transfer of Class 1 (explosive) materials en route. No Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 (explosive) material shall be transferred from one container to another, or from one motor vehicle to another vehicle, or from another vehicle to a motor vehicle, on any public highway, street, or road, except in case of emergency. In such cases red electric lanterns, red emergency reflectors or red flags shall be set out in the manner prescribed for disabled or stopped motor vehicles. (See Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, part 392 of this title.) In any event, all practicable means, in addition to these hereinbefore prescribed, shall be taken to protect and warn other users of the highway against the hazard involved in any such transfer or against the hazard occasioned by the emergency making such transfer necessary.

(k) Attendance of Class 1 (explosive) materials. Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 materials that are stored during transportation in commerce must be attended and afforded surveillance in accordance with 49 CFR 397.5. A safe haven that conforms to NFPA 498 (IBR, see § 171.7 of the subchapter) constitutes a federally approved safe haven for the unattended storage of vehicles containing Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 materials.

[29 FR 18795, Dec. 29, 1964. Redesignated at 32 FR 5606, Apr. 5, 1967] Editorial Note:For Federal Register citations affecting § 177.835, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.
authority: 49 U.S.C. 5101-5128; sec. 112 of Pub. L. 103-311, 108 Stat. 1673, 1676 (1994); sec. 32509 of Pub. L. 112-141, 126 Stat. 405, 805 (2012); 49 CFR 1.81 and 1.97
cite as: 49 CFR 177.835