According to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), over 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials are transported under DOT compliance, in the United States every day. Some of these hazardous materials are chemical, petroleum, radioactive, explosive, or poisonous.

Of the 800,000 shipments, the majority are transported by truck while the others also travel by rail, pipeline, water, and air. These hazardous materials are classified by the DOT according to the type of hazard they present and must be transported under the proper regulations set out by the DOT. These regulations for the packing and shipping of hazardous materials are required because a single incident can have catastrophic ramifications.

“On March 24, 1989, shortly after midnight, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling more than 11 million gallons of crude oil. The spill was the largest in U.S. history.”– Article by The US Environmental Protection Agency

The spill cost Exxon almost 6 billion dollars in litigation, not including the cost of the cleanup.

Follow Seton’s easy to use table and identify the proper UN number based on the commodity and hazard class you’re transporting. This will ensure you maintain compliance with the DOT guidelines for hazardous good.

Visit www.DOT.gov for more DOT compliance information.

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