ATA recommends new legislation on hazmat regulations

American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently announced that they are pushing for changes to regulations that control hazmat shipments.

Officials said that changes may need to be made to the laws and legislation governing hazardous shipments in order to improve efficiency and relieve unnecessary regulatory burdens. They added that ensuring equitable enforcement of hazmat regulations, specifically making both the shipper and carriers responsible for violations they cause is one recommendation the ATA proposes.

"The safety and security record for hazmat transportation by truck is impressive," said Barbara Windsor, president and CEO Hahn Transportation and chairman of the ATA. "Serious incidents have decreased by 30 percent over the past decade and the annual number of highway fatalities involving hazardous materials has declined from 16 to four."

Safety directors may wish to enroll their operators in recurrent hazmat training to help them learn the best measures when driving with hazardous materials.

Compliance reviews are a new staple of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's program called Compliance, Safety, Accountable (CSA). Nearly 9,311 such reviews were conducted by the agency in 2010. Meanwhile, 6,117 state inspections occurred during the same time period.

By Mark Priest

ATA recommends new legislation on hazmat regulations

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011