DOT Eyes Tweaks to Hazardous Hauling Rules for Trucks and Trains
Published Date: 4/7/2025
Notice
Summary
The Department of Transportation is reviewing requests to change special permits for safely moving hazardous materials. These changes mainly affect companies shipping dangerous goods by truck, train, ship, or plane, and could update packaging rules or weight limits. If you want to share your thoughts, you’ve got until April 22, 2025, to send in comments—no fees or costs are mentioned.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Allow higher lithium-ion battery assembly weight for air cargo
General Motors LLC (application 21467-M) requests a modification to authorize a higher lithium-ion battery assembly maximum weight limit for transportation by cargo aircraft (mode 4).
Remove paperwork and allow cargo-vessel shipping
Two modification requests from KULR Technology (application numbers 21139-M and 21193-M) would authorize transportation of covered packages aboard cargo vessels and would remove the requirement that a copy of the special permit be carried aboard each motor vehicle used to transport those packages. The 21139-M request covers modes 1, 2, and 3; the 21193-M request covers modes 1 and 2.
New 30 kg (66 lb) packaging weight limit
Cryosurgery, Inc. (application 12783-M) requests a modification that would set outside packaging to not exceed 30 kg (66 pounds) gross weight for modes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Raise pressure vessel service limit to 10,400 psig
Honeywell Intellectual Properties Inc. (application 21470-M) requests to increase the maximum service pressure of specified pressure vessels from 10,000 psig to 10,400 psig to account for unilateral pressure tolerance during fill (mode 1).
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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