Hazmat Parking and Attending Rules
Updated October 27, 2026
Where you park a placarded vehicle, and who watches it, depends on what you carry. Loads of Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 explosives have the strictest rules. These rules come from 49 CFR 397.5, 397.7 and 397.11 and the Driving and Parking Rules part of the CDL manual.
What “attended” means
A placarded vehicle is attended when the person in charge of it:
- is on the vehicle, awake and not in the sleeper berth, or is within 100 feet of it with the vehicle in clear, unobstructed view;
- knows the hazards of the materials being carried;
- knows what to do in an emergency; and
- is authorized and able to move the vehicle.
Being within 100 feet is not enough if you cannot see the vehicle. Sleeping in the berth does not count as attending it.
Parking with Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 explosives
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| 5 feet | Never park on or within 5 feet of the traveled part of a public street or highway. |
| 300 feet | Do not park within 300 feet of a bridge, tunnel, dwelling, or place where people work, gather or assemble, except briefly when the work requires it and there is no practical place elsewhere. |
| Private property | Do not park on private property, including a fuel stop or restaurant, unless the person in charge knows what you carry and agrees. |
| Attending | The vehicle must be attended at all times. |
The exceptions to attending an explosives load:
- On the shipper’s, carrier’s or consignee’s property, someone other than the driver may watch it, if that person knows what the explosives are, has been told what to do in an emergency, and keeps the vehicle in unobstructed view.
- In a safe haven: an area approved in writing by local, state or federal authorities for parking unattended vehicles loaded with these explosives.
Parking other placarded loads
- You may park within 5 feet of the traveled part of the road only briefly, when your work requires it and parking elsewhere is not practical.
- On a public street, highway or shoulder, the driver must attend the vehicle, except while doing duties that are part of operating it.
- Do not uncouple a trailer and leave it with hazardous materials on a public street.
Open fires
Do not park any vehicle carrying hazardous materials within 300 feet of an open fire. Do not drive near an open fire unless you can pass safely without stopping.
These rules apply during tire checks
You must check your tires at the start of each trip and each time you park. The parking and attending rules still apply while you check, repair or replace a tire. For more driving rules, see hazmat driving rules.
Test yourself
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You park your placarded truck on a highway shoulder and lie down in the sleeper berth. Is the vehicle attended?Answer: ATo attend from the vehicle, you must be on it, awake and not in the sleeper berth. Otherwise you must be within 100 feet with the vehicle in clear view.
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Your Division 1.3 load needs to stop on a road where the shoulder leaves only 3 feet from the travel lane. May you park there?Answer: BA vehicle with Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 explosives may never be parked on or within 5 feet of the traveled portion of a public street or highway.
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You want to park your Division 1.2 load for an hour beside a busy shopping center about 150 feet away. Is this allowed?Answer: CExcept for brief stops when the work requires it and there is no practical alternative, do not park a Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 load within 300 feet of a place where people work, gather or assemble.
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What is a safe haven?Answer: DA safe haven is an area specifically approved in writing by local, state or federal officials for parking unattended vehicles loaded with Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 explosives.
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You need to drop a loaded hazmat trailer. May you uncouple it and leave it on a public street?Answer: AThe CDL manual says not to uncouple a trailer and leave it with hazardous materials on a public street. A placarded vehicle on a public road or shoulder must be attended.
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Your placarded route passes a roadside brush fire. What is the rule?Answer: BDo not drive a vehicle carrying hazardous materials near an open fire unless you can pass safely without stopping, and never park within 300 feet of one.
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On which property may a qualified person other than the driver watch a parked Division 1.1 load?Answer: COn the shipper's, carrier's or consignee's property, a person who knows the cargo, knows the emergency procedures and keeps the vehicle in unobstructed view may watch it in place of the driver.
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Besides being close enough and able to see the vehicle, what else must the person attending a placarded vehicle be able to do?Answer: DThe attendant must know the hazards of the materials, know what to do in an emergency, and be authorized and able to move the vehicle.
Pass your hazmat endorsement test on the first try
- All 181 questions on hazard classes, shipping papers, placards, loading, cargo tanks, driving and parking rules and emergencies
- An explanation for every answer, from the CDL manual and the federal hazmat rules
- Unlimited full 30-question practice tests, scored like the real one (80% to pass)