What placard does gasoline need?
Gasoline needs a Class 3 placard (FLAMMABLE, or GASOLINE on a cargo tank) on each side and each end of the tank, and usually shows identification number 1203 unless the tank carries the “Gasoline” marking or GASOLINE placards. The hazardous materials table in 49 CFR 172.101 lists gasoline as UN1203, hazard class 3, packing group II. Under 172.504, any bulk packaging holding any quantity of a placarded material must carry the placard.
Two details catch people. The number does not have to sit on the placard itself: 172.336(b) allows it on an orange panel or a plain white square-on-point display next to the placard. And on a cargo tank the word “GASOLINE” may replace “FLAMMABLE” on the placard, in white (172.542(c)).
What goes on the shipping paper for gasoline?
The shipping description is the identification number, proper shipping name, hazard class and packing group, in that order, with the total quantity before or after it. Section 172.202 requires all five elements, and requires that the first four appear in sequence with nothing interspersed. For a bulk load, the regulation accepts an indication of the total quantity such as “1 cargo tank”.
For gasoline that reads: UN1203, Gasoline, 3, II. Many drivers see this line on the bill of lading they pick up at the terminal.
How do diesel loads differ from gasoline loads?
Diesel has its own entries and its own number, so a straight diesel load normally shows its own number, not 1203. The exception is a tank that hauled gasoline on the current or previous business day (see below). The 172.101 table lists “Diesel fuel” as UN1202 (class 3, packing group III) and as NA1993 (class 3, packing group III). Fuel oil (No. 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6) is also listed under NA1993. Which entry applies is a classification question for the shipper, so copy what the paper says rather than choosing.
Placards follow the class. The table in 172.504 specifies FLAMMABLE for Class 3 and COMBUSTIBLE for combustible liquids, and 172.504(f)(2) allows a FLAMMABLE placard in place of a COMBUSTIBLE one on a cargo tank. For fuel oil that is not classed as a flammable liquid, 172.544(c) allows the words “FUEL OIL” on the placard of a cargo tank.
What does a mixed load of gasoline and diesel need?
A compartmented tank with gasoline in one compartment and diesel in another needs a shipping-paper line for each product, and the identification numbers on the tank follow a special rule. The rule is in the table at 172.336(c). Two options apply to a compartmented tank holding more than one petroleum distillate fuel:
- Lowest flash point number per compartment. For a compartmented tank holding more than one petroleum distillate fuel, the table says the identification number for the fuel with the lowest flash point in any one compartment is displayed. Gasoline has the lower flash point of the two (the CFR text cited here does not list flash points; check the product’s safety data sheet), so a gasoline-and-diesel tank can show 1203 on each compartment rather than each product’s own number. Confirm the reading with your safety lead.
- Compartment-order numbers. On the ends of a multi-compartment tank, the numbers are not required when the numbers on the sides are displayed in the same sequence as the compartments they identify.
The same table covers a tank that hauled more than one petroleum distillate fuel in different trips on the previous or current business day: it may display the number of the lowest flash point fuel carried in that period. Gasoline-alcohol blends above 10% ethanol also display 3475 or 1987, as appropriate; where the tank hauled several fuels over the previous or current business day, those numbers may only show while that material is in the tank.
Decision table: placard and paper by load
The numbers are the identification numbers in the 172.101 table; quantities are illustrative only.
| Load | Placard | Number shown | Shipping paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight gasoline | FLAMMABLE, or GASOLINE on a cargo tank | 1203, or none if the tank is marked “Gasoline” on each side and rear or carries GASOLINE placards | One line: UN1203, Gasoline, 3, II, 8,000 gal |
| Straight diesel | FLAMMABLE or COMBUSTIBLE (FLAMMABLE may replace it on a cargo tank) | Diesel’s own number (UN1202 or NA1993), or tank marked “Fuel Oil” if fuel oil only (or 1203 if the tank hauled gasoline on the current or previous business day) | One line using the entry the paper names, plus quantity |
| Gasoline and diesel in separate compartments | FLAMMABLE | 1203 for every compartment, or numbers in compartment order | One line per product, each with its own quantity |
Say a tanker lifts 5,000 gallons of gasoline and 3,000 of diesel. The paper has two description lines, each with its quantity. The tank can show 1203 under the lowest flash point rule, or the gasoline and diesel numbers in the order the compartments sit.
The “Gasoline” and “Fuel Oil” markings are an alternative in 172.336(c). A cargo tank carrying only gasoline needs no 1203 if it is marked “Gasoline” in letters at least 2 inches high on each side and rear, or carries GASOLINE placards under 172.542(c). A tank carrying only fuel oil gets the same treatment with a “Fuel Oil” marking or FUEL OIL placards under 172.544(c).
Where are the traps?
The tank and the paper have to agree. Check these before you roll:
- Last trip’s number. If the tank carried a lower flash point fuel earlier that day or the previous business day, the lowest flash point number can be displayed for that period instead of the current fuel’s own number.
- Placard against paper. A 1203 placard with a diesel-only paper needs a reason, such as gasoline hauled in that tank on the current or previous business day. Without one, it is a mismatch you will be asked to explain.
- One line per product. A mixed load with a single description line understates the second product. Each product has its own identification number, name, class and packing group.
- Source of the rule. Everything above is drawn from the eCFR text. Read the section yourself before relying on a summary, ours included, and ask your safety lead about anything borderline.
Hazmat paperwork is one cost of running tankers; for the rest, see the cost per gallon of fuel hauling, and for where the loads come from, fuel and tanker load boards explained.
How Energy Connect handles it
Energy Connect lets you attach the bill of lading and other delivery documents to the load.