Court sentences NH driver for illegally transporting hazmat
Posted March 6, 2017
A New Hampshire man failed to appear at his sentencing hearings after being charged with and pleading guilty to operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) to transport hazardous materials (hazmat) without a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL).
As a result, on February 17, 2017, he was arrested and immediately sentenced in U.S. District Court, Concord, New Hampshire, and ordered to pay $2,540 in fines.
The defendant admitted that from approximately September 2013 through April 2014, he sold and transported hazmat to be used as fuel for heating furnaces to individuals and businesses in New Hampshire and Maine. Without a valid CDL, he used a motor vehicle to transport approximately 925 gallons of fuel oil and diesel fuel and approximately 1,500 gallons of a flammable liquid in containers with capacities greater than 119 gallons.
Federal safety regulations require placarding on CMVs when hazardous materials are transported in a container with a capacity of greater than 119 gallons. Drivers that transport hazmat in these quantities are required to possess a valid CDL with the hazmat endorsement.
J. J. Keller's FREE Transportation SafetyClicks™ email newsletter brings quick-read safety and compliance news right to your email box.