A cargo tank formerly used to transport hazardous material is empty. At an ordinary grade crossing with no applicable exception, does empty status alone remove the federal stop requirement?
Correct answer: No; the rule includes loaded and empty hazardous-material cargo tanks.
392.10(a)(4) expressly covers such cargo tanks whether loaded or empty. The specific crossing exceptions in paragraph (b) must be considered separately.
Source: 49 CFR 392.10(a)(4), (b). Official eCFR XML dated September 10, 2026; reviewed September 14, 2026. ↗
A transportation incident meets 171.15's NRC telephone-report criteria. When must the person in physical possession notify the NRC?
Correct answer: As soon as practical, no later than 12 hours after occurrence.
The telephone deadline is as soon as practical and within 12 hours. This is not permission to delay emergency assistance; the detailed written report has a separate deadline.
Source: 49 CFR 171.15(a). Official eCFR XML dated September 10, 2026; reviewed September 14, 2026. ↗
A hazardous material directly causes the public to be evacuated for exactly one hour. Does this meet the evacuation trigger for NRC telephone reporting?
Correct answer: Yes; the trigger is one hour or more.
The current rule includes an evacuation lasting exactly one hour. The older handbook's more-than-one-hour wording should not be used to exclude this incident.
Source: 49 CFR 171.15(b)(1)(iii). Official eCFR XML dated September 10, 2026; reviewed September 14, 2026. ↗
A hazardous material directly causes an injury requiring admission to a hospital during transportation. Does that meet an NRC telephone-report trigger?
Correct answer: Yes; hospital admission is one of the listed triggers.
An injury requiring admittance to a hospital as a direct result of the hazardous material is a listed trigger. Mere cost estimates are not a substitute for checking the actual criteria.
Source: 49 CFR 171.15(b)(1)(ii). Official eCFR XML dated September 10, 2026; reviewed September 14, 2026. ↗
After an incident covered by 171.16, what is the ordinary deadline for the detailed hazardous-material incident report?
Correct answer: Within 30 days of discovering the incident.
The person in physical possession at the incident must submit the required DOT Form F 5800.1 within 30 days of discovery. This is separate from any prompt emergency call and NRC telephone notice.
Source: 49 CFR 171.16(a). Official eCFR XML dated September 10, 2026; reviewed September 14, 2026. ↗
