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Tanker · Inspecting Tank Vehicles

Federal regulation defines a "tank vehicle" by rated capacity, not by how dangerous the cargo is. Which vehicle meets that definition?

1.A vehicle hauling liquid or gas in a tank over 119 gallons, with tanks totaling 1,000 gallons or more, attached permanently or temporarilyCorrect answer
2.Any vehicle hauling a liquid in any quantity at all, since the quantity of liquid cargo carried is what the definition actually turns on
3.Only one whose tank is welded permanently to the chassis, since a tank merely strapped on for a single trip is held to never count toward the definition
4.Only one hauling a hazardous liquid or compressed gas, since the whole definition exists just to catch hazardous materials transport specifically

Explanation

Two capacity figures have to be satisfied together, and both turn on rated capacity rather than on what the tank happens to hold: at least one tank aboard must be rated at more than 119 gallons, and the tanks together must come to 1,000 gallons or more. Attachment may be permanent or temporary, so a tank fitted for a single trip still counts, which is the element drivers most often miss. Because the test is capacity and not hazard, the endorsement can be required for milk or drinking water as readily as for a chemical. The definition does carry one exception: a vehicle carrying an empty storage container tank that was never designed for transportation, rated at 1,000 gallons or more and temporarily attached to a flatbed trailer, falls outside it. Each wrong option drops one element of the test, treating any quantity of liquid as enough, excluding the temporary attachment the regulation expressly covers, or reading in a hazardous materials condition the text does not contain.

Source: 49 CFR 383.5

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