What do the numbers in red diamonds on trucks’ liquid tanks mean?
June 4th, 2009
Arpeggi asked:
I know that the numbers (usually 3-4 digits) enclosed in a red diamond on the back and sides of truck tanks indicate exactly what liquid is inside. Does anybody know where I can find a listing of these numbers and what they stand for?
I know that the numbers (usually 3-4 digits) enclosed in a red diamond on the back and sides of truck tanks indicate exactly what liquid is inside. Does anybody know where I can find a listing of these numbers and what they stand for?
Entry Filed under: Diamonds
3 Comments
1. ncc_2555 | June 6th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
These numbers indicate the DOT classifications for the reactivity of the contents. To locate and identify the meanings of the tags, look on the U.S. Department Of Transportation website.
2. bellgoddess1 | June 8th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
The numbers don’t stand for what substance the truck carries. Those are the UN numbers that tell what class of hazardous materials it carries.
The first number indicates the class of haz mat, like explosives, gasses, flammable solids, flammable liquids, oxidizing substances, poisons, radioactive materials, corrosive materials and misc materials.
The second number indicates the division.
The DOT or EPA websites should give you more info, but I got my info from a trucking manual. There were several pages with specific information, but it was way too much to type it up.
3. W_Howey | June 9th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
The entire sign is an indicator of what is inside of the tanker.
The color is the first indicator of what it is. If its red, than it is a flammable. Look for a 3 at the bottom. That is the class of the material. The 3 tells you that is a flammable liquid.
The number in the middle, refers to the UN classification of the material. You can find a complete listing of these numbers in the USDOT hazmat guide.
The ones you probably see the most is 1203(which is gasoline) and 1993(its diesel fuel, and a couple of other related oils)