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CDL · Emergencies

If you discover a leak from your hazmat cargo while driving, what should you do?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Stop in a safe place away from people, secure the area, isolate yourself, do not try to fix the leak, and call for help

  1. A Stop in a safe place away from people, secure the area, isolate yourself, do not try to fix the leak, and call for help
  2. B Try to repair the leak yourself
  3. C Continue to the destination so it can be unloaded faster
  4. D Drive to the nearest gas station to wash off the leak

Why this is the answer

A leaking hazmat cargo is an emergency. The driver's job is to limit the damage, not fix the problem. Steps: pull off the road in an open area away from populated places, fire sources, or storm drains; secure the area by warning anyone in immediate vicinity to move back; do not eat, drink, or smoke; do not attempt repair (you are not trained or equipped, and the material may be lethal); call 911 and the emergency response number on the shipping papers (or the CHEMTREC number 1-800-424-9300 for chemical emergencies); stay upwind and uphill from any spill; give responders the shipping papers and step back. Driving to the destination spreads contamination along the entire route and may worsen the leak.
Source: FMCSA CDL Manual 9.5.1 Reporting Incidents

Practice more questions

This question is from our CDL Practice Tests practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all Emergencies and other topics.

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About this topic: Emergencies

Blowouts, brake failures, off-road excursions, and skids are rare but high-stakes. Practiced responses prevent panic reactions that can turn a recoverable situation into a fatal one. This is one of 9 Hazardous Materials questions on emergencies, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our CDL exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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