October 6– 12 is Fire Prevention Week

National Fire Prevention Week is coming, and it is a good time to review with your drivers how to prevent fires and how to react to a fire that occurs in their commercial motor vehicle. Fire extinguisher inspection is a vital part of a driver’s daily vehicle inspection process. It amazes me how many times I look at a truck and find the fire extinguisher has lost its pressure due to a leak or has been used and returned to the truck without being recharged. The actions of a driver at the time of a fire are crucial in saving lives and controlling the extent of loss.

1. Knowledge about fires. 

2. How to operate a fire extinguisher. 

Fire safety and fire extinguisher operation should be apart of every new driver's orientation program. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations require that all commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) have a fire extinguisher on board that is the correct size, type, and properly secured and labeled. Did you know that a CMV carrying hazardous materials is required to have a different size extinguisher than those not transporting hazardous materials?

Here are the requirements: 

§393.95 Emergency equipment on all power units

Each truck, truck tractor, and bus (except those towed in driveaway-towaway operations) must be equipped as follows:

(a) Fire Extinguishers 

(a)(1) Minimum ratings: 

• A power unit used to transport hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placarding must be equipped with a fire extinguisher having an Underwriters Laboratories rating of 10 B:C or more.
• A power unit that is not used to transport hazardous materials must be equipped with a fire extinguisher having an Underwriters Laboratories rating of 5 B:C or more

Labeling and marking: Each fire extinguisher required by this section must be labeled or marked by the manufacturer with its Underwriters Laboratories rating.

Visual indicators: The fire extinguisher must be designed, constructed, and maintained to allow for a visual determination of whether it is fully charged.

Condition, location, and mounting: The fire extinguisher(s) must be filled and located so that they are readily accessible for use. The extinguisher(s) must be securely mounted to prevent sliding, rolling, or vertical movement relative to the motor vehicle.

When a fire occurs in a Commercial Motor Vehicle, the driver should take the following actions: 

1. Move to Safety: Get the truck off the roadway and into an open area, if possible. Park away from buildings, trees, vehicles, or anything else that may catch fire.

2. Call for Help: Dial 911 on your cell phone to report the fire and your location.

3. Prioritize Safety: If the fire is too large to extinguish, move away from the truck. Your safety and the safety of the public are your top priorities.

4. Disconnect the Trailer: If you are operating a tractor-trailer and can safely disconnect the trailer, do so to prevent damage to both units and the cargo.

5. Turn Off the Engine: If the engine is on fire, turn it off as soon as possible.

6. Avoid Opening the Hood: Do not open the hood if you can avoid it. Attempt to extinguish the fire from the louvers, radiator, or underside of the truck. Opening the hood increases oxygen supply, which can intensify the fire.

7. Keep Doors Closed: If the fire is in the trailer or cargo box, keep the doors shut to limit oxygen and reduce fire intensity.

8. Tire Fires: A tire fire is unlikely to be extinguished with a fire extinguisher. Try throwing dirt or sand on the tire to smother the fire.

What you can do to prevent the likelihood of a fire starting in your Commercial Motor Vehicle: 

1. Conduct Inspections: Perform a thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspection daily, checking the fuel, electrical, exhaust systems, tires, and cargo of your truck.

2. Maintain Cleanliness: Keep the unit clean and free from excess grease, fuel, and oil.

   

3. Monitor Dash Gauges: Pay attention to your dashboard gauges while operating the vehicle for signs of overheating.

4. Use Your Mirrors: Regularly check your mirrors for any signs of smoke or flames.

5. Understand New Systems: Be aware of the regeneration process for Post-Emission 2007 and newer units, noting that exhaust temperatures can reach high levels during this process.

6. Know Your Cargo: Familiarize yourself with the cargo you have on board and its fire potential.

In a House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure hearing earlier this summer, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed that his agency believes the U.S. Department of Justice's proposal to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug will not change the current requirements for testing transportation workers, including truck drivers, for marijuana use.

According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), “If the trucking industry’s ability to conduct drug testing for marijuana use were to be restricted, a heightened risk of impaired drivers would threaten our nation’s roadways. DOT and ATA share the goals of achieving zero highway fatalities and ensuring that the commercial driving workforce is qualified to operate safely. We are committed to partnering with DOT to mitigate harmful impacts caused by the potential reclassification of marijuana.”

This concern is well-founded. Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a study showing that marijuana and alcohol remain the most detected substances in impaired driving crashes resulting in serious or fatal injuries.

Additionally, researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that, between 2000 and 2018, crash deaths involving marijuana more than doubled, increasing from 9% to 21.5%. Separate studies indicated that state-level marijuana legalization was associated with a 6.5% increase in injury crash rates and a 2.3% increase in fatal crash rates. Following Canada’s 2018 legalization of marijuana, emergency rooms saw a 94% increase in marijuana-involved traffic injuries.

As of May 2024, marijuana (Δ9-THCA) accounted for approximately 60%—or 150,647 total—of all positive employer drug tests among regulated commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers since the January 2020 implementation of the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Secretary Buttigieg explicitly stated that USDOT anticipates maintaining its authority to conduct marijuana testing for commercial motor vehicle drivers and other safety-sensitive transportation workers.

“Our understanding of the rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III is that it would not alter DOT's marijuana testing requirements for the regulated community,” he said. “For private individuals performing safety-sensitive functions, subject to drug testing, marijuana is identified by name, not by reference to one of those classes. So even with this reclassification, we do not believe it would directly impact that authority.”