Your functions are accepting, loading, carrying, and delivering, so you must know how to check a shipment is properly prepared and how to haul it legally (§ 172.704(a)(2)). Under § 177.801, you may not accept hazmat that is not properly classed, described, packaged, marked, and labeled.

At pickup: the five-point acceptance check

Shipping paper. Basic description in order: UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group (e.g., "UN1263, Paint, 3, PG II"), plus total quantity and a 24-hour emergency response phone number (§ 172.202, § 172.604).
Emergency response information is attached or available, such as the ERG page or an SDS (§ 172.602).
Markings on the package match the paper: proper shipping name and UN number, or the correct limited-quantity mark.
Labels match the hazard class shown in column 6 of the Hazmat Table.
Condition: no leaks, odors, wet spots, crushing, or open closures.

If any point fails, refuse the package and tell the shipper why. You are not required to fix a shipper's mistake, and you should not try.

In the vehicle: shipping papers

Under § 177.817(e), keep hazmat shipping papers within your reach while driving, tabbed or on top of other papers. When you leave the cab, put them on the driver's seat or in the door pocket.

Loading and segregation

Brace and secure every package so it cannot shift, fall, or be crushed (§ 177.834(a)).
Load with closures up, matching any "This Way Up" arrows.
No smoking or open flame within 25 feet while loading or unloading Classes 1, 3, 4, 5, or flammable gas (§ 177.834(c)).
Check the segregation table in § 177.848 before mixing classes. Example: keep corrosive liquids away from oxidizers and flammables.
Ventilate the cargo area when carrying dry ice; carbon dioxide gas can overcome a driver in a closed van.

Placarding: when your van becomes a placarded vehicle

Placard trigger	Materials
Any quantity (Table 1, § 172.504)	Div. 1.1–1.3 explosives, 2.3 poison gas, 4.3 dangerous when wet, 5.2 Type B temperature-controlled, 6.1 poison inhalation hazard, Class 7 with Yellow-III label
1,001 lb or more aggregate gross weight (Table 2)	Most other classes combined
Not placarded	Limited quantities; Class 9 in domestic transport

If your load requires placards, stop and read Module 6: you will need a CDL with hazmat endorsement and possibly PHMSA registration.

Common exceptions for courier freight

Shipment	Rule	What still applies
Limited quantity	§ 173.156	Marking, packaging, and training; no labels, placards, or highway shipping papers
Category B specimens (UN3373)	§ 173.199	Packaging and marking; anyone transporting them must know § 173.199
Dry ice (UN1845)	§ 173.217	Venting packaging; check § 173.217 for highway exceptions
Lithium batteries	§ 173.185	Mark and packaging rules vary by size and type
Excepted quantities	§ 173.4a	Very small amounts; largely excepted
Materials of trade	§ 173.6	Not available to couriers: it covers carriers whose main business is not transportation

The old ORM-D marking ended for highway shipments on December 31, 2020. Treat ORM-D packages as limited quantity only if properly re-marked.

Knowledge check 3

List the four elements of the basic description, in order.

UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group.

Where must shipping papers be when you step out of the cab?

On the driver's seat or in the driver's door pocket.

Can a courier use the materials-of-trade exception?

No.