Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023:
A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration investigation at Meeder Equipment Company Inc./Ransome Manufacturing in Fresno, California, found that 186 DOT-specification cargo tank motor vehicles had been improperly inspected by the manufacturer.
According to a joint notice from FMCSA and DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the tankers were primarily MC-330 and MC-331 CTMVs used to transport propane.
FMCSA’s investigation found that the tankers had been tested and inspected by a person who did not meet the qualifications of a “Registered Inspector.” The affected units must be retested and reinspected by a qualified “Registered Inspector” to ensure they are compliant for hazardous materials transportation.
Federal regulations require that MC-330 and MC-331 CTMVs transporting propane must successfully undergo internal and external visual inspections, and leakage and pressure tests at certain intervals specified in the regulations. The inspections and tests conducted on the 186 tankers in question included internal visual inspections and pressure tests dating back to July 2018, and external visual inspections and leakage tests dating back to July 2022.
Anyone in possession of a potentially affected tanker should contact Meeder Equipment/Ransome Manufacturing to determine whether it’s in compliance with hazmat regulations. The company can be contacted at [email protected] or by phone at (559) 485-0979.
FMCSA and PHMSA noted, however, that “no imminent safety vulnerabilities have been identified to date,” so the agencies, through Nov. 10, will not be taking enforcement action against anyone using the tankers.
