Get every hazmat shipment right before it leaves your dock. Learn online, at your own pace, from the first step to the last.

Course Details

This online hazardous materials training is designed to help satisfy initial or recurrent hazmat employee training requirements for professionals who are responsible for following the U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Parts 171-180) when they prepare and offer shipments by highway.

DOT requires new hazmat employees to be trained within 90 days of hire or job change. Recurrent training is required at least every three years (49 CFR 172.704(c)). The course covers the training areas listed in 49 CFR 172.704: general awareness, function-specific, safety, security awareness and in-depth security training.

Course Length and Format

Approximately 13 hours

Key Learning Objectives

• Build the knowledge to follow the DOT hazardous materials regulations when you prepare and offer ground shipments
• Classify, name, package, mark, label, placard, load and unload hazardous materials, and complete shipping papers and Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifests
• Know how to use the Emergency Response Guidebook, when and how to report an incident, and how to recognize and respond to security threats
• Earn REHS continuing education units (CEUs) for completing the course

Training Topics

• What is a DOT hazardous material?
• Hazmat general awareness training
• Classifying hazardous materials
• Using the 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table and choosing a proper shipping name
• General packaging requirements
• Selecting authorized packaging, reading UN markings, and filling and closing packages
• Marking and labeling packages
• Preparing shipping papers, the shipper’s certification and Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifests
• Placarding requirements for hazmat shipments
• Loading, unloading and segregation rules
• Emergency response and the Emergency Response Guidebook
• Reporting hazmat incidents
• Exceptions, such as limited quantities and materials of trade, and special permits
• Security awareness and security plan requirements
• Common DOT violations, and civil and criminal penalties

Ship Smarter. Avoid Costly Mistakes.

A wrong shipping name, a missing label or a loose drum can stop a shipment, delay a delivery and put your people at risk. This course shows you how to get it right. Follow one shipment from start to finish, from deciding what a material is to handing the load to the carrier, and build the skills to handle each step with confidence.

Every lesson is built around the current U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations, so what you learn matches the rules you work with on the dock.

Built for the People Who Ship, Pack and Load

If your job touches a hazardous materials shipment, this course is for you. It is a strong fit for shipping and receiving staff, warehouse and dock workers, packers, production and laboratory personnel, EHS and compliance staff, and the supervisors who oversee them. It also suits anyone who signs shipping papers or hazardous waste manifests, or who loads and unloads vehicles. New to hazmat? No prior training is needed. Start here.

Why Learners Choose This Course

• Online and on your schedule, so training fits around the workday
• Follows a real shipment, so every lesson builds on the last and makes sense
• Worked examples, exercises and knowledge checks let you practice, not just read
• A case study of common violations shows what mistakes look like and what they can cost
• Final exam and a certificate of completion when you finish, so you have a record of your training

Finish Strong

Complete the course and pass the final exam, and you receive a certificate of completion from NATEC International, Inc. and REHS CEUs. Keep your certificate for your training file and show your employer the work you have put in.

Earn REHS CEUs

NATEC is approved to offer REHS continuing education units (CEUs). Registered Environmental Health Specialists can put this course toward their continuing education requirements. Complete the course and you earn 13 REHS CEUs, so you can meet your job training needs and keep your credential current in the same course.

Good to Know

Employers are responsible for determining who needs training, for site-specific training on their own materials and procedures, and for keeping training records. This course covers highway (ground) shipping only. It does not cover air or vessel shipping, which have additional requirements. Regulations change, so always refer to the current rules.

Why We Do Not Call It HM-181 Anymore

HM-181 was the name of a 1990 rulemaking that brought U.S. hazardous materials packaging in line with UN standards. Its requirements were built into the Hazardous Materials Regulations long ago, and those regulations have been updated many times since. Employee training is now found in 49 CFR 172.704, which includes security awareness training added after 2003. Many people still call hazmat employee training “HM-181,” and that is why we list it here. This course is built on the current rules.

Ready to Ship with Confidence?

Every hazmat shipment is a chance to get it right or to get it wrong. Give yourself and your team the training to get it right. Enroll in DOT Hazmat Ground Shipper Training with NATEC today, learn online, and finish with a certificate of completion and REHS CEUs in hand.

Enroll now and start learning today.

Course Agenda

DOT Hazmat Ground Shipper Training

(Commonly Called HM-181 Training)

13 to 16 hours | Online | Highway (ground) shipping | REHS CEUs available DOT_Ground_Shipper_Course_Agenda

Module 1 — Welcome and Introductions

Course overview, key definitions and hazmat employee training requirements

Module 2 — General Awareness of Hazardous Materials

Regulations, hazard classes and the Hazardous Materials Table

Part 2 — Classification and Proper Shipping Names
Assign the hazard class and packing group and choose the shipping name

Part 3 — Packaging Requirements
Select authorized packaging, read UN markings, fill and close packages

Module 3 — Shipping Papers and Marking

Prepare shipping papers, the shipper’s certification and package marks

Module 4 — Labeling and Placarding

Apply hazard labels and provide vehicle placards

Part 2 — Loading, Unloading and Segregation
Load safely, read the segregation chart and hand the shipment to the carrier

Module 5 — Emergency Response

Use the Emergency Response Guidebook and respond to hazmat emergencies

Part 2 — Incident Reporting, Exceptions and Special Permits
Know what to report, when exceptions apply and what special permits are

Module 6 — Security Awareness and Security Plan

Recognize security threats and understand security plan requirements

Module 7 — Documentation and Recordkeeping

Complete the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest and keep required records

Finish — Course Review and Written Exam

Review key points, pass the exam and receive your certificate of completion. DOT_Ground_Shipper_Course_Agenda

This training is designed to help satisfy initial or recurrent hazmat employee training requirements under 49 CFR 172.704 for highway shipping. Employers remain responsible for site-specific training and training records. Complete the course and final exam to receive a certificate of completion from NATEC International, Inc.