Direct answers on 172.201D citations: out-of-service risk, CSA points, state enforcement patterns, and immediate next steps based on 13M+ inspection records.
Ranks #1,255 of 3,146 FMCSR codes by citation frequency • OOS rate of 0.5% is below the FMCSR-wide average of 33.3%.
Shipping paper description format does not meet the requirements for hazardous materials.
Direct answers grounded in TruckCodex inspection data
No. Across our inspection records, 172.201D results in an out-of-service placement in only 0.5% of cases—just 1 citation out of 182 total all-time. The national average out-of-service rate across all FMCSR codes is 31.4%, so this violation is far less likely to sideline your truck than most other citations.
This violation carries a CSA severity weight of 4. The actual points added to your record depend on your carrier's CSA score calculation and the 30-day point multiplier in effect when the citation was recorded. Contact your safety manager or your carrier's CSA specialist for the specific impact on your company's BASIC scores.
First, review the shipping papers with your dispatcher and safety team. Our data shows that incomplete hazmat descriptions (172.202B, 172.202A4) are found alongside 172.201D in the same inspections 10 times in the last 90 days. Second, verify all hazmat papers are formatted per 49 CFR 172.201 requirements. Third, request a copy of the inspection report to understand exactly which format requirement was missed. Finally, document your corrective action and share it with your carrier's hazmat compliance officer.
Compared to peer hazmat codes, 172.201D is moderate. Loading/unloading violations (177.834A-HMC) result in out-of-service placement 99.2% of the time and have 3,954 citations. Placarding violations (177.817a) have a 75.1% OOS rate. 172.201D's 0.5% OOS rate reflects that documentation format errors are correctable and less immediately dangerous than operational hazmat breaches, but still require swift attention.
Texas leads by far, with 41 citations in the last 180 days. North Carolina and New Mexico each have 1 citation in that period. The concentration in Texas reflects higher hazmat transport volume and inspection frequency in that state. If you haul hazmat in TX, ensure your shipping papers meet all format requirements before inspection.
Moderately urgent but not emergency-level. In the last 90 days, we recorded 25 citations for this code—averaging under 10 per month—so enforcement is steady but not intense. However, because hazmat violations often cluster in the same inspection, correcting your shipping paper format now prevents compounding citations. The co-occurring pattern shows that incomplete descriptions (172.202B, 172.202A4) frequently appear in the same stops.
Yes. FMCSA allows drivers and carriers to contest citations through the DataQs process within the inspection record review system. Since 172.201D is a documentation finding—not a mechanical defect—you can dispute it if you believe the shipping papers were correctly formatted and the inspector misinterpreted the requirement. Submit evidence of compliance with 49 CFR 172.201 and request a formal review.
172.201D ranks #1239 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume. At 183 all-time citations and only 93 in the last 12 months, it appears far less often than high-frequency codes like brake violations or tire defects. This reflects that most carriers and drivers comply with hazmat shipping paper format rules, and inspectors prioritize functional safety violations over documentation format issues when time is limited.
Where 172.201D is most commonly cited (last 180 days)
Other violations commonly found on the same inspection (last 90 days)
TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.
Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.
Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
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