What happens when your hazmat shipping papers are incomplete? See citation rates, OOS outcomes, and next steps based on 13M+ real inspections.
Ranks #1,726 of 3,146 FMCSR codes by citation frequency • OOS rate of 0.0% is below the FMCSR-wide average of 33.3%.
Total quantity missing or in improper location
Direct answers grounded in TruckCodex inspection data
No. Across our inspection records, 172.202(c) citations have resulted in 0% out-of-service placements. All 39 all-time citations in our database were given with the truck allowed to continue operating. This is significantly lower than the national average OOS rate of 31.4% across all FMCSR codes, making this one of the most lenient hazmat shipping paper violations.
This violation carries a CSA severity weight of 5 points. Within a 30-day period, FMCSA applies a multiplier to determine your total BASIC score impact—the exact multiplier depends on your inspection history and company safety profile. A single citation with a weight of 5 is moderate; accumulation over time increases your carrier's crash risk and safety rating profile more significantly.
It's on the lower end. Our data shows 172.202(c) ranked #1701 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume—only 39 all-time citations. Compare that to related hazmat violations: 177.834A (loading/unloading) has 3,954 citations with 99.2% OOS rate, and 177.817(a) (placarding) has 2,274 citations with 75.1% OOS rate. Incomplete shipping paper descriptions are cited rarely and never result in roadside shutdown.
Yes. FMCSA's DataQs (Databased Quality System) allows you to challenge roadside inspection findings within 90 days. Since 172.202(c) is a documentation violation (the shipping paper itself, not equipment damage or safety events), contestability depends on whether the inspector correctly identified which required elements were missing. File through your carrier's Safety Management System or directly on the FMCSA portal if you believe the citation was issued in error.
Very rare. Our records show zero citations for 172.202(c) in the last 12 months and zero in the last 90 days. The 39 all-time citations span multiple years, averaging less than one per quarter historically. This suggests either strong industry compliance on shipping paper completeness or minimal inspection focus on this specific code.
No single carrier dominates. Across our 13 million+ inspection records, the top cited carriers for this violation each have only 1 citation: KAG West Energy, Moove NA Transport, Whatley Oil & Auto Parts, XPO Logistics Freight, McClymonds Supply & Transit, Oxygen Service, Cannonball Trucking, G W Hunter, Red River Transport, and Greenwood Motor Lines. This spread reflects how uncommon the violation is overall.
Freightliners account for 6 of the 39 total citations, followed by Great Dane and Kenworth with 3 each. The remaining citations are scattered across Peterbilt, Freightliner, and others. The data does not show a strong vehicle-type pattern—the violation appears spread across different trailer and truck combinations rather than concentrated in one manufacturer's equipment.
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.
TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.