Direct answers about FMCSR 172.202C citations, OOS risk, CSA points, and next steps based on 13M+ inspection records.
Ranks #2,295 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, 172.202C has never resulted in an out-of-service citation — the OOS rate is 0.0% based on 7 all-time citations in our database. This is significantly better than the all-FMCSR average of 31.4%. You'll be cited, but your truck stays legal to operate. That said, the underlying violation (incomplete hazmat shipping paper description) is a serious documentation error that creates regulatory risk.
A 172.202C citation carries a CSA severity weight of 5 points. The CSA system multiplies this weight by 1 if the violation occurred in the last 30 days, so a recent citation = 5 CSA points. This weight reflects that improper hazmat documentation is a compliance issue, though not as severe as active loading or placarding violations, which carry weights of 8–10.
Immediate steps: (1) Review the exact shipping paper discrepancy cited by the inspector — missing proper shipping name, hazard class, ID number, or packing group. (2) Contact your dispatcher or safety manager to confirm the hazmat commodity is correctly classified in your load documentation. (3) Check your placard and package marking against the shipping paper. In our records, 172.202C frequently co-occurs with placard deterioration (177.817E) and loading/unloading violations (177.834A), so inspect all hazmat markings and documentation before your next haul.
It's a documentation-level violation, not an equipment or active handling failure. General loading/unloading violations (177.834A) cite 3,954 times with a 99.2% OOS rate; placarding violations (177.817a) cite 2,274 times with a 75.1% OOS rate. By comparison, 172.202C has cited only 7 times, all-time, with 0% OOS. The violation itself is serious for compliance, but enforcement is rare and carries no immediate operational consequences.
Yes, you can submit a DataQs (Roadside Data Quality) challenge if you believe the violation was cited in error or if the inspector misidentified the shipping paper. Because 172.202C is a documentation finding — not a mechanical defect — you should challenge it if: your shipping paper actually was complete and the inspector misread it, or if the hazmat commodity classification was correctly declared. Submit your rebuttal with a copy of the original shipping paper within 90 days of the citation.
Across the last 180 days, our records show 1 citation in Texas — the only state in the top-states list for this code. With only 4 citations in the last 12 months nationally and 1 in the last 90 days, 172.202C is extremely rare. It ranks 2,312 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume, so inspectors cite this violation infrequently.
Low urgency for operational compliance — your truck stays legal. However, high urgency for documentation accuracy. The violation reflects a hazmat shipping paper error that could escalate if repeated. Our 90-day data shows only 1 citation, indicating this is uncommon; if you receive one, fix the shipping paper process immediately to avoid a second citation and higher CSA scrutiny. Correct procedures cost nothing and eliminate re-citation risk.
This violation follows both. Under the CSA system, hazmat shipping paper violations (172.202C) can appear in both the driver record and the carrier record, depending on how the citation was issued and whether the driver or carrier was deemed responsible. If you were cited individually, it affects your driving record and CSA score. If your carrier was cited as the hazmat shipper/preparer, it affects the carrier's CSA. Review the citation carefully to confirm who was cited as the violator.
Where 172.202C is most commonly cited (last 180 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.
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.