What 173.24F2-HMBPVM means in plain language
When you transport hazardous materials in bulk packages, those packages must include certain safety equipment. One of those required components is an internal valve—a mechanism designed to control pressure and prevent leaks or ruptures during transport.
A 173.24F2-HMBPVM citation means an inspector found that your bulk hazmat package was missing this internal valve when one was required by regulation. This is a equipment-compliance issue: the package itself didn't meet the minimum safety standard for the hazardous material it contained.
The presence or absence of this valve isn't negotiable on the road. If your load requires it, it must be there before you depart—not something you can fix mid-route.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million+ inspection records, this code is exceptionally rare. We have recorded only 2 all-time citations for 173.24F2-HMBPVM, with 0 citations in the last 12 months and 0 in the last 90 days. This ranks the code at #2651 of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume.
When citations do occur, they carry serious weight: our data shows a 100.0% out-of-service rate for this violation. By contrast, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate is 31.4%, meaning inspectors treat this infraction far more severely than typical violations. Both instances in our records resulted in the vehicle being placed out of service immediately.
The rarity of this citation suggests that most carriers and drivers are already compliant—bulk hazmat packages in active use typically have the required internal valves installed. However, the 100% OOS rate confirms that if an inspector does find this violation, you will not be allowed to continue transporting that load.
Who gets cited most
Our database does not show state-level breakdowns for this code due to its low citation count. However, we can identify the carriers in our records: All Island Fuel of Mastic Inc (USDOT 669105) and Autotransportes Onpetrol de Mexico SA de CV (USDOT 4034616) each appear once in our all-time data. Neither pattern suggests systematic non-compliance—these are isolated incidents across millions of inspections.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
Other hazardous materials violations in the same regulatory family are far more common. For example, general loading and unloading violations under code 177.834A-HMC account for 3,954 citations with a 99.2% OOS rate, and code 177.834(a) has 3,839 citations with a 97.9% OOS rate. Placard-related violations like 177.817(a) show 2,274 citations with a 75.1% OOS rate.
What distinguishes 173.24F2-HMBPVM is not severity—the OOS rate is equally punitive—but enforcement frequency. This code is cited less than 1% as often as similar general loading violations, suggesting inspectors encounter missing internal valves far less often than other hazmat equipment failures. When they do, the response is swift and absolute.
How to avoid it
Prevention is straightforward because the violation occurs before you leave the facility:
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Verify valve presence during pre-trip. Before accepting a bulk hazmat load, physically inspect the package for the internal valve. Do not assume it's present because the load was certified at the shipper. Make it part of your documented pre-trip inspection.
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Confirm the hazmat class requires it. Not all bulk packages require an internal valve—check the shipping papers and the package labeling to understand what your specific load mandates. If the shipper says the valve is required, treat that as non-negotiable.
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Refuse non-compliant loads. If you discover a missing or damaged internal valve, do not transport the package. Report it to dispatch and the shipper immediately. A few hours of delay is far better than a 100% OOS citation and the resulting enforcement action.
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Document what you inspect. Keep a record of your pre-trip checks on bulk hazmat loads, including confirmation that required valves are present. This protects you if a valve fails during transport and an inspector questions whether it was there at departure.
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Coordinate with shippers on load prep. If you work with the same shippers regularly, communicate clearly that you will not accept bulk hazmat packages with missing required equipment. Make it part of your standing agreement.
The 100.0% OOS rate for this code is a clear message: inspectors do not give warnings on missing internal valves. Compliance at the point of loading is your only safe path.