What 180.407(b) means in plain language
When you transport hazardous materials in a specification cargo tank, that tank is built and certified to precise DOT standards to safely contain dangerous goods. The moment that tank is damaged—whether from impact, corrosion, mechanical failure, or any other cause—the integrity of those safety features is compromised.
This citation means an inspector found evidence that your cargo tank had been damaged but you did not have it tested or inspected to confirm it was still safe to use. The regulation requires that after damage occurs, the tank must be evaluated by qualified personnel before it can carry hazmat again. Skipping that step puts cargo, your vehicle, other drivers, and emergency responders at serious risk.
Damage can be visible (dents, cracks, leaks) or hidden (internal corrosion, seal degradation, stress fractures). A proper inspection uses both visual examination and sometimes pressure testing or ultrasonic measurement to verify the tank still meets specification. If it doesn't, it must be repaired or removed from service.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million inspection records, 180.407(b) is cited very infrequently: only 14 all-time citations in our database, with zero citations in the last 12 months and zero in the last 90 days. This code ranks #2083 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume.
The most important finding: none of the 14 citations resulted in an out-of-service order. The OOS rate for this code is 0.0%—meaning inspectors have not deemed any of the cited vehicles or drivers unsafe enough to pull off the road immediately. However, this is notably lower than the all-FMCSR average OOS rate of 31.4%, which suggests that when this violation is caught, the damage may have been minor or already addressed, or the inspector documented it as a correctable defect rather than an immediate safety threat.
The rarity of citations does not mean the requirement is unimportant. It likely reflects that most carriers and owner-operators take cargo tank safety seriously and conduct required inspections after any incident. The low citation count is a good sign for the industry overall.
Who gets cited most
Our data does not include state-level breakdowns for this specific code, so we cannot name the top states by citation count. However, our records show that carriers such as Transportes Refrigerados GC Xpress SA de CV (USDOT 2563803) have accumulated 6 citations for this violation, the highest count in our database. Yolanda Mares Lucio (USDOT 3710881) and Tokko Carriers de Mexico SA de CV (USDOT 833065) each have 2 citations.
The top vehicle makes cited include other/miscellaneous equipment (5 citations), petroleum tankers (3 citations), and smaller counts for International, Brenntag, Freightliner, Kenworth, Sterling, and Volvo units. This distribution suggests the violation occurs across a wide range of equipment types and is not concentrated in any single make.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
180.407(b) sits within a broad category of hazardous materials violations. To understand its relative severity, compare it to closely related codes in our database:
General loading and unloading of hazmat (codes 177.834A-HMC and 177.834(a)) are far more common—3,954 and 3,839 citations respectively—and carry OOS rates of 99.2% and 97.9%. These represent foundational hazmat safety failures.
Placarding violations (177.817(a), 177.817(e), 172.516(c)(6)) range from 1,796 to 2,274 citations with OOS rates between 1.6% and 75.1%, depending on the specific type. A deteriorated placard (177.817(e)) has only a 5.2% OOS rate, similar to 180.407(b)'s 0.0%.
Movement of damaged hazmat packages (177.823(a)) is more serious, with 1,829 citations and a 51.8% OOS rate, suggesting inspectors view cargo damage differently depending on whether the cargo itself or the container is affected.
Overall, 180.407(b) is one of the least frequently cited hazmat violations and, when cited, rarely triggers immediate removal from service. It is less severe in enforcement terms than general loading/unloading failures or certain placarding violations, but it remains a legitimate safety requirement.
How to avoid it
Before you accept a loaded cargo tank, inspect it yourself. Look for dents, corrosion, leaks, cracks, or any visible damage to the shell, baffles, valves, or fittings. If you find anything, document it with photos and report it to your dispatcher or supervisor immediately. Do not leave the terminal or shipper location with a visibly compromised tank.
After any accident, impact, or collision—no matter how minor—stop and perform a damage assessment. Check the tank exterior for new dents, cracks, or leaks. If you hit a pothole hard, graze a dock edge, or have any incident that jolted the vehicle, inspect the cargo tank connection points and shell. If you are uncertain whether damage exists, contact your carrier's safety team or a qualified tank inspector before moving the vehicle.
Know your carrier's damage-reporting procedure and follow it immediately. Most professional carriers require you to call in damage reports right away. Do not assume minor cosmetic damage is acceptable; let qualified personnel make that judgment.
If your carrier schedules regular tank inspections, attend all of them and keep copies of inspection records. These records are your proof that the tank has been certified safe. During a roadside inspection, an officer can ask to see when the tank was last tested.
Familiarize yourself with what a formal tank inspection involves. Depending on the tank type and hazmat class, it may include visual examination, pressure testing, or internal inspection. Knowing what "properly inspected" looks like helps you recognize when a tank may not have been formally evaluated after damage.