For which scenario are placards required based on placard thresholds?

• A. Placards are always required.
• B. Placards are required only when the shipment meets placard thresholds.
• C. Placards are only for international shipments.
• D. Placards are optional for domestic shipments.

Answer: (B)

Placards are used to warn others about hazards and are required only when the amount of hazardous material being shipped reaches the regulatory thresholds. The idea is that you don’t put placards on every hazmat load; only those loads that meet or exceed the threshold quantities need the large placards on the vehicle. If the total quantity on board is below the threshold, you don’t display placards, though you still must follow labeling, packaging, and shipping paper requirements. These thresholds exist to balance safety signaling with practicality, and they apply to most domestic shipments as part of the same framework that governs international transport, with occasional exceptions for specific hazard classes.