A brochure with information about wetlines safety is available from the Department of Transportation (DOT) in conjunction with the National Tank Truck Carriers, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
The focus of the project is to alert first responders of the potential danger associated with the transportation of flammable liquids in unprotected product piping on cargo tank motor vehicles.
Wetlines are product piping located beneath the cargo tank (MC306, MC307, DOT406, and DOT407 cargo tanks) that are used for bottom loading of gasoline or other petroleum products. A 9,000-gallon cargo tank may contain five separate compartments, allowing more than one product to be transported. Each compartment has its own wetline. Wetlines are designed to break off if struck by an object or another vehicle, rather than compromise the integrity of the cargo tank shell and risk losing the contents of the entire container or compartment, according to the DOT information.
The brochure is available on the DOT Web site by going to their website at http://hazmat.dot.gov/pubs/wetlines_final.pdf