Transporting or Offering for Transportation forbidden explosives
173.54 is a Fire Hazard - HM violation under 49 CFR §173.54. It falls in the Hazardous Materials Compliance BASIC with a severity weight of 6/10.
Last updated May 2026
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Notes
DSMS: NIf this violation was written incorrectly, here are the angles trucking-safety managers use to contest it. Playbook: Hazardous Materials.
Common ways to challenge this code
The materials transported did not exceed the threshold quantities requiring placards under 49 CFR Part 172 Subpart F.
Evidence that wins
This administrative code is on the inspection report but does not contribute to CSA BASIC scoring per FMCSA SMS Methodology Appendix A.
Evidence that wins
Common pitfalls — avoid these
Same BASIC category — ranked by national citation volume
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HM (Packaging) - MC 306 manhole requirements.
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Codes under the same FMCSA violation group
HM (Highway Carriage) - Loading/unloading Class 1 with engine running.
HM (Highway Carriage) - Improper loading/unloading/handling of a Class 1 material.
HM (General Packaging) - Offering/transporting forbidden explosives.
HM (Highway Carriage) - Improper loading of specification 56/57/IM 101/IM 102 portable tanks.
Bottom outlets prohibited for UN or IM tanks for certain HM
HM (Highway Carriage) - Metallic or ferrous metals to come in contact with Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosive materials.
173.54 is the FMCSA roadside-inspection violation code for "Transporting or Offering for Transportation forbidden explosives", part of the Fire Hazard - HM group, cited under 49 CFR §173.54.
173.54 falls under the Hazardous Materials Compliance BASIC in the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS).
173.54 carries a severity weight of 6 out of 10. Higher weights indicate violations more closely tied to crash risk, and they count more toward a carrier's Hazardous Materials Compliance score.
No. 173.54 is not an out-of-service violation, so on its own it does not trigger an out-of-service order at the roadside.
The point contribution of 173.54 depends on its severity weight (6/10) multiplied by a time weight of 3, 2, or 1 based on how recent the inspection is. You can calculate the exact contribution with the CSA points calculator.
Yes. If you believe 173.54 was recorded in error, you can file a Request for Data Review (RDR) through the FMCSA DataQs system with supporting evidence. A successful challenge can remove or correct the violation on your record.
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Statistics
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