Probably not. The plan is required only if you offer for transport or transport in commerce one or more of the sixteen materials and quantities listed in §172.800(b) — explosives 1.1/1.2/1.3, PIH materials, HRCQ Class 7 radioactives, large bulk quantities (>3,000 kg solid or >3,000 L liquid in a single packaging), and similar high-risk categories. Most small to mid-size carriers shipping general freight do not trigger the requirement. Walk the three-question self-assessment above before purchasing this course.
Course Description
This course delivers the In-Depth Security Training required by 49 CFR §172.704(a)(5) for hazmat employees who work for companies subject to a §172.800 written security plan. It is Add-On 1 to the Core Hazmat Employee Bundle (Modules 1 through 4) and is built specifically for the highway transportation mode.
The training walks learners through the legal framework that triggers the §172.800 security-plan requirement, the three plan elements every plan must contain (personnel security, unauthorized access, en-route security), plan-maintenance and recordkeeping obligations, and the recognize-and-respond skills that go beyond general security awareness. Because two of the three §172.704(a)(5) training elements are inherently company-specific, the course pairs roughly 75 minutes of structured video instruction with a required walkthrough of the learner’s actual written security plan, conducted by the company’s designated security coordinator. The certificate issues only after both the knowledge check and the walkthrough are recorded.
The 10-question knowledge check satisfies the testing-by-appropriate-means requirement of 49 CFR §172.702(d) for the (a)(5) category.
Prerequisite: Completion of the Core Hazmat Employee Bundle (Modules 1–4) is required before enrolling in this add-on. The Core Bundle covers General Awareness §172.704(a)(1), Function-Specific §172.704(a)(2), Safety §172.704(a)(3), and Security Awareness §172.704(a)(4) — the vocabulary and framework this add-on assumes.
The §172.800(a) Self-Assessment Gate — Do You Need This Course?
Most hazmat employers do not need in-depth security training. The Core Bundle’s Module 4 (Security Awareness) covers nearly all hazmat employees. This add-on applies only when your company is subject to a written security plan under §172.800. Walk these three questions before enrolling:
Question 1. Does your company offer for transport or transport in commerce one or more materials and quantities listed in 49 CFR §172.800(b)?
- If NO — §172.800 does not apply. Module 4 (Security Awareness) covers your team. Stop here.
- If YES — continue to Question 2.
Question 2. Does any §172.800(c) carve-out apply to your operation (the farmer exception; specific quantity exemptions)?
- If YES — §172.800 may not apply for those activities. Document the basis in writing. Most likely stop here.
- If NO — continue to Question 3.
Question 3. Have you (a) developed and maintained a written security plan under §172.802, and (b) documented the self-assessment in writing?
- If YES to both — §172.800 applies and every covered hazmat employee needs this course.
- If NO — you have a plan gap. Address that first, then enroll your team here for the (a)(5) training.
A free pre-purchase version of this self-assessment as a downloadable worksheet is on our resources page — useful for the compliance manager who is figuring out whether the team needs this training.
Who Should Take This Course
This course is required for hazmat employees of companies that have completed the §172.800(a) self-assessment above and determined they are subject to a written security plan. That typically includes shippers, carriers, freight forwarders, and owner-operators that offer for transport or transport one or more of the sixteen categories of materials and quantities listed in §172.800(b) — including:
- Division 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 explosives (any quantity)
- Division 2.3 toxic gases in cargo tanks
- Poison-inhalation-hazard (PIH) materials at the thresholds in §173.116 or §173.133
- Highway Route-Controlled Quantity (HRCQ) radioactive shipments under §173.403
- Ammonium nitrate at the placarding quantity — fertilizer-grade typically under §172.800(b)(12), explosive-grade under §172.800(b)(10)
- Large bulk quantities — >3,000 kg solid or >3,000 L liquid in a single packaging
- Eleven additional listed categories under §172.800(b)
This course assumes the learner has already completed Modules 1 through 4 (General Awareness, Function-Specific, Safety, and Security Awareness). It is not intended for employees whose only security obligation is the (a)(4) security-awareness training in Module 4, and it is not required for hazmat employees whose only HMR function is to manufacture, repair, modify, recondition, or test packagings — the §172.704(e)(1) packaging carve-out applies here as well.
What This Course Contains
The course is delivered as nine chaptered video lessons totaling approximately 75 minutes of finished video, followed by a graded knowledge check and a company-specific plan walkthrough.
- Lesson 1 — Welcome, the §172.704(a)(5) requirement, and the §172.800(a) self-assessment gate (~7 min)
- Lesson 2 — The Sixteen Trigger Categories of §172.800(b), with thresholds and the single-package rule for large bulk (~12 min)
- Lesson 3 — The Farmer Exception under §172.800(c) and other relevant carve-outs (~6 min)
- Lesson 4 — Plan Element 1: Personnel Security under §172.802(a)(1) — pre-employment practices, insider-threat indicators, ongoing review (~9 min)
- Lesson 5 — Plan Element 2: Unauthorized Access under §172.802(a)(2) — facility access, rolling-stock access, credential discipline, visitor controls (~9 min)
- Lesson 6 — Plan Element 3: En-Route Security under §172.802(a)(3) — routing, tracking and communications, rest-stop discipline, law-enforcement coordination (~10 min)
- Lesson 7 — Plan Maintenance, Review, and Recordkeeping under §172.802(b), with common audit findings (~7 min)
- Lesson 8 — Recognize and Respond at the (a)(5) layer — tactical response, drills, post-incident review (~8 min)
- Lesson 9 — Company Plan Walkthrough Handoff and Wrap-Up (~7 min)
After the video, a 10-question knowledge check is delivered with a provider pass threshold of 80% (8 of 10). A documented walkthrough of the company’s actual written security plan with the designated security coordinator is the second required completion step. The certificate is countersigned by the security coordinator and includes the knowledge-check date and score, the walkthrough date, the plan version walked through, and the coordinator’s identity.
The Plan Walkthrough is Mandatory. Two of the three §172.704(a)(5) training elements — the company’s specific security procedures and the employee’s responsibilities under the plan — are inherently company-specific. A generic video alone cannot satisfy these elements. Until the walkthrough is logged in the LMS and countersigned by your security coordinator, the certificate will not issue.
Certificate and Validity
Successful completion satisfies the In-Depth Security Training requirement of 49 CFR §172.704(a)(5) and the testing requirement of 49 CFR §172.702(d). The certificate is valid for three years from the later of the knowledge-check date and the walkthrough date, pursuant to 49 CFR §172.704(c)(2). Training records are retained for the duration of the employee’s service as a hazmat employee plus 90 days.
What This Course Does Not Cover
- This course does not replace the company’s written security plan and does not certify any plan as compliant with §172.802
- It does not satisfy the General Awareness (a)(1), Function-Specific (a)(2), Safety (a)(3), or Security Awareness (a)(4) training requirements — those are covered in the Core Bundle (Modules 1–4), which are prerequisites
- It is not Driver Training under 49 CFR §177.816 (covered in Add-On 2)
- It is not TSA Hazardous Materials Endorsement background-check training under 49 CFR Part 1572
- It does not confer law-enforcement authority, security-clearance, or armed-personnel authorization
- State-specific routing, parking, or registration rules layered on top of the federal HMR are not covered
Important: This course does not cover all PHMSA, FMCSA, or TSA regulations and does not replace your company’s written security plan, employer-specific procedures, or legal advice.
