A truck covered by the federal motor carrier safety rules has to carry a fire extinguisher rated at least 5 B:C, or 10 B:C if it hauls hazardous materials in placarded amounts, securely mounted and within reach. Lighter work vans not carrying placarded hazardous materials, and forklifts, fall outside that rule, but many fleets equip them anyway, and NFPA 10 says how an extinguisher in a vehicle should be mounted and checked. Boss Fire Protection’s commercial fire extinguisher service covers fleet and warehouse extinguishers across Dallas-Fort Worth, and this article sets out what each kind of vehicle needs.
- Covered trucks need at least 5 B:C, or two units of 4 B:C
- Placarded hazardous materials loads need at least 10 B:C
- Mounted so it cannot slide, roll or bounce, within easy reach
- An agent that does not need protecting from freezing
Which Vehicles Does the Federal Rule Cover?
The rule, 49 CFR 393.95, applies to trucks, truck tractors and buses that count as commercial motor vehicles. That generally means a vehicle used in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, one built or used to carry more than the set number of passengers, or one carrying placarded hazardous materials.
Texas brings the same federal equipment rules to many trucks that never leave the state, through the Texas Department of Public Safety’s rules in 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 4.11, which set their own weight limits for intrastate vehicles. If your trucks stay in Texas, check those limits rather than assuming the federal ones.
What Size Fire Extinguisher Does a Truck Need?
At least 5 B:C, or two extinguishers of at least 4 B:C each. A truck carrying hazardous materials in a quantity that needs placards must have at least 10 B:C. Each extinguisher must carry its UL rating from the manufacturer and let the driver see at a glance that it is fully charged.
The B and C in those ratings mean the extinguisher is tested on flammable liquid fires and safe on energized electrical equipment, the two fires a truck is most likely to have, and the number before the B is a measure of how much liquid fire it can handle. How to read the whole label is covered in what the numbers on a fire extinguisher label mean.
5 B:C
The smallest single extinguisher rating allowed on a truck covered by the federal rule that is not carrying placarded hazardous materials. A placarded load raises it to 10 B:C.
Sourced to 49 CFR 393.95, Emergency equipment on all power units
How It Has to Be Mounted
The federal rule says the extinguisher is filled, readily accessible, and securely mounted so it cannot slide, roll or move up and down in the vehicle. It also requires an agent that does not need protection from freezing, which rules out a plain water extinguisher in an unheated truck. NFPA 10 adds that an extinguisher installed in or on a vehicle goes in an approved strap-type bracket made for vehicle use, because a wall hook will not hold it over rough ground.
Work Vans and Pickups Under 10,001 Pounds
A van or pickup under 10,001 pounds is outside the federal extinguisher rule unless it carries placarded hazardous materials. Some trade fleets carry one anyway, because the van is also a rolling store of tools, cords and sometimes fuel or chemicals. If you equip them, the same practical points apply. Use a B:C or ABC unit in a vehicle bracket, keep it where the driver can reach it, and include it in the fleet’s regular checks. NFPA 10’s guidance is that a vehicle extinguisher is checked at the start of a shift or whenever the vehicle is used, because one riding in a truck bed or toolbox is exposed to weather and loose equipment.
If the van carries spare lithium-ion tool batteries, read lithium-ion battery fires and the extinguisher to keep near them before choosing, because an extinguisher will not stop a battery in thermal runaway.
Does a Forklift Need a Fire Extinguisher?
OSHA’s powered industrial truck rule does not require an extinguisher on the forklift itself. What is required is that the warehouse has the right portable extinguishers on its walls, at the right travel distances, under OSHA’s portable extinguisher rule and the fire code. Some operators mount one on each truck as well, which does no harm if it is maintained.
The building’s extinguishers are where the rules bite. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157 limits the travel distance to a Class A extinguisher to 75 feet and to a Class B extinguisher to 50 feet, and the employer is responsible for inspecting and maintaining them. Charging areas for electric forklifts and propane cylinder storage deserve their own look, and choosing the right size for each area is covered in fire extinguisher sizes.
Vehicle by Vehicle
| Vehicle | What the rules require on board |
|---|---|
| Truck with a placarded load | At least one 10 B:C extinguisher, labeled, charged, mounted and within reach, when the hazardous materials load needs placards |
| Other covered truck, tractor or bus | At least one 5 B:C extinguisher, or two of at least 4 B:C |
| Van or pickup under 10,001 pounds | No federal rule, unless it carries placarded hazardous materials |
| Forklift | No extinguisher required on the truck, the building’s extinguishers cover the work area |
Keeping Fleet Extinguishers in Service
An extinguisher on a vehicle gets the same annual maintenance, hydrostatic testing and tagging as one on a wall, and it takes more of a beating. Boss Fire Protection services and tags extinguishers for fleets and warehouses across Dallas-Fort Worth. Tell us how many vehicles and how many wall units you have, and we can usually work through them in one visit to your yard.
Sources: 49 CFR 393.95, Emergency equipment on all power units (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), on extinguisher ratings, labeling, visual charge indicators, mounting and agents, and 49 CFR 390.5 for the definition of a commercial motor vehicle. 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 4.11 (Texas Department of Public Safety), adopting the federal rules for intrastate vehicles. NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (National Fire Protection Association), on strap-type vehicle brackets and checking vehicle extinguishers at the start of a shift. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered Industrial Trucks, and 29 CFR 1910.157, Portable Fire Extinguishers, on travel distances and employer maintenance.
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