# Tank Vehicle: Building Code Definition > How the IFC 2009 define tank vehicle, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term. - Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/tank-vehicle/ - Last updated: 2026-09-07 - Data source: Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Defined in | IFC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) | | Primary source | IFC 2009 Hazardous Materials-general Provisions (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) | | Chapters using the term | 9 (counted across the codes hosted here) | | Wording identical across codes | Single code (compare before citing one code's wording under another) | ## Direct answer Tank vehicle is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions. The code's own words are: “A vehicle other than a railroad tank car or boat, with a cargo tank mounted thereon or built as an integral part thereof, used for the transportation of flammable or combustible liquids, LP-gas or hazardous chemicals. Tank vehicles include self-propelled vehicles and full trailers and semitrailers, with or without motive power, and carrying part or …” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 9 chapters of this corpus, most often in Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009), Aviation Facilities (IFC 2009), Liquefied Petroleum Gases (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. *Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.* ## What does this term mean? **Tank Vehicle** — IFC 2009, Hazardous Materials-general Provisions: > A vehicle other than a railroad tank car or boat, with a cargo tank mounted thereon or built as an integral part thereof, used for the transportation of flammable or combustible liquids, LP-gas or hazardous chemicals. Tank vehicles include self-propelled vehicles and full trailers and semitrailers, with or without motive power, and carrying part or all of the load. ![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Tank Vehicle: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/tank-vehicle/diagram-1344.webp) *How the IFC 2009 define tank vehicle, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.* ## What must be verified before using this guidance? **Tank Vehicle** is defined once in this corpus, in the [Hazardous Materials-general Provisions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/hazardous-materials-general-provisions.md) chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009: > A vehicle other than a railroad tank car or boat, with a cargo tank mounted thereon or built as an integral part thereof, used for the transportation of flammable or combustible liquids, LP-gas or hazardous chemicals. Tank vehicles include self-propelled vehicles and full trailers and semitrailers, with or without motive power, and carrying part or all of the load. ## Where tank vehicle is used in the code The term appears in 9 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next. | Chapter | Code | Mentions | | --- | --- | --- | | [Flammable and Combustible Liquids](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/flammable-and-combustible-liquids.md) | IFC 2009 | 292 | | [Aviation Facilities](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/aviation-facilities.md) | IFC 2009 | 11 | | [Liquefied Petroleum Gases](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/liquefied-petroleum-gases.md) | IFC 2009 | 11 | | [Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/motor-fuel-dispensing-facilities-and-repair-garages.md) | IFC 2009 | 9 | | [Manufacture of Organic Coatings](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/manufacture-of-organic-coatings.md) | IFC 2009 | 6 | | [Scope and Administration](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/scope-and-administration.md) | IFC 2009 | 6 | | [Exhaust Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/imc-2009/exhaust-systems.md) | IMC 2009 | 6 | | [Hazardous Materials-general Provisions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/hazardous-materials-general-provisions.md) | IFC 2009 | 2 | | [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/definitions.md) | IFC 2009 | 1 | ### The term in use How the code actually writes about tank vehicle, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here: > The fill pipe shall be provided with a means for making a direct connection to the tank vehicle's fuel delivery hose so that the delivery of fuel is not exposed to the open air during the filling operation. — [IFC 2009 §3404.2.9.7.7](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/flammable-and-combustible-liquids.md) > Additional procedures shall be established by the fueling-system operator to prevent overfilling of the tank vehicle used in the defueling operation. — [IFC 2009 §1106.18](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/aviation-facilities.md) > The unattended parking of LP-gas tank vehicle shall be in accordance with Sections 3811.2.1 and 3811.2.2. — [IFC 2009 §3811.2](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/liquefied-petroleum-gases.md) ## The terms tank vehicle is built out of The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what tank vehicle covers: - **[Combustible Liquids](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/combustible-liquids.md)** — IMC 2009: Any liquids having a flash point at or above 100°F (38°C), and that are divided into the following classifications: ## Tank Vehicle: what to open, and in what order Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows. | Check | Where | Confirmed | | --- | --- | --- | | Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Hazardous Materials-general Provisions | | | Re-check the requirement that uses it | Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009) | | | Re-check the requirement that uses it | Aviation Facilities (IFC 2009) | | | Re-check the requirement that uses it | Liquefied Petroleum Gases (IFC 2009) | | | Re-check the requirement that uses it | Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009) | | | Confirm the dependent definition | Combustible Liquids | | | Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list | | **A research aid, not a code determination.** The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply. ## Where can you explore related guidance? - [Explore all glossary guidance](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md) - [Combustible Liquids: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/combustible-liquids.md) - [Container: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/container.md) - [System: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/system.md) - [Chemical: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/chemical.md) ## Sources and method Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control. ### Source links - [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) - [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the code definition of tank vehicle? The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions as: “A vehicle other than a railroad tank car or boat, with a cargo tank mounted thereon or built as an integral part thereof, used for the transportation of flammable or combustible liquids, LP-gas or hazardous chemicals. Tank vehicles include self-propelled vehicles and full trailers and semitrailers, with or without motive power, and carrying part or all of the load.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally. ### Which parts of the code depend on tank vehicle? In this corpus the term is used across 9 chapters, led by Flammable and Combustible Liquids in the IFC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own. ### What is considered a tank vehicle? In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions: “A vehicle other than a railroad tank car or boat, with a cargo tank mounted thereon or built as an integral part thereof, used for the transportation of flammable or combustible liquids, LP-gas or hazardous chemicals. Tank vehicles include self-propelled vehicles and full trailers and semitrailers, with or without motive power, and carrying part or …” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording. --- - Continue in Harth (open this topic in the Harth agent): https://app.harth.build/agent?context=%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Ftank-vehicle%2F - View this page in a browser: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/tank-vehicle/ - All resources for agents: https://harth.build/llms.txt