The Tank Car Application for Approval and Certificate of Construction system provides a centralized location for all documents related to the tank car application process including the application, drawings, Independent Third Party (ITP) checklists, and automated billing for certification services. This is utilized by the AAR to respond to customer needs.

AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, Section C Part III, Specifications for Tank Cars (M-1002) Chapter 1, Section 1.4 General states the following: Paragraph 1.3.6 of this specification and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Transport Canada (TC) regulations require AAR Tank Car Committee (Committee) approval of designs and materials used for the construction, conversion, alteration, or welded repair of tank car tanks. The Committee has delegated to the AAR Safety and Operations Department the authority on its behalf to approve applications ­provided that they have been reviewed and deemed to be in accord with AAR, DOT, and TC requirements by an independent third party (ITP) that has been certified by the Committee in accord with paragraph 1.5, or they meet the requirements for precedent approval outlined in Paragraph 1.4.2.3.

Procedures for securing approval can be found within Chapter 1 of the AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices Section C-III Specifications for Tank Car (M-1002).