A few weeks back, we wrote about the pros and cons of autonomous trucks hauling hazmat. But while autonomous vehicles get all the headlines these days, there are lots of new technologies and innovative approaches poised to transform trucking as we know it. Some of these innovations are already here; some may be many years…
Don’t sing the Dangerous Goods Symposium blues—sign up now!
Register today! Rates go up March 1. Labelmaster will host the 12th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium September 6-8, 2017 at Chicago’s historic Drake Hotel. The Drake has hosted presidents, foreign dignitaries and even royalty, but it may be most famous for its role as a set in The Blues Brothers, that 1980 classic featuring so…
Rated DG: What if famous horror movies were about Dangerous Goods?
When you’re obsessed with Dangerous Goods compliance, you start to see hazmat-related themes everywhere. Here at Labelmaster, we scrutinize TV shows for correct hazmat labeling. We watch major football games through a hazmat-tinted lens. We even halfway believe Game of Thrones is actually about hazmat. Clearly, we are not normal people. And most scary movies…
Trump Freezes PHMSA HM-215N: The Impact on Lithium Battery Shippers
We mentioned in our January 30th DG Digest blog that the anticipated PHMSA HM-215N Final Rule was withdrawn as a result of President Trump’s executive memoranda that put a freeze on all new regulations. Here’s some additional information on how this temporarily impacts lithium battery shippers. As you know, the HM-215N Final Rule would have…
Can autonomous trucks handle hazmat shipments safely?
You’ve probably seen a number of articles and videos over the last year or so, proclaiming that autonomous vehicles—also known as “driverless” cars and trucks—will be commonplace on our highways within a few years. That future is coming, and maybe sooner than a lot of folks thought. Last October, an autonomous truck created by Otto…
Did our hazmat labels and other markings impress this design critic?
Some of our friends and customers shared a lively LinkedIn conversation recently about the merits of the new Class 9 lithium battery labels. Most people thought the labels did an effective job telling carriers and receivers that packages contained lithium batteries. But design critic Stewart D.O. North was less complimentary. “That cluster of objects looks…
DGTV: Three TV shows that (mostly) got hazmat right
It’s easy (and often fun) to criticize movies and TV shows for getting things wrong, especially if it’s in an area near and dear to your heart. Whether it’s an anachronistic costume element, an improperly restored vintage car, or a storyline that violated established franchise canon, there are plenty of people out there ready to…
DG Digest: EPA Updates RMP to Reduce Accidents and Updates on Drug & Alcohol Testing from FRA/FMCSA
Happy New Year! I’m sure I speak for the entire Labelmaster family when I express our hope that you will enjoy a safe, happy, and prosperous 2017. Today’s digest covers the last two weeks of the year just concluded. Although activity was minimal, a number of issues worth noting occurred over the holiday period, so…
Flying over the holidays? Don’t be human hazmat!
When you think about it, it’s amazing that we think nothing about flying thousands of miles to visit friends and family over the holidays. Flying is relatively inexpensive if you plan in advance, and—despite the airport crowds and potential weather delays—rarely qualifies as any kind of adventure. Beyond that, flying is also tremendously safe. In fact,…
A Letter from Bangkok on the 109th Meeting of the IATA Dangerous Goods Board
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. – John A. Shedd (Salt from My Attic, 1928) A not so old adage that captures the balance between safety and action. A 21st century version might be “An airplane is safe in its hangar, but that’s not what…