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…
The Hazmat Holiday Gift Guide for last-minute shoppers
You’re a busy hazmat professional. Who has time to shop for holiday gifts? Fortunately, you’re a hazmat professional. Some of the stuff you see and use every day can, with a little imagination, make clever gifts for just about anyone on your list. Plus you have access to the toughest, most durable packaging anywhere. This…
8 ways to prevent reverse logistics headaches this holiday season
If you’re a Dangerous Goods specialist at a retailer that ships electronics, you’re probably more nervous this holiday season than a 3rd-string quarterback on 4th-and-20. And it’s all due to four words: Lithium batteries. Reverse logistics. We really don’t need to say any more about the headaches lithium batteries have caused shippers over the last…
Top 10 hazmat products for
your last-minute Halloween party
Halloween is just three days away, and if you don’t have your costume or decorations yet, this is (in the immortal words of Woody from Toy Story) the perfect time to panic. But fear not! You’re a Dangerous Goods professional, with access to some of the coolest, edgiest, scariest costume-making and office-decorating material anywhere. You…
Dangerous Goods Report | Vol. 7
Summary: HM-215: Are you ready for the border patrol? If you ship Dangerous Goods, don’t let new border measurement regulations for labels and placards catch you unprepared. Ship damaged batteries in a fiberboard box? Yes, you can! Just in time for the largest cell phone recall ever—new Special Permit Packaging makes reverse logistics easier and…
How did Dangerous Goods pros respond to our annual survey?
The answers may reassure you. Since August, we’ve been asking hazmat heroes like you all about their jobs, their lives, their concerns and their opinions. Many of you took our online poll, and many more answered these questions at the 2016 Dangerous Goods Symposium, September 7–9 in Chicago. As usual, your answers were unpredictable—and…
18 fun facts you didn’t know about trucks, truckers and trucking
In honor of National Truck Drivers Appreciation Week, here are a few fun facts you probably never knew about the people and machines who keep our economy moving: Trucks carry 73% of cargo (by weight) in the US. Of the 4 million shipments of Dangerous Goods every day, 94% are carried by trucks. Alexander Winton…
Lithium battery discussion heats up Dangerous Goods Symposium Day 3
Sorry for the terrible choice of words. But when you’ve convened the world’s foremost experts in lithium battery shipping the same week the world’s largest smartphone maker recalls millions of units due to battery issues, it’s all we can do to not call the session “explosive.” Okay, we’re done now. Friday morning’s lithium battery panel…
DG Symposium Day 2—live observations from LabelmasterFest!
This post comes to you fresh from the terrace of the stunning Loews Chicago Hotel. It’s LabelmasterFest, where more than 200 of the world’s foremost Dangerous Goods practitioners are enjoying a gorgeous evening with dinner, drinks and interactive, DG-related games. Way back this morning, Labelmaster VP of Marketing Rob Finn kicked the day off with fun facts…