Week of November 1st, 2021
Linking supply chain news with dangerous goods compliance
Finding ways to get goods to customers continues to be a major focus for business. But the challenges go beyond just capacity constraints and port congestion; it’s knowing also knowing how to ship those goods safely and compliantly.
Let’s examine some recent industry news.
SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS
- USPS Bans Shipping of Vape Products: As of October 21, the U.S. Postal Service effectively banned the use of mail services to ship vape products in the U.S.
- US Vaping Industry Looks for Answers as Postal Service Ends Deliveries: The USPS’ ban on the shipping of all vaping products, combined with existing delivery bans by FedEx, UPS and DHL eCommerce Solutions leaves the vaping industry with limited options to get its goods to market.
- Airline Group Launches Certification Program for Lithium Battery Transport: The International Air Transport Association introduced a new industry certification to improve the safe handling and transport of lithium batteries by air logistics providers.
- Shipping Alcohol DtC – Retailers’ Trials and Tribulations: Retailers engaged in direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping of beverage alcohol have faced unexpected setbacks in the last few months.
OUR PERSPECTIVE
- Know what you’re shipping and how to ship it. While some goods are banned for health reasons, others are banned or restricted for safety reasons. Either way, it’s the shipper’s responsibility to know what they’re sending and what regulations must be followed. However, the explosive growth of eCommerce in recent years has multiplied the numbers of people and organizations who simply don’t know they’re shipping hazmat, resulting in undeclared (and non-compliant) hazmat shipments.
- There’s a significant risk in not shipping compliantly. Not knowing hazmat shipping regulations (or simply ignoring them) comes with significant risk. Simple errors in labeling, marking and documentation are a major cause of delayed or returned shipments, along with significant financial risk. And the USPS has aggressively pursued violators, assessing ten times the penalties in 2020 as they did in 2018.
- .Educate yourself. Shippers must be mindful of what goods are hazardous materials and how to ship them. The U.S. Postal Service offers a comprehensive guide for hazmat transport (Publication 52), but it can be kind of intimidating. Fortunately, USPS also offers a terrific hazmat shipping tutorial that walks you through every step – from finding an SDS through packaging and shipping your product. FedEx, UPS and Amazon also have helpful resources to guide you through the process.
Want more information on how to compliantly ship DG? Check out these recent blog posts!
- Common hazmat shipping errors to avoid this holiday season
- Which sites have the best hazmat information for eCommerce shippers?
- How to ship large format lithium batteries: 13 things every e-commerce shipper must know
To learn more about dangerous goods software or how to establish a safer, more compliant supply chain, visit https://www.labelmaster.com.
Have questions about dangerous goods transport? Call the Labelmaster Regulatory Hotline at 1.800.621.5808.
As the industry’s most robust, flexible, and advanced hazmat shipping software, Labelmaster’s DGIS can actually help your operation make more money. DGIS validates shipments and prepares DG declarations so quickly, you can handle more shipments every hour. And more shipments mean more revenue.
Try your own numbers in our calculator to see the added revenue DGIS can generate for you.
