Last week, Uber made headlines by officially launching Uber Freight, a move that had been foreshadowed for months. Uber Freight joins a host of startups who, over the last few years, have set out to do for freight hauling what Uber did for passenger hauling. Is this development good for the trucking industry in general,…
Take the first-ever global Dangerous Goods compliance survey
Labelmaster and Hazardous Cargo Bulletin (HCB) partner to create the Dangerous Goods Confidence Outlook Should hazmat enforcement be more severe, or less restrictive? How important is Dangerous Goods compliance to your company? And which of the world’s regions is leading the way in DG compliance? Here’s your chance to share your opinion with the entire…
Proposed laptop carry-on ban may put far more passengers in danger
Plans to ban laptops and tablets from the cabins of flights from Europe were put on hold when the European Union decided against implementation on May 17. But the ban remains in place for flights from eight Middle Eastern countries, and we persist in our opinion opposing it. By Neil McCulloch The proposed ban on…
13 things you may not know about lithium, batteries, and lithium batteries
With lithium batteries always a hot subject at meetings of the IATA Dangerous Goods Board and the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel, you might be tempted to ask, What can they possibly say about lithium batteries that we don’t already know? Well, here are a few things … Lithium is the third smallest element and the…
Why isn’t anyone talking about blockchain in hazmat shipping?
Imagine you’re a distributor for a line of electronic devices powered by lithium batteries. You don’t make the devices, and you don’t source the batteries, but if one of those devices catches fire on its way to a retailer, you’re the one whose bottom line will suffer. Wouldn’t you like to be 100% sure that…
Lithium batteries (what else?) dominate talks at IATA Dangerous Goods Board
As a bridge between the developers and the users of Dangerous Goods regulations, Labelmaster strives to understand the needs of both the regulated industries and the regulators. This way, we can provide the optimum solutions for our customers. And, since we closely follow the discussions and decisions of both industry and regulators, it will come as…
Why large battery shippers need a compliance assessment
Anyone who ships lithium batteries or battery-powered products knows that compliant battery shipping is a constant challenge. But shippers who undertake the effort to improve their compliance often discover improvements in other areas as well. As a Labelmaster consultant, I recently helped a global robotics company enhance its Dangerous Goods compliance procedures—and, in the process,…
Logistics innovations: big players launch big initiatives
In early March, we ran a post on exciting developments from logistics startups, from electric trucks to driver feedback software. But innovation is hardly limited to new companies. Some of the biggest innovations actually come from the biggest players in the business. Here’s a look at how some of the giants of the logistics industry…
How online hazmat training can lower your blood pressure
When you manage a shipping operation that handles Dangerous Goods, stress is part of the job description. And keeping hazmat employees compliantly trained can be a major source of that elevated blood pressure. If you’re responsible for hazmat training, you have to: Determine who qualifies as a hazmat employee as defined by 49 CFR (§171.8) Determine…
Top 10 things hazmat regulators can do during a regulatory freeze
When the new administration in Washington issued an executive order blocking any new federal regulations, all pending Dangerous Goods regulations were thrown into limbo. And there they remain. What do regulators do when regulations are frozen? Rest assured, our friends at PHMSA, FMCSA, OSHA, EPA and other agencies are still finding (mostly) productive uses for…