Guides and practical notes
Working notes from the desk: why shipments get rejected, what changed in the rules, and how to keep your paper ahead of the acceptance check. Every hard fact is cited to the controlling regulation.
2026-09-14Dry ice: the dangerous good everyone forgets is one
The cooler looks like a food shipment. The dock packed dry ice around the contents and taped the seams. No UN number. No net kilograms. No Class 9 diamond. The booking is an aircraft. The acceptance desk at the cargo ter
2026-09-13Marks and labels: current edition or it comes back
The Shipper's Declaration already matches the current list. The fibreboard already has a Class 9 diamond. The acceptance desk at the cargo terminal still stops the freight. The diamond on the box is the generic miscellan
2026-09-12The one business day pre-check: what is in the report
The acceptance desk at the cargo terminal does not grade intent. It grades the Shipper's Declaration against the current list, then against the box. IATA DGR 9.1.3 is that walk. 49 CFR 175.30 is the US air acceptance rul
2026-09-11Segregation: chemicals that cannot share a container
Each carton is legal. UN 1090 Acetone, Class 3, packing group II, packed to passenger packing instruction 353 at 5 L. Next to it, a fully regulated UN 3480 lithium ion battery package for cargo aircraft, packing instruct
2026-09-10Overpacks: the word that changes your marking requirements
The fibreboard boxes are already legal. UN 1090 Acetone, Class 3, packing group II, packed to passenger packing instruction 353 at 5 L each. The dock then wraps three of them on a pallet so they move as one handling unit
2026-09-08Limited quantities: when the easier rules apply and when they do not
The bottles are small. The outer carton is the same fibreboard box the warehouse uses for the truck, and a limited quantity diamond is already on the side. Then the booking is an aircraft. The acceptance desk at the carg
2026-09-07CDRLs and DD Form 1423: getting deliverables right the first time
The hardware CLIN is priced. The statement of work says the contractor will provide packaging data and a transportability report as required. Award happens. The first data drop is late and missing the models the Data Ite
2026-09-06What ATTLA actually certifies and what your data package needs
The Shipper's Declaration is signed. The AFMAN packaging paragraph is in Key 17. The vehicle is booked on a C-17. Then the joint inspector at the air terminal asks for the ATTLA letter, and the folder does not have one.
2026-09-05AFMAN 24-604 in plain language: prepping hazmat for military air
The IATA declaration is complete. The packing instruction matches last week's commercial booking. The drums are closed. Then the freight is entered into the Defense Transportation System, and the inspector at the militar
2026-09-04Initial vs recurrent DG training: who needs what and when
The certificate on the wall is three years old. The person who signs today's air declaration sat in that class. The freight is booked on an aircraft. The clock that governs that function already closed.
2026-09-02Building a DG compliance program that survives an audit
The binder is current. The SOP was signed last year. Training certificates sit in a folder. Then a PHMSA inspector, a customer auditor, or the acceptance desk at the cargo terminal pulls the last ten declarations. The pe
2026-09-01State and operator variations: the layer above the DGR
The UN number matches IATA DGR Section 4.2. The packing instruction is right. The net quantity sits inside the column. Then the acceptance desk at the cargo terminal parks the freight anyway. The destination State has a
2026-08-30SDS section 14: what transport information is for
The safety data sheet is already in the booking packet. Section 14 lists a UN number and a proper shipping name. Someone copies both onto the Shipper's Declaration, attaches the SDS, and treats the paper as done. Then th
2026-08-29Reading a packing instruction without losing an afternoon
The packing instruction field is already filled. Three digits, copied from the list. The fibreboard box is taped. Then the acceptance desk at the cargo terminal opens it. The inner packagings are not the ones that instru
2026-08-28n.o.s. entries and technical names
The UN number matches the list. The class is right. The packing group is right. The drums are closed. Then the acceptance desk at the cargo terminal parks the freight anyway. The proper shipping name ends in n.o.s., and
2026-08-27Passenger vs cargo aircraft: the quantity check desks skip
The drums are the same size as last week. The UN number is the same. The net quantity on the paper is the same. Last week the freight left. This week it sits at the cargo terminal with a discrepancy report. The booking i
2026-08-26Lithium batteries: the rules that moved and the templates that did not
The SKU is the same one you sent last quarter. The Word file still fills the UN number, the packing instruction, and the additional handling notes. The rest of the freight is booked on a passenger aircraft, so the lithiu
2026-08-25The shipper signs: what the DGD signature actually commits you to
The truck is at the dock. The boxes are closed. Someone from operations is handed a Shipper's Declaration and told to sign so the freight can leave. They sign. They have just certified the classification, the description
2026-08-24Why DG shipments get rejected: the paperwork failure modes
The drums are closed. The labels look current. The booking is confirmed. Then the acceptance desk at the cargo terminal stops the freight, and the discrepancy report cites the declaration, not the packaging.
2026The 10 point DGD self check
Most dangerous goods shipments that get rejected fail on paper, not packaging. Run these ten checks on your completed Shipper's Declaration before the carrier's acceptance desk runs them for you.