Altor guide · 2026

The 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.

1. UN number and proper shipping name

Read the UN number and the proper shipping name as one pair. They must match each other, and both must match the current IATA DGR List of Dangerous Goods in Section 4.2, or 49 CFR 172.101 when the US description governs. A stale name, or a UN that belongs to a different entry, is the first stop on the IATA DGR 9.1.3 acceptance check. ICAO TI Table 3-1 is the source list those tables implement.

2. Class or division

Confirm the hazard class or division on the declaration is the class assigned to that UN and proper shipping name on the current list. 49 CFR 172.202 requires class or division in the basic description, in order, after the name. A class copied from an old SDS, or from a similar product, fails IATA DGR 9.1.3 even when the UN number is right.

3. Packing group

If the entry has a packing group, the group on the declaration must be the group the current list assigns to that UN, name, and class. Entries with more than one packing group are not interchangeable; the packing instruction and the quantity limit travel with the group you actually used. Copying a packing group from Section 14 of the SDS onto a line the current list assigns a different group is a common IATA DGR 9.1.3 failure, and 49 CFR 172.202 is the description rule it violates.

4. Technical name for n.o.s. entries

If the proper shipping name is an n.o.s. entry, or another generic name that requires a technical name, confirm the technical name appears in parentheses on the declaration. 49 CFR 172.203(k) is the US requirement. IATA DGR 8.1.6.9 is the air declaration entry. Leaving the technical name off is one of the fastest ways to fail IATA DGR 9.1.3.

5. Packing instruction and aircraft type

Confirm the packing instruction on the declaration is the instruction for this UN, this packing group, and this aircraft type, passenger or cargo. IATA DGR Section 4.2 and ICAO TI Table 3-1 split those columns, and a Y prefix is a limited quantity instruction, not a substitute for the full instruction. A cargo instruction on a passenger flight, or a passenger booking of an entry the current list forbids on passenger aircraft, fails IATA DGR 9.1.3 before anyone weighs the box. 49 CFR 173.27 is the US aircraft packaging and quantity rule that sits next to that choice.

6. Quantity within the limit

Read the net quantity per package against the maximum for that packing instruction and that aircraft type in IATA DGR Section 4.2. Enter package count and net quantity the way IATA DGR 8.1.6.9.2 requires. A quantity that is legal on a freighter can be over the limit, or forbidden, on the passenger aircraft the booking actually occupies. 49 CFR 173.27 is the US quantity rule for air offerings.

7. Marks and labels match the paper

Walk the packages. The proper shipping name, UN number, hazard labels, and handling marks on the outer packagings must match what the declaration says. IATA DGR Section 7 governs marks and labels, 49 CFR 172.301 covers the identification mark, and 49 CFR 172.400 covers labels. IATA DGR 9.1.3 compares the box to the paper, and disagreement parks the freight.

8. State of charge statement for lithium ion

If the consignment includes lithium ion cells or batteries, read the current packing instruction for that entry and confirm whether a state of charge statement is required on the declaration. When the instruction requires it, the statement must be present and must describe this consignment, not last quarter's similar SKU. Missing or stale wording is an IATA DGR 9.1.3 finding against IATA DGR Section 5, not a paperwork nicety.

9. Emergency contact

Confirm a 24-hour emergency telephone number is on the declaration, and that it is monitored for the entire time the consignment is in transport. 49 CFR 172.604 is the US duty. IATA DGR 8.1.6 is the completion standard the operator reads. A blank additional handling box is an IATA DGR 9.1.3 miss even when every UN line is otherwise correct.

10. Certification signed by the shipper of record

Confirm the certification block is signed and dated by the shipper of record, or by a person actually authorized to sign for that shipper, with name and title shown. 49 CFR 172.204 is the shipper's certification. IATA DGR 8.1.6.12 is the air certification block. 49 CFR 173.22 keeps the duty on the person who offers the shipment; a forwarder draft does not move it.

A self check catches what you know to look for; the $95 pre-check at altor.consulting catches the rest, every finding cited.

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