Services

Hazmat Documentation & Classification Services

Accurate hazmat documentation isn't just a formality—it's a legal requirement that protects your business and ensures safe transport. One error in classification, labeling, or paperwork can result in shipment rejection, regulatory fines up to $96,624 per violation, or worse—a dangerous safety incident that puts lives at risk.

Hazardous materials regulations are complex and constantly evolving. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), International Air Transport Association (IATA), and International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code each have specific requirements that must be followed precisely.

Our comprehensive documentation services include:

• Shipper's Declarations of Dangerous Goods: Fully compliant IATA DGD and IMDG declarations prepared with precision, including proper technical names, UN numbers, packing groups, and authorization signatures
• Material Classification & Identification: Proper UN number identification, hazard class determination (Classes 1-9), subsidiary risk assessment, and packing group assignment based on material properties
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) Review: Complete 16-section GHS-compliant SDS verification for regulatory compliance and emergency response preparedness
• Emergency Response Information (ERI): Required ERG details, 24/7 emergency contact numbers (CHEMTREC, INFOTRAC), and proper incident response protocols
• Bill of Lading (BOL) Preparation: Hazmat-specific BOLs with required certifications, proper sequencing, and carrier acceptance documentation
• Multimodal Transport Documentation: Coordinated paperwork for shipments transitioning between air, ocean, rail, and ground transport
• Regulatory Compliance Review: Cross-checked against 49 CFR Parts 100-185, IATA DGR 65th Edition, IMDG Code Amendment 41-22, and TDG regulations
• Special Permits & Exemptions: Application preparation and management for DOT-SP, competent authority approvals, and variations
• Lithium Battery Documentation: Section II documentation, test summaries, and certification for UN 3480, 3481, 3090, 3091 shipments

Why Documentation Errors Are Dangerous:

Incorrect hazmat documentation can lead to catastrophic consequences. If a package is mislabeled or the hazard class is wrong, emergency responders won't know how to react in case of a spill, fire, or leak. This puts drivers, warehouse workers, flight crews, and first responders in serious danger. We take this responsibility with absolute seriousness.

Our Quality Guarantee: Every document undergoes multi-point verification by certified hazmat professionals. We guarantee error-free documentation that passes carrier inspections the first time, every time. No delays. No rejections. No compromises on safety.

UN Certified Repacking & Container Services

Improper packaging is one of the leading causes of hazmat shipping violations and dangerous incidents. Hazardous materials require specialized, UN-certified containers that have undergone rigorous performance testing to ensure they can contain spills, withstand transport stresses, and meet strict regulatory standards under worst-case scenarios.

The consequences of packaging failure are severe: chemical spills, fires, explosions, toxic exposures, and environmental contamination. That's why UN/DOT packaging specifications exist—and why we never compromise on quality.

Our comprehensive repacking services include:

• UN Certified Containers & Packaging: Complete inventory of 4G fiberboard boxes, 4GV fiberboard boxes with plastic liners, 1A2 steel drums, 1H1 plastic drums, and specialty containers for all 9 hazard classes
• Professional Hazmat Repacking: Certified technicians safely transfer materials from non-compliant or damaged packaging into proper UN-certified containers in controlled environments
• Packing Group-Specific Solutions: Appropriate packaging for Packing Group I (high danger), II (medium danger), and III (low danger) materials
• Absorbent & Cushioning Materials: Vermiculite, clay absorbents, bubble wrap, foam inserts, and separation materials engineered to prevent leaks, breakage, and chemical reactions
• Overpacking Solutions: UN-certified salvage drums, rigid overpacks, and 7H composite packaging for damaged, leaking, or recalled containers
• Combination Packaging Systems: Inner receptacles (glass, plastic, metal) paired with outer packaging configured to exact regulatory specifications with proper cushioning and void fill
• Limited Quantity (LQ) Packaging: Compliant packaging for reduced-regulation shipments meeting quantity and inner packaging limits
• Excepted Quantity (EQ) Packaging: Micro-quantity packaging meeting stringent size and marking requirements for medical samples and research materials
• Performance Testing & Certification: Drop tests from specified heights, stack pressure tests, vibration tests, and hydrostatic pressure tests performed to UN Manual of Tests and Criteria standards
• Temperature-Controlled Packaging: Insulated containers, phase change materials, and active cooling systems for temperature-sensitive hazmat

Why UN Certification Matters:

Every UN-certified package has passed destructive testing—dropped, stacked, vibrated, and pressure-tested to simulate extreme transport conditions. This certification ensures your packaging will survive the journey and contain the material even in an accident. Non-certified packaging is illegal and dangerous.

Real-World Hazards We Protect Against: Corrosive leaks that burn through inadequate containers, flammable liquid fires from improper venting, toxic gas releases from pressure buildup, reactive material explosions from incompatible packaging materials, and environmental contamination from failed containment.

Our Standard: Every container we provide meets or exceeds DOT, IATA, and IMDG performance standards. We maintain lot traceability, certification documentation, and compliance records for every package. We don't cut corners—because safety depends on it.

Hazmat Training & Certification Programs

Federal law (49 CFR §172.704) requires ALL employees who handle, ship, prepare, or transport hazardous materials to receive function-specific training within 90 days of hire and every 3 years thereafter. Non-compliance exposes both the company and individual employees to personal liability, civil penalties up to $96,624 per violation per day, and potential criminal prosecution including imprisonment.

Untrained employees are a liability and a danger. They make mistakes that lead to regulatory violations, rejected shipments, workplace injuries, environmental incidents, and catastrophic accidents. Proper training isn't optional—it's a legal requirement and a moral imperative.

Our DOT/IATA/IMDG certified training programs include:

• 49 CFR Parts 171-180 Hazmat Training: Comprehensive DOT-compliant training covering general awareness, function-specific duties, safety training, security awareness, and in-depth security training for ground and rail transportation
• IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) Training: Category 6 certification for shippers preparing air cargo, including full DGR Initial and Recurrent courses aligned with the 65th Edition
• IMDG Code Training: International Maritime Dangerous Goods training for ocean freight personnel covering all 9 classes and proper container packing procedures
• Function-Specific Training Modules: Customized training for shippers, packers, markers, labelers, handlers, carriers, and warehouse personnel based on actual job responsibilities
• Recurrent/Refresher Training: Mandatory 3-year DOT recurrent training and 2-year IATA recurrent training to maintain compliance and certification
• Security Awareness & Threat Recognition: Required security protocols, threat assessment, cargo screening, and suspicious activity reporting per TSA and DHS guidelines
• Lithium Battery Shipping: Specialized training for UN 3480, 3481, 3090, 3091 covering Section IA, IB, and II requirements, plus damaged/defective battery procedures
• Class-Specific Deep Dives: Focused training on specific hazard classes including explosives (Class 1), gases (Class 2), flammable liquids (Class 3), corrosives (Class 8), etc.
• Emergency Response Training: Spill response, containment procedures, PPE requirements, evacuation protocols, and incident reporting
• Hands-On Practical Exercises: Real-world packaging, labeling, marking, and documentation practice with actual hazmat containers and materials
• Competency Testing: Written examinations and practical demonstrations to verify understanding and regulatory compliance
• Training Record Management: Comprehensive documentation including certificates, test scores, attendance records, and refresher schedules for DOT/IATA audits

Why Training Failures Are Costly:

The DOT and FAA conduct surprise inspections and audits. If your employees cannot produce valid training certificates or demonstrate competency, your company faces immediate penalties and potential shutdown of hazmat operations. One untrained employee can expose your entire company to millions in fines and legal liability.

Our Training Advantage: Our instructors are not just certified trainers—they're experienced hazmat professionals with decades of real-world field experience in packaging, documentation, and compliance. They've handled actual incidents, passed regulatory audits, and know exactly what works in practice, not just in theory.

Delivery Options: On-site training at your facility, live virtual instructor-led courses, or self-paced online modules with instructor support. All formats meet full regulatory requirements and include official certificates of training.

Compliance Audits, Reviews & Regulatory Readiness

A compliance failure during a DOT, FAA, PHMSA, or Coast Guard audit can expose your business to catastrophic financial and legal consequences—including operations shutdown, consent orders, criminal referrals, and fines that can bankrupt a company. Regulatory agencies have zero tolerance for hazmat violations because the stakes are life and death.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) conducts over 10,000 compliance inspections annually. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can ground your air shipping operations immediately for serious violations. State environmental agencies can levy additional penalties for improper hazmat handling. Are you ready?

Our comprehensive compliance services include:

• Pre-Shipment Compliance Inspections: Detailed point-by-point verification against DOT §173 packaging requirements, §172 marking/labeling standards, and carrier-specific acceptance criteria before cargo leaves your facility
• Internal Hazmat Compliance Audits: Full-facility assessment reviewing SOPs, training records, documentation practices, packaging procedures, emergency response plans, and security protocols
• Packaging & Labeling Verification: Inspection of proper UN packaging codes, orientation arrows, handling labels, hazard diamonds, proper shipping names, technical names, and emergency contact information
• Record-Keeping & Documentation Assessment: Ensuring all required hazmat paperwork, training certificates, test reports, exemption letters, and incident reports are complete, accurate, organized, and readily accessible for regulators
• Security Plan Review: Evaluation of hazmat security plans, personnel surety programs, and compliance with §172.800 security requirements for high-consequence dangerous goods
• Regulatory Updates & Change Management: Active monitoring of Federal Register notices, IATA DGR amendments, IMDG Code updates, and implementation support for new regulatory requirements
• Mock Regulatory Inspections: Simulated DOT/FAA audits to test your team's readiness, identify weaknesses, and practice proper responses to inspector questions
• Corrective Action Plans (CAPs): Detailed written recommendations prioritized by risk level with specific implementation timelines to address all identified deficiencies
• Third-Party Verification: Independent compliance assessment for insurance requirements, customer audits, or due diligence purposes
• Incident Investigation Support: Root cause analysis for hazmat incidents, near-misses, or rejected shipments with recommendations to prevent recurrence
• Hazmat Program Development: Creation of compliant written procedures, checklists, forms, and SOPs tailored to your specific operations

What Regulators Look For:

Inspectors focus on training records, packaging selection, marking/labeling accuracy, documentation completeness, incident history, and whether employees can demonstrate competency during questioning. Any discrepancy becomes a violation. Any violation can trigger expanded investigation into your entire hazmat program.

Real Audit Findings We've Remediated: Expired training certificates, undeclared hazmat shipments, improper packaging for packing groups, missing emergency response information, unauthorized use of excepted quantities, incompatible materials stored together, and inadequate security awareness programs.

Our Approach: We treat every compliance review with the same scrutiny and rigor as an actual regulatory inspection. We find problems before regulators do, and we help you fix them permanently. Our goal is to ensure you're audit-ready every single day—not scrambling when inspectors show up unannounced.

Custom Hazmat Packaging Design & Engineering

Standard off-the-shelf containers don't always accommodate unique cargo dimensions, unusual form factors, or specialized hazard profiles. When your materials don't fit standard UN packaging—or when you need optimized solutions for high-volume recurring shipments—our custom packaging engineering ensures your materials are transported safely, compliantly, and cost-effectively.

Custom packaging isn't about convenience—it's about solving real problems: oddly shaped equipment that won't fit standard boxes, fragile glass containers requiring precise cushioning, temperature-sensitive materials needing insulation, or high-value cargo requiring maximum protection. We design solutions that work.

Our custom packaging engineering services include:

• Custom Box Design & CAD Engineering: Precision-designed corrugated fiberboard boxes with exact internal dimensions, reinforced corners, partition systems, and proper weight distribution for irregularly shaped cargo
• Hazmat Engineering Consultation: Expert analysis of material properties, hazard classification, packing group assignment, compatibility requirements, and transport mode restrictions (air, ocean, ground, rail)
• Material Selection & Optimization: Selection of appropriate packaging materials including single-wall, double-wall, triple-wall corrugated fiberboard, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane foam, or steel/aluminum for specific hazard classes
• Cushioning & Shock Absorption Design: Engineered foam inserts, die-cut separators, air cushions, and suspension systems calculated to prevent damage during transport vibration, drops, and impacts
• UN Performance Testing & Certification: Full destructive testing including drop tests (from heights of 1.2m to 1.8m depending on packing group), stack tests (simulating 3m stack height), vibration tests, and water spray tests conducted at certified testing facilities
• Prototype Development & Iteration: Rapid prototyping with test samples, refinement based on performance data, and pre-production validation before committing to volume orders
• Cost Optimization Analysis: Balancing protection requirements with material costs, dimensional weight optimization for freight savings, and packaging design efficiency
• Volume Production & Inventory Management: Scalable manufacturing for recurring shipments with quality control, lot tracking, and just-in-time delivery to your facility
• Combination Packaging Systems: Engineered inner receptacle/outer packaging combinations meeting UN performance standards for liquids, solids, and gases
• Temperature-Control Integration: Custom insulation systems, gel pack cavities, phase change material integration, and active refrigeration accommodation
• Multi-Hazard Solutions: Packaging designed for materials with multiple hazards (e.g., corrosive + oxidizer, flammable + toxic) with appropriate material compatibility
• Documentation Package: Complete technical specifications, assembly instructions, UN certification documents, and compliance declarations for each custom design

Industries We Serve: Pharmaceutical cold chain, laboratory chemical shipments, industrial paint and coatings, battery manufacturers, aerospace components, automotive fluids, electronics manufacturing, biotechnology samples, and specialty chemicals.

Our Design Philosophy: Every custom package must satisfy three non-negotiable requirements: (1) Full regulatory compliance with UN/DOT/IATA/IMDG standards, (2) Absolute protection of cargo and personnel during worst-case transport scenarios, and (3) Economic viability for your shipping volumes and budget.

Quality Assurance: Every custom design is engineered by our certified packaging specialists, tested to destruction to verify performance, and documented with complete technical specifications. We maintain design files, test reports, and certification documentation for the life of your program.

Dry Ice & Cold Chain Shipping Solutions

Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide, UN 1845, Class 9) is classified as a miscellaneous dangerous good due to its dual hazards: asphyxiation risk from CO₂ gas release and pressure buildup in sealed containers that can cause explosive rupture. Improper dry ice shipping has caused cargo hold incidents, aircraft emergency landings, and worker injuries. This isn't a minor regulatory detail—it's a serious safety matter.

Dry ice sublimates (converts directly from solid to gas) at -78.5°C (-109.3°F), releasing carbon dioxide at a rate of approximately 2-3% of its weight per hour. In enclosed spaces like aircraft cargo holds or delivery trucks, accumulated CO₂ can reach lethal concentrations. Additionally, if dry ice is packaged in non-ventilated containers, pressure buildup can cause violent ruptures.

Our comprehensive dry ice shipping solutions include:

• Properly Ventilated Packaging: Custom-engineered EPS (expanded polystyrene) and corrugated boxes with calculated vent holes sized and positioned to allow CO₂ gas escape while maintaining insulation performance and preventing dangerous pressure accumulation
• IATA/ICAO Compliance for Air Transport: Correct UN 1845 classification, Class 9 miscellaneous hazard labeling, proper shipping name documentation ("Carbon dioxide, solid" or "Dry ice"), and net weight declarations on air waybills
• Quantity Limitation Calculations: Precise per-package weight limits based on aircraft type (passenger aircraft: 200 kg per package maximum, cargo aircraft: no limit but ventilation required), proper distribution, and carrier-specific requirements
• Cold Chain Validation & Monitoring: Temperature-controlled packaging solutions for pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, diagnostic specimens, and perishable goods requiring continuous cold chain maintenance during transport
• Insulated Container Systems: High-performance EPS coolers, vacuum-insulated panels (VIPs), phase change materials (PCMs), and multi-layer insulation providing 24-96+ hour hold times for long-distance domestic and international shipments
• Dry Ice Sourcing & Packaging: Access to food-grade dry ice pellets and blocks, proper weighing and documentation, and same-day packaging service for time-critical shipments
• Temperature Monitoring Solutions: Integration of data loggers, temperature indicators, and real-time monitoring devices for validation and regulatory compliance documentation
• Emergency/Rush Service: Same-day and next-flight-out capabilities for urgent medical specimens, organ transplant materials, time-sensitive research samples, and critical pharmaceutical shipments
• Ground Transportation Compliance: DOT 49 CFR compliance for ground shipment, proper vehicle ventilation verification, and driver awareness training for dry ice hazards
• International Shipping Expertise: Navigation of customs documentation, country-specific import requirements, and IMDG Code compliance for ocean transport of dry ice shipments
• Pharmaceutical GDP Compliance: Good Distribution Practice (GDP) compliant cold chain solutions meeting FDA, WHO, and EU regulatory requirements for temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products

Common Applications We Support:

COVID-19 vaccine distribution (requiring ultra-cold -70°C transport), biological samples and diagnostic specimens, organ and tissue transport, pharmaceutical clinical trial materials, frozen food distribution, scientific research specimens, biotech products, and any temperature-critical materials requiring reliable cold chain protection.

Safety Protocols:

We never seal dry ice in airtight containers. All packaging includes engineered ventilation. We provide proper handling instructions, clearly mark "UN 1845" with Class 9 labels, include emergency contact information, and train personnel on CO₂ asphyxiation hazards. Driver and warehouse worker safety is paramount.

Why Experience Matters: Dry ice shipping requires understanding sublimation rates, calculating proper quantities for transit time, selecting appropriate insulation, engineering adequate ventilation, and coordinating time-sensitive logistics. We've shipped thousands of dry ice packages across all transport modes without incident. We know what works—and what's dangerously wrong.