A new year often brings a period of reflection, a time to think back over the past year and see what lessons can be learned or what processes might need to be tweaked in the year to come. Those of us in the logistics and freight industry, however, know we can’t take too long to reflect or we’ll fall behind tight timetables, constantly updating rules and regulations, and fickle markets that seem to change direction on a whim.

Now is not the time to become complacent with your compliance programs—the International Air Transport Association (IATA) updated the rules for transporting dangerous goods (DG), effective January 1, 2023—in these key areas:

• New formatting requirements for the Lithium Battery Handling Mark
• Adjustments to lithium battery test summary requirements
• Several additions and amendments to the Dangerous Goods List
• Updates to packing instructions 965-970 for lithium batteries

Your shipment will be rejected by carriers if you have not updated your MSDS to reflect these changes! Do you have someone on your staff certified to make such changes while ensuring you remain fully compliant with other rules and regulations governing the shipping of dangerous goods? If not…

It’s Time To Update Your Dangerous Goods Training

The IATA also recently revamped its training and certification requirements, shifting from a theory-based exam process to a competency-based program known as the Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) model. It’s designed to give trainees hands-on experience to bolster their understanding of the theory and ideology behind dangerous goods handling policies and procedures specific to their job functions. The IATA’s CBTA Center brings DG handling training in line with other industry standards.

“This year, both our U.S. and Hong Kong entities were accredited by IATA under their new training framework called CBTA. This new program has revolutionized how the industry gets DG certified, and I’m proud to say that Flexport was one of the first entities in the world to become accredited to offer this type of competency-based training to our customers.”

• Travis Falasco, Director, Dangerous Goods at Flexport

As required by law, it is essential that everyone in your supply chain, including your suppliers, be trained to meet the requirements of the specific job function they perform. Warehouse, drivers, office staff, sales, and shipping/receiving roles all need tailored training as defined in the CBTA and department of transportation requirements. As a CBTA Center Provider, Flexport can provide training and certification for everyone involved in your supply chain; from your internal logistics team to your external suppliers—removing any question as to the safety and security of your DG supply chain.

Flexport Is Here To Help With Compliance as a Service Offerings

Flexport’s Compliance as a Service (CaaS) offerings also include:

DG consulting

Let our experts teach you how to deploy your new competence to create strong frameworks at your company. While your teams are getting their certifications, our team can also test your existing program for compliance and efficiency.

Multimodal DG training and certification

We know dangerous goods travel by more than just air, so we offer a full range of multimodal training and certification options. Let our CBTA-certified trainers build a customized training program that meets your specific needs and schedules—and we’ll make sure you are compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization, International Air Transport Association, International Maritime Dangerous Goods, and U.S. Department of Transportation (ICAO/IATA/IMDG and US DOT) regulations to cover you for air, ocean, and trucking.

Lithium Battery Specialization

As battery technology improves, more and more goods are shipping with lithium ion batteries on board. And while some think battery transport is a simple endeavor, you know better, so as an add-on you can get certified with the specific ins and outs of LI batteries for all transport modes.

“I’ve always preferred a competency-based training approach, going back to my time in the Air Force, and I wanted to make sure Flexport employees were trained better than what the industry was offering. So that's how we became one of the first entities to switch to the new IATA framework—because we were already running our dangerous because program this way.”

• Travis Falasco

And as a bonus for Flexport customers, all of your relevant DG paperwork is available at your fingertips in the same platform as your other shipping data. Reach out to our CaaS team for more information on how we can help ensure your DG processes are compliant with the updated regulations.