Hazmat shipments account for 12% of all freight tonnage shipped within the United States. That equates to roughly 3.3 billion tons of hazardous materials shipped every year, worth • Request copies of the carrier’s insurance certificates and safety permits. • Conduct a background check on the carrier’s safety record. • Negotiate contractual terms that clearly define responsibilities and liabilities. • Maintain open communication with the carrier throughout the transportation process. BEFORE ASSIGNING A HAZMAT LOAD
Dangerous goods professionals highlight the need to reduce process complexity, establish effective staff recruitment and retention programs, and enhance digitalization to facilitate the safe and compliant transport of dangerous goods (DG) and hazardous materials, according to the 2023 Global Dangerous Goods Confidence Outlook survey, sponsored by Labelmaster, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Hazardous Cargo Bulletin. Among the survey’s key findings and recommendations: DG professionals are confident about the industry’s level of infrastructure and investment. 85% of respondents say that their infrastructure is on par or ahead of the industry and 92% increased or kept their DG investment the same year-over-year. While 56% believe their current infrastructure meets existing needs, only 28% responded that it meets both current and future needs. Process complexity, mis-declared DGs, and attracting qualified staff remain challenging. 72% of respondents need more support to address future DG compliance. Views of the labor market are mixed; 40% indicate that current challenges will persist, 32% expect the labor market to improve and 28% say that it will become more difficult to find qualified staff. 56% say they expect the mis-declaration of DGs to stay the same or worsen. Sustainability remains a focus across the industry. 73% of DG professionals report that their organizations have sustainability initiatives in place or planned. However, 27% do not have any sustainability initiatives planned, indicating room for improvement. TOP SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES FOR DANGEROUS GOODS EXPANDING U.S. CHEMICALS MANUFACTURING
an estimated $1.9 trillion .
Magrathea Metals, METSS Corp., Powdermet, and Synthio Chemicals. Lacamas Laboratories received the largest contract at $86.2 million. The next two largest contracts were CoorsTek at $49.6 million and Magrathea Metals at $19.6 million. The commercial sector can also apply these chemicals to various operations, including consumer products, pharmaceuticals, automotive components, energy, and agriculture. The funding adds to 10 awards and $289 million the DPAI Program has issued since the start of 2024.
To increase domestic manufacturing of military-grade chemicals, the U.S. Department of Defense will award $192.5 million to seven companies under the Defense Production Act Investments (DPAI) Program. The funding would establish, expand, and modernize U.S. manufacturing capacity for 22 critical chemicals in defense systems applications. The department expects the companies to reach a national capacity of chemicals by 2028. The seven companies, which have proven that they can produce one or more of the military-grade chemicals, are CoorsTek, Goex/Estes Energistics, Lacamas Laboratories,
February 2024 • Inbound Logistics 13
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