The 49 CFR details a laundry list of labeling and marking requirements and defines the components of a performance-tested package. The type of tests selected depends on how a package will be used and what it will carry. For example, boxes and packing contents often undergo drop or stack tests. Air shipments may be subject to pressure checks that chart how pressure changes affect interior containers. X signifying the most severe, Y denoting medium severity, and Z indicating the least hazardous.
Many criteria enter into the final prescribed formula for a package.
That's why the creation of these packages now is based on factors such as product weight, container weight, and the types of materials to be shipped. As the ink dried on HM181, the chemical industry woke up to the fact that few options existed to reach these higher standards. Testing labs were scarce, and many packaging suppliers simply walked away from what they perceived as an overly burdensome market. Many mid-sized companies, however, found that their policies for customer responsiveness and their size precluded following similar tactics. More innovative and cost-efficient solutions were required.