Top 5 Mistakes Companies Make When Shipping Dangerous Goods

After years of handling DG cargo — and receiving calls from panicked clients after their shipments get rejected — certain mistakes come up again and again. These aren't obscure edge cases. They're common errors that cost companies money, delay shipments, and sometimes create regulatory liability.

Here are the five we see most often.

Mistake 1: Not Classifying at All

The most common and most expensive mistake. A company ships paints, solvents, adhesives, batteries, or chemical samples for years through air freight and nobody ever checks whether they're DG. Often it goes fine — until an alert acceptance agent or a new airline's stricter checks flag it.

At that point, the company discovers their entire export process has been non-compliant. Retroactively, every previous shipment was also a violation. Under Aircraft Act 1934, this can result in serious penalties.

The fix: do a DG assessment for every product you ship by air. It takes a few hours with a qualified consultant and it eliminates years of potential liability.

Mistake 2: Using Outdated Packing Instructions

IATA DGR is revised every year. Packing Instructions change. Quantity limits change. Section numbers change. A company that set up its DG process when they first started exporting and hasn't updated it since is almost certainly using outdated PIs for at least some of their products.

We've seen this most frequently with lithium batteries — the rules changed significantly between the 62nd and 65th Editions — and with infectious substances, where Category A/B thresholds were revised.

The fix: review your DG compliance documentation against the current edition of IATA DGR every January when the new edition releases. At minimum, have a qualified DG person do the review.

Mistake 3: Expired Training Certificates

IATA DG training is valid for 24 months. After that, the person cannot legally sign a Shipper's Declaration. But in busy operations, renewal dates get missed. The person keeps signing. The airline has no way to verify on the spot — they check the date on the certificate if asked, but they're not always asked.

This works until it doesn't. If a rejected shipment triggers a DGCA inquiry, expired training certification compounds the violation significantly.

The fix: keep a training register with expiry dates. Set calendar reminders 3 months before expiry. Treat DG training renewal like a licence — because that's what it is.

Mistake 4: Wrong Packaging for the Packing Group

A company sources "UN-certified packaging" and assumes it works for everything. But UN certification is specific to a packing group. A box marked "Z" is only suitable for Packing Group III substances. If your substance is PG II, you need a "Y" or "X" rated box.

This is particularly common with companies that pack a range of products — some PG II, some PG III — and use the same box type for all of them.

The fix: read the UN mark on your packaging. Check the suitability letter (X, Y, or Z) against the packing group of every substance you pack in it. If there's a mismatch, source the right packaging before shipping.

Mistake 5: Assuming the Forwarder Handles Compliance

We hear this one often: "We gave it to our freight forwarder — aren't they responsible for DG compliance?" No. Under IATA DGR and all national aviation laws, the shipper is responsible for classifying the goods, preparing the Shipper's Declaration, and ensuring packaging compliance. A forwarder who takes over the paperwork is acting as the shipper's agent — the legal responsibility remains with the shipper.

Some forwarders do offer full DG compliance services as an added service. That's helpful. But it doesn't transfer liability. If the declaration is wrong, DGCA looks at the company whose name is on the document, not the forwarder's company name.

The fix: own your DG compliance. Understand what's required, ensure your team is trained, and don't outsource your legal responsibility even if you outsource the paperwork execution.