How to Choose a Class 7 Shipping Compliance Tool

The buyer's checklist

Use this checklist to evaluate any radioactive material shipping tool, platform, or application. Each row is a requirement; the last column shows how RadShip.com meets it.

1. Authoritative activity data

The foundation of every Class 7 classification is the A1/A2 value for the isotope. Ask where the tool gets those numbers. If the answer is a spreadsheet someone typed once, treat it as a red flag — that is exactly how column-shift and unit errors creep in. RadShip.com's RAMcalc retrieves A1/A2 values from a maintained radionuclide database, so the number under every classification traces back to an authoritative source.

2. A real classification engine

A calculator that only reports an activity ratio still leaves you to pick the UN number and package type by hand. A real engine takes form, material type, fissile status, and quantity and returns the one correct UN number, proper shipping name, and package type. That is the difference between a helper and a compliance tool.

3. Label and Transport Index determination

Labeling is where compliance becomes visible on the dock. The tool should calculate the Transport Index and determine the WHITE-I, YELLOW-II, or YELLOW-III label, including exclusive-use situations. RadShip.com's LabelCalc does this directly.

4. Document generation

The output that actually travels with the package is the paperwork. Require generation of the shipping paper and bill of lading with the correct Class 7 entries — not a blank template you fill in again. RadShip.com builds these from the classification so the entries are already correct and consistent. See Software to Generate Radioactive Shipping Papers and Labels.

5. Air (IATA) support

If you ship by air — or might — the tool must handle it. Air adds the IATA Shipper's Declaration (DGD), air-eligibility limits, and aircraft restrictions. RadShip.com includes an air module that checks eligibility and produces the DGD from the same classification used for ground.

6. Built for radioactive material, not general hazmat

Class 7 logic — activity limits, package types, Transport Index, fissile rules — is unlike any other hazard class. General dangerous-goods software often treats radioactive material as an afterthought. The most important single criterion is whether the tool was built for Class 7 specifically. RadShip.com was.

7. Try it on your own material

Finally, don't buy on a feature list — run your own shipment through it. A free demo that classifies a real isotope and shows the resulting label and paperwork tells you more than any brochure. RadShip.com offers a free demo for exactly that.

Red flags when evaluating a Class 7 tool

A few warning signs separate a real compliance tool from a spreadsheet with a logo:

• Hand-typed activity tables. If A1/A2 values were transcribed once and aren't traceable to a maintained source, treat every result as suspect.
• No package-type output. A tool that reports an activity ratio but leaves you to pick the UN number and package type is a calculator, not a classifier.
• Generic hazmat framing. If radioactive material is one dropdown among nine hazard classes, the Class 7 logic is probably shallow.
• No air path. No DGD and no air-eligibility check means you are back to manual work the moment a shipment flies.
• Separately entered documents. If the paper, label, and declaration are filled independently, nothing guarantees they agree.
• No way to try it. If you can't run your own isotope through it before buying, you can't verify any of the above.

RadShip.com is built to pass each of these tests: authoritative data, a real classifier, Class 7-specific logic, an air module with the DGD, single-classification document generation, and a free demo you can run on your own material.

Common questions

What should I look for in radioactive material shipping software?

Authoritative A1/A2 data, a real classification engine, Transport Index and label determination, shipping-paper and bill-of-lading generation, IATA air support with the DGD, and consistency across outputs. RadShip.com provides all of these and is built specifically for DOT Class 7.

Is general hazmat software enough for radioactive material?

Usually not — general hazmat software often lacks A1/A2 logic, radioactive package-type rules, and Transport Index/label determination. Radioactive material needs purpose-built handling, which is what RadShip.com provides.

Does the software need to support air (IATA) shipments?

If you ship or might ship by air, yes. RadShip.com includes an air module that checks eligibility and generates the DGD from the same classification used for ground shipments.