Definitions•October 30, 2026

Definitions quoted from 49 CFR as published in the eCFR on October 13, 2026

Class 7 Radioactive Shipping Glossary

Every defined term a radioactive material shipper meets in 49 CFR 173.403 and 171.8, quoted from the regulation and then explained in plain words: what it means when you ship, where RadShip handles it for you, and a practical tip where one helps. The regulators and standards bodies behind the rules are at the end.

69 terms and 14 regulators. The regulation's own words come first in every entry, with the section and the eCFR date they were pulled on. Every mention of another glossary term is a link, so you can follow a definition as far as you need. Where RadShip's own line reads cleanly without section numbers, the sections it was checked against are listed under the entry.

Terms, A to Z

A1

A 1 means the maximum activity of special form Class 7 (radioactive) material permitted in a Type A package. This value is either listed in § 173.435 or may be derived in accordance with the procedures prescribed in § 173.433.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A1 is the most special-form activity of a given radionuclide that is allowed in a Type A package. Every radionuclide has its own A1, listed in the A1/A2 table.
When you ship: Find your nuclide's row in the § 173.435 table and read the A1 column. If the package activity is at or under A1 and the source is special form, a Type A package is allowed; over it, you are into Type B. Convert your activity to the table's units before you compare.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc looks up A1 for the nuclide you enter and shows the fraction of the limit on the calculation worksheet.

Tip

Think of A1 as special form. If the source is encapsulated and has an up-to-date special form certificate, it is special form: use the A1 value for your radionuclide. Everything else is normal form and uses A2.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.435

A2

A 2 means the maximum activity of Class 7 (radioactive) material, other than special form material, LSA material, and SCO, permitted in a Type A package. This value is either listed in § 173.435 or may be derived in accordance with the procedures prescribed in § 173.433.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Not special form? Then you have normal form material, and you use the A2 value in the table for the radionuclide you are shipping. It is that simple. A2 is often the smaller of the two numbers, because material that can disperse is treated more strictly.
When you ship: Powders, liquids, gases and loose solids are normal form, so they are compared to A2, not A1. Read the A2 column of § 173.435 for your nuclide; at or under it a Type A package is allowed, over it you need Type B.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc picks A1 or A2 from the form you select and shows the fraction of the limit on the calculation worksheet.

Tip

A1 and A2 are the limits of what you can put in a Type A package. Go over them and you are into Type B packaging. The same values also set the excepted-package limits: a limited quantity is a small fraction of A1 or A2, which is what lets it skip the Type A packaging, paperwork, marking and labeling.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.435, 49 CFR 173.425

Cargo aircraft only

Cargo aircraft only means an aircraft that is used to transport cargo and is not engaged in carrying passengers. For purposes of this subchapter, the terms cargo aircraft only, cargo-only aircraft and cargo aircraft have the same meaning.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: An aircraft carrying no passengers. Some Class 7 packages are allowed in the air only on cargo aircraft, and they must carry the Cargo Aircraft Only label.
When you ship: Radioactive labels go on two opposite sides of the package, and the Cargo Aircraft Only label goes next to the proper shipping name when the package may not fly on a passenger aircraft. The dangerous goods declaration has a box where you, the shipper, declare whether the package can go on a passenger aircraft or cargo aircraft only.
Where RadShip does it: RadShip asks you a few simple questions (transport mode and what the material is for) and tells you whether your shipment can go on a passenger aircraft or must go cargo aircraft only, then fills in the declaration to match.

Tip

Excepted packages can fly on passenger or cargo aircraft. A Type A package flies on a passenger aircraft only when the material is for research or for medical diagnosis or treatment, and the same rule applies to Type B(U) and industrial packages. A Type B(M) package never goes on a passenger aircraft.

Checked against 49 CFR 172.402, 49 CFR 172.403, 49 CFR 172.406, 49 CFR 175.700

Carrier

Carrier means a person who transports passengers or property in commerce by rail car, aircraft, motor vehicle, or vessel.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Whoever moves the shipment: the trucking company, railroad, airline or vessel operator. The carrier has its own duties (placarding, separation, surveys on exclusive-use loads) that start when it accepts the package.

Tip

Carrier drivers and handling staff are hazmat employees too. They must be trained on the hazardous materials regulations and, for drivers, on the motor carrier safety rules before they move your package, and a highway route controlled quantity adds route planning on top. If in doubt, ask the carrier for its hazmat training records.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.704, 49 CFR 177.816, 49 CFR 397.101

Class 7 (radioactive) material

Class 7 (radioactive) material See the definition of Radioactive material in this section.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Class 7 is the DOT hazard class for radioactive material. The term means exactly what 'radioactive material' means in this section: if the material meets that definition, it is Class 7.
When you ship: Whether something is Class 7 is the first question in every shipment, and the answer comes from the exempt-value test under 'Radioactive material', not from what the lab or the label calls it.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc answers this question first, before classifying anything else.

Tip

Very small amounts of radioactive material are not regulated and ship as ordinary freight. Each radionuclide has its own two exempt values, one for activity per gram and one for the total in the consignment, and the material is Class 7 only when it is over both.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.436

Closed transport vehicle

Closed transport vehicle means a transport vehicle or conveyance equipped with a securely attached exterior enclosure that during normal transportation restricts the access of unauthorized persons to the cargo space containing the Class 7 (radioactive) materials. The enclosure may be either temporary or permanent, and in the case of packaged materials may be of the “see-through” type, and must limit access from top, sides, and bottom.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A truck, trailer or container whose cargo space is enclosed on all sides, top and bottom included, so nobody outside can reach the packages. A securely attached tarp or see-through enclosure counts.
When you ship: Some radiation-level allowances for exclusive-use shipments apply only in a closed transport vehicle, and an open flatbed is not one. Know which kind of vehicle the carrier is sending before you rely on exclusive-use limits.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Competent Authority

Competent Authority means a national agency responsible under its national law for the control or regulation of a particular aspect of the transportation of hazardous materials (dangerous goods). The term Appropriate Authority, as used in the ICAO Technical Instructions (IBR, see § 171.7), has the same meaning as Competent Authority. For purposes of this subchapter, the Associate Administrator is the Competent Authority for the United States.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The national regulator that issues approvals and certificates under its country's law. For the United States that is PHMSA, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the part of the Department of Transportation that writes and enforces the hazardous materials rules; the definition names its Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
When you ship: You meet the competent authority through certificates: special form certificates, package design approvals and revalidations of foreign certificates all come from it.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 173.473, 49 CFR 173.476

Consignee

Consignee means the person or place shown on a shipping document, package marking, or other media as the location to which a carrier is directed to transport a hazardous material.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The receiver: the person or place named on the shipping paper and the package as the destination.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8

Consignment

Consignment means a package or group of packages or load of radioactive material offered by a person for transport in the same shipment.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The whole shipment from one shipper: a single package, or every package travelling together under one shipping paper.
When you ship: Some limits are per consignment rather than per package, such as the total-activity half of the exempt-value test. A stack of small packages can add up to a regulated shipment even when each box alone would not.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc adds up every package on a consignment when it runs the exempt test, so the consignment total is never a surprise.

Tip

Several exempt packages can add up to more than the exempt consignment limit, and then the whole shipment is regulated. RAMcalc does the math for all the packages on a consignment together so you do not fall into that trap.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.436

Containment system

Containment system means the assembly of components of the packaging intended to retain the Class 7 (radioactive) material during transport.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The parts of the packaging whose job is to keep the radioactive contents inside: the inner vessel, seals and closures. Shielding is a separate job done by other parts.

Related: Packaging, Package, Type B package

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Contamination

Contamination means the presence of a radioactive substance on a surface in quantities in excess of 0.4 Bq/cm² for beta and gamma emitters and low toxicity alpha emitters or 0.04 Bq/cm² for all other alpha emitters. There are two categories of contamination:
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Radioactive material where it should not be: on a surface, above the thresholds in the definition. Below those thresholds a surface counts as clean for transport purposes.
When you ship: Package surfaces are wipe-tested before shipment, and the result is compared to a limit for non-fixed contamination. Contamination is also what defines a Surface Contaminated Object and the SCO grades.

Tip

Every radioactive package needs a survey before it leaves: all six sides, for dose rate and for removable contamination. That survey is how you show the package meets the limits, so keep the record.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.441, 49 CFR 173.443

Conveyance

Conveyance means: (1) For transport by public highway or rail: any transport vehicle or large freight container; (2) For transport by water: any vessel, or any hold, compartment, or defined deck area of a vessel including any transport vehicle on board the vessel; and (3) For transport by aircraft, any aircraft.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The thing that carries the load: on the road or rail the vehicle or large freight container, on water the vessel or its hold, in the air the aircraft. A limit 'per conveyance' is per truck, not per package.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Criticality Safety Index (CSI)

Criticality Safety Index (CSI) means a number (rounded up to the next tenth) which is used to provide control over the accumulation of packages, overpacks or freight containers containing fissile material. The CSI for a package containing fissile material is determined in accordance with the instructions provided in 10 CFR 71.22, 71.23, and 71.59. The CSI for an overpack, freight container, consignment or conveyance containing fissile material packages is the arithmetic sum of the criticality safety indices of all the fissile material packages contained within the overpack, freight container, consignment or conveyance.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A number assigned to a fissile material package that controls how many such packages may travel together. The carrier adds up the CSIs on a conveyance and the total is capped. It is rounded up to the next tenth and printed on the Fissile label.
When you ship: If your material is fissile and not excepted, the CSI comes from the package approval. It goes on the Fissile label and the shipping paper, and it limits how many packages can share a vehicle. Shipments of fissile material are the most paperwork-heavy in Class 7, so confirm the exceptions first.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc flags fissile material and shows the CSI assessment where one applies.

Tip

You only deal with a CSI when you ship fissile material in a package approved for fissile contents. If your material meets a fissile exception, there is no CSI and none of the extra fissile requirements.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 172.403, 49 CFR 173.453

Depleted uranium

A kind of Uranium — natural, depleted or enriched

(ii) “Depleted uranium” means uranium containing a lesser mass percentage of uranium-235 than in natural uranium.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Uranium with less uranium-235 than natural uranium, the leftover from enrichment. Also a low-toxicity alpha emitter. It is used as shielding, as counterweights and ballast, and in armour.
When you ship: Bulk unirradiated depleted uranium is LSA-I, and a manufactured article of it can ship as an excepted package when it meets the conditions.

Tip

Depleted uranium is often part of the packaging itself. It is far denser than lead, so a thinner shield does the same job.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.426

Design

Design means the description of a special form Class 7 (radioactive) material, a package, packaging, or LSA-III, that enables those items to be fully identified. The description may include specifications, engineering drawings, reports showing compliance with regulatory requirements, and other relevant documentation.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The paperwork that describes a special form source, a package or a packaging well enough for an authority to approve it: drawings, specifications, test reports. When a certificate refers to 'the design', this is what it means.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Deuterium

Deuterium means, for the purposes of § 173.453, deuterium and any deuterium compound, including heavy water, in which the ratio of deuterium atoms to hydrogen atoms exceeds 1:5000.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Heavy hydrogen. The term is defined only for the fissile-exception rules, where deuterium and its compounds count as neutron moderators.
When you ship: Deuterium, graphite, beryllium and lead are moderators or reflectors. When you work out whether a fissile shipment qualifies for an exception, their mass does not count toward the non-fissile material that earns the exception, and for low-enriched uranium the moderators are capped at a small fraction of the uranium mass.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc's fissile block asks whether the package contains lead, beryllium, graphite or deuterium and takes their mass into account when it evaluates the six fissile exceptions.

Related: Fissile material, Graphite

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.453

Enriched uranium

A kind of Uranium — natural, depleted or enriched

(iii) “Enriched uranium” means uranium containing a greater mass percentage of uranium-235 than 0.72%.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Uranium with more uranium-235 than natural uranium. Enrichment is what makes uranium fissile for transport purposes, subject to the exceptions.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc keys the fissile evaluation on the enrichment you enter.

Tip

Natural uranium is about 0.72% uranium-235. Below that it is depleted; above it is enriched. The enrichment you enter is what the fissile rules key on.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Excepted package

A kind of Package

(1) “Excepted package” means a packaging together with its excepted Class 7 (radioactive) materials as specified in §§ 173.421-173.426 and 173.428.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A package of a very small amount of radioactive material (a limited quantity, an instrument or article, or an empty packaging) that is excepted from most Class 7 requirements: no hazard label, minimal shipping-paper entry. UN2908 through UN2911.
When you ship: This is the easiest shipment in Class 7, but it has its own conditions: activity under the limited-quantity or instrument limits, a low surface radiation level, and the marking rules for excepted packages. Get any of them wrong and it is a Type A shipment with the wrong paperwork.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc assigns the excepted-package UN number when the shipment qualifies.

Tip

Do not confuse excepted with exempt. An excepted package is still Class 7, still marked with its UN number and still limited in what it may contain; it is only excused from the labels, the specification packaging and most of the paperwork. Exempt material is below the exempt values and is not regulated as radioactive at all.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.421, 49 CFR 173.422, 49 CFR 173.436

Exclusive use

Exclusive use means sole use by a single consignor of a conveyance for which all initial, intermediate, and final loading and unloading and shipment are carried out in accordance with the direction of the consignor or consignee where required by this subchapter. The consignor and the carrier must ensure that any loading or unloading is performed by personnel having radiological training and resources appropriate for safe handling of the consignment. The consignor must provide to the initial carrier specific written instructions for maintenance of exclusive use shipment controls, including the vehicle survey requirement of § 173.443(c) as applicable, and include these instructions with the shipping paper information provided to the carrier by the consignor.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: One shipper has the whole vehicle, and every loading and unloading is done under that shipper's instructions. In return some limits are relaxed, and in exchange the shipper takes on duties: written control instructions to the carrier and radiologically trained handling.
When you ship: Exclusive use is a decision you make when a package's radiation level or TI is too high for a general-freight shipment. You must give the carrier written instructions for keeping the exclusive-use controls, include them with the shipping paper information, and the shipping paper must say the shipment is exclusive use.
Where RadShip does it: RadShip's engine tells you when exclusive use is required for the package you classified.

Tip

Do not write 'exclusive use' on your paperwork unless the shipment qualifies for it and you are following its rules; those words invoke the regulatory meaning. If you simply want the whole truck to yourself, call it a dedicated shipment and arrange it with the carrier.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 172.203, 49 CFR 173.441

Exemption value

Exemption value means either an exempt material activity concentration or an exempt consignment activity limit listed in the table in § 173.436, or determined according to the procedures described in § 173.433, and used to determine whether a given physically radioactive material is sufficiently radioactive to be subject to the HMR (see definition of radioactive material). An exemption value is different from an exemption, as specified under the definition for special permit in § 171.8 of this subchapter.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The two thresholds that decide whether a material is regulated as radioactive at all: an activity concentration (activity per gram) and a total activity per consignment. The material is Class 7 only if it is over both.
When you ship: Look both numbers up for your nuclide. Below either one the material is not Class 7 for transport and none of the Class 7 rules apply, which is the cheapest shipment you can make.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc checks the exempt values first and tells you when a shipment is not regulated.

Tip

Many exempt packages on one consignment can take the consignment over its exempt limit. RAMcalc adds them up for you.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.436

Fissile material

Fissile material means plutonium-239, plutonium-241, uranium-233, uranium-235, or any combination of these radionuclides. Fissile material means the fissile nuclides themselves, not material containing fissile nuclides, but does not include: Unirradiated natural uranium or depleted uranium; and natural uranium or depleted uranium that has been irradiated in thermal reactors only. Certain exceptions for fissile materials are provided in § 173.453.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The specific nuclides that can sustain a chain reaction, plutonium-239, plutonium-241, uranium-233 and uranium-235, and material containing them. Not everything with these nuclides is treated as fissile for transport: the definition itself excludes some cases and the fissile-exception rules excuse others.
When you ship: Fissile changes the whole shipment: the UN number, the package type, the CSI, the label and often the approvals. Before any of that, check whether your material meets one of the exceptions; most small uranium and plutonium shipments do.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc evaluates whether the material is fissile and whether a fissile exception applies.

Tip

A fissile shipment that is not excepted needs a quality assurance program, a package approved for fissile contents with its certificate of compliance, and the extra paperwork that goes with them. Check the exceptions first; most small uranium and plutonium shipments meet one.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.417, 49 CFR 173.453, 10 CFR 71.0

Fissile material package

A kind of Package

(5) “Fissile material package” means a packaging, together with its fissile material contents, which meets the requirements for fissile material packages described in subpart E of 10 CFR 71. A fissile material package may be a Type AF package, a Type B(U)F package, or a Type B(M)F package.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A package design approved for fissile contents. In the United States the NRC approves the design and issues the certificate of compliance; the Department of Energy approves designs for its own shipments; and PHMSA, as the U.S. Competent Authority, revalidates foreign certificates for import and export. The approval sets the CSI and the allowed contents.
When you ship: The certificate tells you exactly what the package may hold and how it must be closed and used. You ship under its terms, and its identification goes on the shipping paper.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.417, 49 CFR 173.473, 49 CFR 172.403, 49 CFR 173.7

Fixed contamination

A kind of Contamination

(1) Fixed contamination means contamination that cannot be removed from a surface during normal conditions of transport.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Contamination that stays put in normal transport: it will not rub, wipe or shake off.
When you ship: There is no transport limit on fixed contamination, because it stays where it is. It matters instead when you classify a surface contaminated object, where both the fixed and the non-fixed levels set the SCO grade.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc asks for fixed and non-fixed contamination when you classify an SCO.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Freight container

Freight container means a reusable container having a volume of 1.81 cubic meters (64 cubic feet) or more, designed and constructed to permit it being lifted with its contents intact and intended primarily for containment of packages in unit form during transportation. A “small freight container” is one which has an internal volume of not more than 3.0 cubic meters (106 cubic feet). All other freight containers are designated as “large freight containers.”
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A reusable box of at least the stated volume built to be filled, moved and emptied repeatedly. A large freight container counts as the conveyance for road and rail limits.

Tip

Also called a cargo container, a shipping container or a CONEX.

Related: Conveyance, Transport vehicle

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Graphite

Graphite means, for the purposes of § 173.453, graphite with a boron equivalent content less than 5 parts per million and density greater than 1.5 grams per cubic centimeter.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Carbon in the form that moderates neutrons, used in reactor cores and as a reflector. Defined only for the fissile-exception rules, where its boron content matters.
When you ship: Graphite, deuterium, beryllium and lead are moderators or reflectors. When you work out whether a fissile shipment qualifies for an exception, their mass does not count toward the non-fissile material that earns the exception, and for low-enriched uranium the moderators are capped at a small fraction of the uranium mass.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc's fissile block asks whether the package contains lead, beryllium, graphite or deuterium and takes their mass into account when it evaluates the six fissile exceptions.

Tip

Graphite turns up as reactor components, crucibles and moderator or reflector blocks. If it is in the package with fissile material, it counts as a moderator, not as the inert filler that earns an exception.

Related: Fissile material, Deuterium

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.453

Hazardous material

Hazardous material means a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce, and has designated as hazardous under section 5103 of Federal hazardous materials transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5103). The term includes hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, elevated temperature materials, materials designated as hazardous in the Hazardous Materials Table (see 49 CFR 172.101), and materials that meet the defining criteria for hazard classes and divisions in part 173 of this subchapter.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Anything the Secretary of Transportation has decided poses an unreasonable risk in transport and listed in the regulations. Radioactive material is one of the nine hazard classes, Class 7.

Tip

Whenever you see 'hazardous substance' in the shipping rules, think RQ, the reportable quantity.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8

Hazmat employee

Hazmat employee means: (1) A person who is: (i) Employed on a full-time, part time, or temporary basis by a hazmat employer and who in the course of such full time, part time or temporary employment directly affects hazardous materials transportation safety; (ii) Self-employed (including an owner-operator of a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft) transporting hazardous materials in commerce who in the course of such self-employment directly affects hazardous materials transportation safety; (iii) A railroad signalman; or (iv) A railroad maintenance-of-way employee. (2) This term includes an individual, employed on a full time, part time, or temporary basis by a hazmat employer, or who is self-employed, who during the course of employment: (i) Loads, unloads, or handles hazardous materials; (ii) Designs, manufactures, fabricates, inspects, marks, maintains, reconditions, repairs, or tests a package, container or packaging component that is represented, marked, certified, or sold as qualified for use in transporting hazardous material in commerce. (iii) Prepares hazardous materials for transportation; (iv) Is responsible for safety of transporting hazardous materials; (v) Operates a vehicle used to transport hazardous materials.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Anyone whose job includes a hazmat transport function: classifying, packaging, marking, labeling, preparing shipping papers, loading, driving. If you do any of these for Class 7, you are one, and you must be trained and tested before you do it unsupervised.
When you ship: Training is not optional and not generic: it has to cover the functions you perform, with recurrent training on a fixed cycle and records your employer keeps. The RadShip course is built to be that training for Class 7 shippers.
Where RadShip does it: The RadShip certification course and its certificate are the training record for the functions the course covers.

Tip

When in doubt, get trained.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.704

Hazmat employer

Hazmat employer means: (1) A person who employs or uses at least one hazmat employee on a full-time, part time, or temporary basis; and who: (i) Transports hazardous materials in commerce; (ii) Causes hazardous materials to be transported in commerce; or (iii) Designs, manufactures, fabricates, inspects, marks, maintains, reconditions, repairs or tests a package, container, or packaging component that is represented, marked, certified, or sold by that person as qualified for use in transporting hazardous materials in commerce; (2) A person who is self-employed (including an owner-operator of a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft) transporting materials in commerce; and who: (i) Transports hazardous materials in commerce; (ii) Causes hazardous materials to be transported in commerce; or (iii) Designs, manufactures, fabricates, inspects, marks, maintains, reconditions, repairs or tests a package, container, or packaging component that is represented, marked, certified, or sold by that person as qualified for use in transporting hazardous materials in commerce; or (3) A department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, or an authority of a State, political subdivision of a State, or an Indian tribe; and who: (i) Transports hazardous materials in commerce; (ii) Causes hazardous materials to be transported in commerce; or (iii) Designs, manufactures, fabricates, inspects, marks, maintains, reconditions, repairs or tests a package, container, or packaging component that is represented, marked, certified, or sold by that person as qualified for use in transporting hazardous materials in commerce.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Any business, agency or self-employed person that uses at least one hazmat employee. The employer owns the training duty: making sure every hazmat employee is trained, tested and certified, and keeping the records.
When you ship: If you are a one-person operation that ships radioactive material, you are both the employer and the employee, and the training and record duties still apply to you.

Tip

A radioactive shipping program is a requirement, not an option: trained and certified people, training records you keep for as long as they do the job, and copies of every shipping paper kept on file.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.704, 49 CFR 172.201

Highway route controlled quantity

Highway route controlled quantity means a quantity within a single package which exceeds: (1) 3,000 times the A 1 value of the radionuclides as specified in § 173.435 for special form Class 7 (radioactive) material; (2) 3,000 times the A 2 value of the radionuclides as specified in § 173.435 for normal form Class 7 (radioactive) material; or (3) 1,000 TBq (27,000 Ci), whichever is least.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A single package carrying a very large amount of activity, set as a multiple of A1 or A2 or a fixed activity level, whichever is less. It brings route controls, extra placarding and extra security.
When you ship: Most shippers never offer one; a Type B shipment of a strong sealed source can be one. If a package is HRCQ, the shipping paper carries the notation, the placarding changes, and the carrier must follow route controls.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc evaluates HRCQ on every classification and tells you when a package crosses the line.

Tip

A highway route controlled quantity always gets the Radioactive Yellow-III label, whatever the dose rates say, and on the road it needs a route plan and a trained driver.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 172.403, 49 CFR 397.101

Industrial package

A kind of Package

(2) “Industrial package” means a packaging that, together with its low specific activity (LSA) material or surface contaminated object (SCO) contents, meets the requirements of §§ 173.410 and 173.411. Industrial packages are categorized in § 173.411 as either: (i) “Industrial package Type 1 (Type IP-1); (ii) “Industrial package Type 2 (Type IP-2); or (iii) “Industrial package Type 3 (Type IP-3).
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The IP-1, IP-2 and IP-3 packagings used for LSA material and SCO. Simpler than Type A; which grade is required depends on the LSA or SCO group and the mode.
When you ship: If you are shipping LSA or SCO, the classification tells you which industrial package type the table requires for that group and mode. Check it before you buy drums.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc reports the required industrial package type with the LSA or SCO classification.

Tip

Exclusive use buys you a simpler industrial package in some cases: a lower grade for LSA-I liquids, LSA-II liquids and gases, and LSA-III. For LSA solids and for SCO the required grade is the same either way.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.427

Limited quantity of Class 7 (radioactive) material

Limited quantity of Class 7 (radioactive) material means a quantity of Class 7 (radioactive) material not exceeding the material's package limits specified in § 173.425 and conforming with requirements specified in § 173.421.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A small amount of Class 7 material, at or under the limits the definition points to, that can ship in an excepted package as UN2910 instead of a Type A package.
When you ship: Limited quantity is the most common reason small sources, samples and check sources avoid the full Type A rules. The activity limit is a fraction of A1 or A2 from the table the definition names, and the package must still meet the excepted-package conditions.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc tests the limited-quantity limits and assigns UN2910 when the shipment qualifies.

Tip

Limited quantity is one of four kinds of excepted package. The others are instruments and articles, manufactured articles of natural or depleted uranium or thorium, and empty packagings. Each has its own UN number and its own conditions.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.421, 49 CFR 173.424, 49 CFR 173.426, 49 CFR 173.428

Low Specific Activity (LSA) material

Low Specific Activity (LSA) material means Class 7 (radioactive) material with limited specific activity which is not fissile material or is excepted under § 173.453, and which satisfies the descriptions and limits set forth below. Shielding material surrounding the LSA material may not be considered in determining the estimated average specific activity of the LSA material. LSA material must be in one of three groups: (1) LSA-I: (i) Uranium and thorium ores, concentrates of uranium and thorium ores, and other ores containing naturally occurring radionuclides which are intended to be processed for the use of these radionuclides; or (ii) Natural uranium, depleted uranium, natural thorium or their compounds or mixtures, provided they are unirradiated and in solid or liquid form; or (iii) Radioactive material for which the A 2 value is unlimited; or (iv) Other radioactive material in which the activity is distributed throughout and the estimated average specific activity does not exceed 30 times the values for activity concentration specified in § 173.436 or calculated in accordance with § 173.433, or 30 times the default values listed in Table 8 of § 173.433. (2) LSA-II: (i) Water with tritium concentration up to 0.8 TBq/L (20.0 Ci/L); or (ii) Other radioactive material in which the activity is distributed throughout and the average specific activity does not exceed 10⁻⁴ A 2 /g for solids and gases, and 10⁻⁵ A 2 /g for liquids. (3) LSA-III. Solids ( e.g., consolidated wastes, activated materials), excluding powders, that meet the requirements of § 173.468 and in which: (i) The radioactive material is distributed throughout a solid or a collection of solid objects, or is essentially uniformly distributed in a solid compact binding agent (such as concrete, bitumen, ceramic, etc.); (ii) The radioactive material is relatively insoluble, or it is intrinsically contained in a relatively insoluble material, so that, even under loss of packaging, the loss of Class 7 (radioactive) material per package by leaching when placed in water for seven days would not exceed 0.1 A 2 ; and (iii) The estimated average specific activity of the solid, excluding any shielding material, does not exceed 2 × 10⁻³ A 2 /g.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Material whose activity is spread thinly through its bulk, so a given mass is low hazard: ores, some contaminated soils, low-level waste. Three grades, LSA-I, LSA-II and LSA-III, with increasing limits on activity per gram.
When you ship: LSA ships in industrial packages under its own UN entries rather than as Type A, but the load as a whole is capped by conveyance limits. Proving the grade means knowing the activity per gram and how evenly it is distributed, which is the question your assay has to answer.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc classifies LSA-I, II and III from the activity and mass you enter.

Tip

A Type B quantity of radioactive material will sometimes qualify as LSA. Knowing that can save your company the controls and cost that a Type B shipment carries, because LSA ships in industrial packages and is limited by what the whole conveyance carries instead.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.427

Low toxicity alpha emitters

Low toxicity alpha emitters means natural uranium; depleted uranium; natural thorium; uranium-235 or uranium-238; thorium-232; thorium-228 and thorium-230 when contained in ores or physical and chemical concentrates; and alpha emitters with a half-life of less than 10 days.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Natural and depleted uranium, natural thorium and a few long-lived alpha emitters that the contamination limits treat like beta and gamma emitters instead of like other alpha emitters.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.443

Marking

Marking means a descriptive name, identification number, instructions, cautions, weight, specification, or UN marks, or combinations thereof, required by this subchapter on outer packagings of hazardous materials.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The words, numbers and symbols put on the outside of the package: the proper shipping name, the UN number, the shipper and consignee, the package type, and the rest. Markings are different from labels, which are the hazard diamonds.
When you ship: Every Class 7 package has a marking list it must carry, and excepted packages have their own shorter list. The markings must be durable, in English, and not covered by labels or other markings.
Where RadShip does it: RadShip generates the marking text for the package you classified.

Tip

Do not confuse markings with labels. Markings are the words and numbers on the package; labels are the hazard diamonds. They are two different things in hazmat shipping, with two different rule sets.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.310, 49 CFR 173.422

Maximum normal operating pressure

Maximum normal operating pressure means the maximum gauge pressure that would develop in a containment system during a period of one year, in the absence of venting or cooling, under the heat conditions specified in 10 CFR 71.71(c)(1).
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The highest pressure a Type B package's containment system reaches over a year of normal transport, with no venting and no cooling. A design number from the package certificate, not something a shipper measures.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Multilateral approval

Multilateral approval means approval of a package design or shipment by the relevant Competent Authority of the country of origin and of each country through or into which the package or shipment is to be transported. This definition does not include approval from a country over which Class 7 (radioactive) materials are carried in aircraft, if there is no scheduled stop in that country.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Approval of a package design or shipment by the country of origin and by every country the shipment passes through or into. Compare unilateral approval, which is by one authority only.
When you ship: Type B(M) packages and some fissile shipments need multilateral approval when they cross borders. Check the certificate's validity in the destination country before you accept an export.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Natural thorium

Natural thorium means thorium with the naturally occurring distribution of thorium isotopes (essentially 100 percent by weight of thorium-232).
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Thorium with its natural mix of isotopes. It appears in the low-toxicity alpha emitter list and in the LSA-I definition. In industry it shows up in thoriated welding electrodes, gas lantern mantles, some camera lenses and high-temperature alloys, and in ores and tailings.
When you ship: Bulk natural thorium and its ores are LSA-I. A manufactured article whose only radioactive content is natural thorium can ship as an excepted package when it meets the conditions.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.426

Natural uranium

A kind of Uranium — natural, depleted or enriched

(1)(i) “Natural uranium” means uranium (which may be chemically separated) containing the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes (approximately 99.28% uranium-238 and 0.72% uranium-235 by mass).
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Uranium with the isotope mix found in nature, about 0.72% uranium-235. It is a low-toxicity alpha emitter and, in bulk, LSA-I. It ships as ore, as yellowcake concentrate, and as feed for the fuel cycle.
When you ship: Bulk natural uranium and its ores are LSA-I. A manufactured article whose only radioactive content is natural uranium can ship as an excepted package when it meets the conditions.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.426

Non-fixed contamination

A kind of Contamination

(2) Non-fixed contamination means contamination that can be removed from a surface during normal conditions of transport.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Contamination that can come off in normal transport. This is what a wipe test measures and what the package-surface limits are about.
When you ship: The limit is on activity per square centimetre of package surface: 4 Bq/cm² (240 dpm/cm²) for beta and gamma emitters and the low-toxicity alpha emitters, and 0.4 Bq/cm² (24 dpm/cm²) for all other alpha emitters. You wipe about 300 cm², measure the wipe, divide by the area and by how much the wipe picks up. Exclusive-use rail and highway shipments are allowed more.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc compares the non-fixed contamination you enter against the SCO thresholds; the package-surface check is part of your pre-shipment survey.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.443

Normal form Class 7 (radioactive) material

Normal form Class 7 (radioactive) material means Class 7 (radioactive) which has not been demonstrated to qualify as “special form Class 7 (radioactive) material.”
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Anything radioactive that is not special form: powders, liquids, gases, loose solids, most lab material. It is treated more strictly because it can spread if the package fails.
When you ship: Normal form uses the A2 limit and the normal-form UN entries. Unless you hold a special form certificate for the source, assume normal form.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc classifies against A2 when you select normal form.

Tip

Remember: A2 = normal form.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Overpack

Overpack, except as provided in subpart K of part 178 of this subchapter, means an enclosure that is used by a single consignor to provide protection or convenience in handling of a package or to consolidate two or more packages. Overpack does not include a transport vehicle, freight container, or aircraft unit load device. Examples of overpacks are one or more packages: (1) Placed or stacked onto a load board such as a pallet and secured by strapping, shrink wrapping, stretch wrapping, or other suitable means; or (2) Placed in a protective outer packaging such as a box or crate.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: An outer box, crate or pallet wrap around one or more complete packages, used for handling convenience. The packages inside must already comply on their own.
When you ship: An overpack does not replace the inner packages' markings and labels. If they cannot be seen through the overpack, the overpack has to repeat them, and when a Type A, Type B or industrial package is required inside, the overpack is marked OVERPACK.
Where RadShip does it: The dangerous goods declaration form in RadShip has an overpack checkbox that adds the overpack statement.

Tip

An overpack adds distance. The label category, TI and placarding can be taken from the outside of the overpack, but the package inside stays what it is: a Type A in an overpack is still a Type A. If a limited quantity reads over 0.5 mrem/h on contact, the fix is a bigger package, not an overpack. Put the material, or the smaller container, inside a larger box and treat that box as part of the packaging. Survey the outside of the whole thing. If it reads under the limit and the activity is within the limits, it ships as a limited quantity.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 173.25, 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.421, 49 CFR 172.403

Package

Package means the packaging together with its radioactive contents as presented for transport.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Packaging plus contents, as handed to the carrier. The rules test the package, not the empty box.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Packaging

Packaging means, for Class 7 (radioactive) materials, the assembly of components necessary to ensure compliance with the packaging requirements of this subpart. It may consist of one or more receptacles, absorbent materials, spacing structures, thermal insulation, radiation shielding, service equipment for filling, emptying, venting and pressure relief, and devices for cooling or absorbing mechanical shocks. The conveyance, tie-down system, and auxiliary equipment may sometimes be designated as part of the packaging.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The empty container system: box, drum, inserts, shielding, absorbent, closures. It becomes a 'package' once the contents go in.

Tip

Anything you add so the package complies is part of the packaging: a spacer box that gets the outside reading under the limit, extra shielding, absorbent. The outside of that assembly is where the surface reading and the markings go.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Passenger-carrying aircraft

Passenger-carrying aircraft means an aircraft that carries any person other than a crewmember, company employee, an authorized representative of the United States, or a person accompanying the shipment.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Any aircraft with someone on board who is not crew or an authorised escort. Tighter limits apply to packages carried on passenger flights.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 175.700

Person who offers or offeror

Person who offers or offeror means: (1) Any person who does either or both of the following: (i) Performs, or is responsible for performing, any pre-transportation function required under this subchapter for transportation of the hazardous material in commerce. (ii) Tenders or makes the hazardous material available to a carrier for transportation in commerce. (2) A carrier is not an offeror when it performs a function required by this subchapter as a condition of acceptance of a hazardous material for transportation in commerce ( e.g. , reviewing shipping papers, examining packages to ensure that they are in conformance with this subchapter, or preparing shipping documentation for its own use) or when it transfers a hazardous material to another carrier for continued transportation in commerce without performing a pre-transportation function.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The shipper, in the rules' language: whoever performs the pre-transport functions (classifying, packaging, marking, labeling, papers) or tenders the shipment to the carrier. In the Class 7 rules you will also see 'consignor', which is the same role.
When you ship: The offeror's name is on the certification and the offeror is responsible for the classification. If you tender a package someone else prepared, you are still the offeror for the functions you performed.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 171.1

Proper shipping name

Proper shipping name means the name of the hazardous material shown in Roman print (not italics) in § 172.101 of this subchapter.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The exact name from the Hazardous Materials Table that goes on the shipping paper and the package, for example 'Radioactive material, Type A package'. Never the product or trade name.
When you ship: The classification picks the proper shipping name and the UN number together; they travel as a pair on the paper and the package. Spell it as the table does.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc returns the proper shipping name and UN number for your classification.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.101

Quality assurance

Quality assurance means a systematic program of controls and inspections applied by each person involved in the transport of radioactive material which provides confidence that a standard of safety prescribed in this subchapter is achieved in practice.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A documented program covering how a packaging is designed, built, tested, used and maintained. Required for Type B and fissile packagings, and kept on file.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Radiation level

Radiation level means the radiation dose-equivalent rate expressed in millisieverts per hour or mSv/h (millirems per hour or mrem/h). It consists of the sum of the dose-equivalent rates from all types of ionizing radiation present including alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron radiation. Neutron flux densities may be used to determine neutron radiation levels according to [Table 1, neutron fluence rates equivalent to 0.01 mSv/h, is omitted here; see § 173.403.]
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The dose rate at a point, from all kinds of radiation together, in millisieverts or millirems per hour. For a package it is measured at the surface and at one metre.
When you ship: Two survey numbers drive the shipment: the surface radiation level, which sets the label category and limits, and the one-metre level, which becomes the TI. Both have to be under the limits for your package type and mode before the package can leave.
Where RadShip does it: LabelCalc takes your surface and one-metre readings and returns the label category and the TI.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.441, 49 CFR 172.403

Radioactive contents

Radioactive contents means a Class 7 (radioactive) material, together with any contaminated or activated solids, liquids and gases within the packaging.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: What is inside the packaging: the radioactive material plus anything contaminated or activated along with it.

Related: Package, Packaging

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Radioactive instrument or article

Radioactive instrument or article means any manufactured instrument or article such as an instrument, clock, electronic tube or apparatus, or similar instrument or article having Class 7 (radioactive) material in gaseous or non-dispersible solid form as a component part.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A manufactured item with radioactive material built in as part of the item: a gauge, a detector, a luminous device. It may ship as an excepted package under UN2911 if it meets the limits.
When you ship: Instruments and articles get their own excepted-package limits, per item and per package. The radioactive material has to be a component of the item, not just cargo inside it.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc applies the instrument-and-article limits and assigns UN2911 when the shipment qualifies.

Tip

The limits for instruments and articles (UN2911) are higher than for a limited quantity (UN2910): per item one hundredth of A1 or A2, and per package the full A1 or A2, against one thousandth of A1 or A2 for a limited-quantity package. If your item can qualify as an instrument or article, make sure you are reading the right column of the table.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.424, 49 CFR 173.425

Radioactive material

Radioactive material means any material containing radionuclides where both the activity concentration and the total activity in the consignment exceed the values specified in the table in § 173.436 or values derived according to the instructions in § 173.433.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: For transport, a material is radioactive only if it exceeds both the activity-concentration value and the total-activity value in the exempt-value table. Everything below that line is not Class 7, whatever the lab calls it.
When you ship: This is the first gate. Look up the nuclide in § 173.436, compare your activity per gram and your consignment total. Only if both are over do you go on to classify the shipment.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc runs this gate first and tells you when the material is not regulated.

Tip

Notice that this definition is only about shipping. Your license, your radiation safety program and the NRC use their own definitions; something can be radioactive for them and still not be Class 7 for transport.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.436

Reportable quantity (RQ)

Reportable quantity (RQ) for the purposes of this subchapter, means the quantity specified in Column 2 of Table 1 or Column 3 of Table 2 of appendix A to § 172.101 for any material identified in Column 1 of the tables.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The amount of a hazardous substance whose release has to be reported to the government. Radionuclides each have their own RQ, listed in the appendix the definition names. When a package holds an RQ or more, 'RQ' is added to the shipping description and marking.
When you ship: Check the RQ for your nuclide against the activity in the package. At or over it, add 'RQ' where the shipping-paper and marking rules require it. Missing it is one of the most common paperwork findings.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc checks the RQ for each nuclide and adds the RQ notation when it applies.

Tip

If you see 'hazardous substance' in the shipping regulations, think RQ, reportable quantity. The list of substances and their RQs comes from the EPA.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.101, 40 CFR 302.1

Shipping paper

Shipping paper means a shipping order, bill of lading, manifest or other shipping document serving a similar purpose and prepared in accordance with subpart C of part 172 of this chapter.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The document that travels with the shipment and describes it: a bill of lading for ground, a dangerous goods declaration for air. It carries the shipping description in the required order, the Class 7 extras, the emergency contact and the shipper's certification.
When you ship: The shipping paper is what an inspector reads first. The description has to be in the required sequence, the Class 7 entries (nuclides, activity, category, TI, package identification) complete, and the certification signed. Get the classification right and the paper follows from it.
Where RadShip does it: RadShip builds the bill of lading from your classification and the DGD for air shipments.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.203, 49 CFR 172.201

Special form Class 7 (radioactive) material

Special form Class 7 (radioactive) material means either an indispersible solid radioactive material or a sealed capsule containing radioactive material which satisfies the following conditions: (1) It is either a single solid piece or a sealed capsule containing radioactive material that can be opened only by destroying the capsule; (2) The piece or capsule has at least one dimension not less than 5 mm (0.2 in); and (3) It satisfies the test requirements of § 173.469. Special form encapsulations designed in accordance with the requirements of § 173.389(g) in effect on June 30, 1983 (see 49 CFR part 173, revised as of October 1, 1982), and constructed prior to July 1, 1985 and special form encapsulations designed in accordance with the requirements of § 173.403 in effect on March 31, 1996 (see 49 CFR part 173, revised as of October 1, 1995), and constructed prior to April 1, 1997, may continue to be used. Any other special form encapsulation must meet the requirements of this paragraph (3).
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A sealed capsule or a solid piece that will not spill or disperse even if the outer package is destroyed. It has to pass the special form tests, and in practice that is proven by a special form certificate.
When you ship: Special form earns the A1 limit instead of A2 and its own UN entries. You need current special form documentation for the source; without it, ship as normal form against A2.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc classifies against A1 when you select special form, and the consignment form asks for the special form certificate number.

Tip

Special form sources usually look like a stainless steel capsule the size of a pill, though larger ones exist. Without a current special form certificate you cannot claim special form, and the usual failure is an expired one; the manufacturer can often renew it. If you cannot get it, ship as normal form against A2.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.469, 49 CFR 173.476

Specific activity of a radionuclide

Specific activity of a radionuclide means the activity of the radionuclide per unit mass of that nuclide. The specific activity of a material in which the radionuclide is essentially uniformly distributed is the activity per unit mass of the material.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Activity per unit mass: how much activity is in each gram of the nuclide, or of a material the nuclide is evenly spread through.
When you ship: Specific activity is what the LSA grades and the exempt-concentration test are measured against. It comes from your assay (the activity) and the mass of the material.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc computes activity concentration from the activity and mass you enter.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Surface Contaminated Object (SCO)

Surface Contaminated Object (SCO) means a solid object which is not itself radioactive but which has radioactive material distributed on its surface. SCO exists in two phases: (1) SCO-I: A solid object on which: (i) The non-fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm² (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm² ) does not exceed 4 Bq/cm² (10 −4 microcurie/cm² ) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 0.4 Bq/cm² (10 −5 microcurie/cm² ) for all other alpha emitters; (ii) The fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm² (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm² ) does not exceed 4 × 10⁴ Bq/cm² (1.0 microcurie/cm² ) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 4 × 10³ Bq/cm² (0.1 microcurie/cm² ) for all other alpha emitters; and (iii) The non-fixed contamination plus the fixed contamination on the inaccessible surface averaged over 300 cm² (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm² ) does not exceed 4 × 10⁴ Bq/cm² (1 microcurie/cm² ) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 4 × 10³ Bq/cm² (0.1 microcurie/cm² ) for all other alpha emitters. (2) SCO-II: A solid object on which the limits for SCO-I are exceeded and on which: (i) The non-fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm² (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm² ) does not exceed 400 Bq/cm² (10 −2 microcurie/cm² ) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 40 Bq/cm² (10 −3 microcurie/cm² ) for all other alpha emitters; (ii) The fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm² (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm² ) does not exceed 8 × 10⁵ Bq/cm² (20 microcurie/cm² ) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 8 × 10⁴ Bq/cm² (2 microcuries/cm² ) for all other alpha emitters; and (iii) The non-fixed contamination plus the fixed contamination on the inaccessible surface averaged over 300 cm² (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm² ) does not exceed 8 × 10⁵ Bq/cm² (20 microcuries/cm² ) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 8 × 10⁴ Bq/cm² (2 microcuries/cm² ) for all other alpha emitters.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: An object that is not itself radioactive but has radioactive contamination on its surfaces: tools, equipment, pipe. Graded SCO-I and SCO-II by how much contamination there is and where.
When you ship: SCO ships under its own UN entry in industrial packages, with the same conveyance-level limits as LSA. The grade comes from fixed and non-fixed contamination measurements on the accessible and inaccessible surfaces.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc classifies SCO from the contamination values you enter.

Tip

The exempt test for a surface contaminated object uses only the consignment activity limit. The concentration limit does not apply, because the activity sits on the surface rather than being spread through the object's mass, so RAMcalc checks SCO against the consignment limit alone. After that, the contamination limits and the SCO grades take over.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.436

Technical name

Technical name means a recognized chemical name or microbiological name currently used in scientific and technical handbooks, journals, and texts. Generic descriptions are authorized for use as technical names provided they readily identify the general chemical group, or microbiological group. Examples of acceptable generic chemical descriptions are organic phosphate compounds, petroleum aliphatic hydrocarbons and tertiary amines. For proficiency testing only, generic microbiological descriptions such as bacteria, mycobacteria, fungus, and viral samples may be used. Except for names which appear in subpart B of part 172 of this subchapter, trade names may not be used as technical names.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A recognised chemical name used in scientific and technical handbooks, added in parentheses after some proper shipping names. For radioactive material the nuclide names serve the same purpose on the paper.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8

Transport index (TI)

Transport index (TI) means the dimensionless number (rounded up to the next tenth) placed on the label of a package, to designate the degree of control to be exercised by the carrier during transportation. The transport index is determined by multiplying the maximum radiation level in millisieverts (mSv) per hour at 1 m (3.3 ft) from the external surface of the package by 100 (equivalent to the maximum radiation level in millirem per hour at 1 m (3.3 ft)).
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The one-metre radiation level in mrem/h, rounded up to the next tenth. It is written on the label and tells the carrier how much control, separation and stacking the package needs.
When you ship: Survey at one metre from the package surface, convert to mrem/h, round up to a tenth. The TI goes on the label and the shipping paper, and together with the surface reading it picks the label category.
Where RadShip does it: LabelCalc calculates the TI from your one-metre reading and shows the resulting label.

Tip

Best practice: find the hottest spot on the package surface first, then step straight back from that spot to take the one-metre reading for the TI.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 172.403

Transport vehicle

Transport vehicle means a cargo-carrying vehicle such as an automobile, van, tractor, truck, semitrailer, tank car or rail car used for the transportation of cargo by any mode. Each cargo-carrying body (trailer, rail car, etc.) is a separate transport vehicle.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A cargo-carrying vehicle: truck, van, trailer, rail car. Each cargo-carrying body counts as one transport vehicle, which matters for per-vehicle limits and exclusive use.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8

Type A package

A kind of Package

(3) “Type A package” means a packaging that, together with its radioactive contents limited to A 1 or A 2 as appropriate, meets the requirements of §§ 173.410 and 173.412 and is designed to retain the integrity of containment and shielding required by this part under normal conditions of transport as demonstrated by the tests set forth in § 173.465 or § 173.466, as appropriate. A Type A package does not require Competent Authority approval.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The workhorse package for up to an A1 or A2 quantity. It must keep its contents and shielding through normal transport conditions, proven by tests, and the shipper must have the test documentation on file.
When you ship: Most routine sealed-source and sample shipments are Type A. The box does not need a certificate of approval unless the contents are fissile, but it does need its Specification 7A test records, and you need to be able to show them.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc tells you when the quantity requires a Type A package and gives the matching UN entry.

Tip

A Type A package must be closed exactly as its closure instructions say, and it must carry a tamper-evident seal, something that shows if the package has been opened. In an exclusive-use closed vehicle the cargo compartment may be sealed instead of each package.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.412, 49 CFR 173.415, 49 CFR 173.475

Type A quantity

Type A quantity means a quantity of Class 7 (radioactive) material, the aggregate radioactivity which does not exceed A 1 for special form Class 7 (radioactive) material of A 2 for normal form Class 7 (radioactive) material, where A 1 and A 2 values are given in § 173.435 or are determined in accordance with § 173.433.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: An amount of radioactive material at or under A1 (special form) or A2 (normal form). The quantity that fits in a Type A package.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Type B package

A kind of Package

(4) “Type B package” means a packaging designed to transport greater than an A 1 or A 2 quantity of radioactive material that, together with its radioactive contents, is designed to retain the integrity of containment and shielding required by this part when subjected to the normal conditions of transport and hypothetical accident test conditions set forth in 10 CFR part 71.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The package for quantities above A1 or A2. It is designed to survive accident conditions (fire, drop, crush, immersion) and still keep its contents and shielding, and it carries a certificate that says exactly how it may be used.
When you ship: A Type B shipment means a certified package, used exactly as the certificate describes: contents, closure, tie-down, and the package identification marking from the approval entered on the shipping paper. The package owner, not the shipper, usually holds the approval.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc tells you when the quantity exceeds Type A and a Type B package is required.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.417

Type B quantity

Type B quantity means a quantity of material greater than a Type A quantity.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: More than a Type A quantity. Anything over A1 or A2 needs a Type B package.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Type B(M) package

A kind of Package

(ii) “Type B(M) package” means a Type B packaging, together with its radioactive contents, that for international shipments requires multilateral approval of the package design, and may require approval of the conditions of shipment. Type B(M) packages are those Type B package designs which have a maximum normal operating pressure of more than 700 kPa/cm² (100 lb/in 2 ) gauge or a relief device which would allow the release of Class 7 (radioactive) material to the environment under the hypothetical accident conditions specified in 10 CFR part 71.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A Type B package that does not meet every Type B(U) design condition, so each country on the route must approve it (multilateral approval). The usual reasons: the package needs venting or other operating controls during transport, or it only passes the Type B tests within a narrower temperature range. A large cask approved with venting or temperature limits for a domestic highway move is a typical example.
When you ship: A Type B(M) never flies on a passenger aircraft, and a vented one never flies at all.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 175.700

Type B(U) package

A kind of Package

(i) “Type B(U) package” means a Type B packaging that, together with its radioactive contents, for international shipments requires unilateral approval only of the package design and of any stowage provisions that may be necessary for heat dissipation.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: A Type B package whose design needs approval only by the country of origin (unilateral approval).

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Unilateral approval

Unilateral approval means approval of a package design solely by the Competent Authority of the country of origin of the design.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Approval of a package design by the US competent authority alone. Enough for domestic Type B(U) use; international moves may need multilateral approval.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Unirradiated thorium

Unirradiated thorium means thorium containing not more than 10⁻⁷ grams uranium-233 per gram of thorium-232.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Thorium that has not been through a reactor, defined by a ceiling on its uranium-233 content. A term from the fissile-exception rules. Unirradiated thorium carries no fission products or bred fissile material, which is why the rules can treat it leniently.
When you ship: Mined and refined thorium is unirradiated. You only meet the irradiated case with material that has come out of a reactor.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403

Unirradiated uranium

Unirradiated uranium means uranium containing not more than 2 × 10³ Bq of plutonium per gram of uranium-235, not more than 9 × 10⁶ Bq of fission products per gram of uranium-235 and not more than 5 × 10⁻³ g of uranium-236 per gram of uranium-235.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: Uranium that has not been through a reactor, defined by ceilings on its plutonium, fission-product and uranium-236 content. A term from the fissile-exception rules. Mined, refined and enriched uranium that has never been in a reactor is unirradiated.
When you ship: Unirradiated natural and depleted uranium are LSA-I and are not fissile for transport. Unirradiated low-enriched uranium is where several fissile exceptions apply. Spent fuel and anything recovered from it is irradiated and outside those exceptions.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.453

Uranium — natural, depleted or enriched

Uranium — natural, depleted or enriched means the following: (2) For each of these definitions, a very small mass percentage of uranium-234 may be present.
From 49 CFR 173.403, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The three uranium grades the rules distinguish, by how much uranium-235 the uranium contains compared with uranium as mined. Natural is as mined, depleted is what is left after enrichment, enriched is the product.
When you ship: The grade decides the pathway: natural and depleted uranium in bulk are LSA-I and manufactured articles of them can ship as excepted packages, while enriched uranium brings the fissile rules into play.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc takes the uranium-235 enrichment you enter and uses it in the fissile evaluation.

Checked against 49 CFR 173.403, 49 CFR 173.426

Regulators and standards bodies

Who writes the rules, who enforces them, and which ones RadShip relies on. Where the CFR describes a body in its own words, those words are quoted; otherwise the entry points to the body's own site.

Agreement States

Agreement States (state radiation control programs under agreement with the NRC)

Not defined in the CFR. Source: www.nrc.gov

In plain words: States that have taken over, by agreement with the NRC, the licensing of most radioactive material within their borders. If your license comes from your state, that is an Agreement State program. It changes who inspects you, not how you ship: the transport rules are still DOT's, and the NRC's package approvals still apply.
When you ship: Know which regulator issued your license, because that is who you report to and who asks for your shipping records. Either way the package, papers and training are DOT requirements.

Related: NRC, DOT

DOE

U.S. Department of Energy

Notwithstanding the requirements of §§ 173.416 and 173.417 of this subchapter, packagings made by or under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy may be used for the transportation of Class 7 materials when evaluated, approved, and certified by the Department of Energy against packaging standards equivalent to those specified in 10 CFR part 71. Packages shipped in accordance with this paragraph shall be marked and otherwise prepared for shipment in a manner equivalent to that required by this subchapter for packagings approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Excerpt from 49 CFR 173.7(d), eCFR as of October 28, 2026

In plain words: The federal department that runs the national laboratories, the weapons complex and much of the nuclear fuel cycle. It approves package designs for its own shipments the way the NRC does for licensees, and its shipments follow the DOT rules like everyone else's.
When you ship: You meet DOE mostly as a consignor or consignee: DOE sites ship and receive a great deal of radioactive material, often in DOE-approved packages, and a DOE-approved package is marked and prepared like an NRC-approved one.

Related: NRC, DOT, Fissile material package

Checked against 49 CFR 173.7, 49 CFR 172.403

DOT

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal hazardous materials transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5101 et seq. ) directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish regulations for the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials in commerce, as the Secretary considers appropriate. The Secretary is authorized to apply these regulations to persons who transport hazardous materials in commerce. In addition, the law authorizes the Secretary to apply these regulations to persons who cause hazardous materials to be transported in commerce.
Excerpt from 49 CFR 171.1, eCFR as of October 28, 2026

In plain words: The federal department whose Secretary is given the job, by law, of regulating hazardous materials in transport. The Hazardous Materials Regulations (the HMR, parts 171 to 180 of the transportation title) are DOT rules, and every Class 7 shipping requirement in this glossary traces back to them.
When you ship: DOT rules decide the hazard class, the packaging, the markings, labels, placards, shipping papers and training. DOT does not license you to possess the material; that is the NRC or your Agreement State.
Where RadShip does it: Everything RAMcalc, LabelCalc and the paperwork generators do is built on the DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.1

EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

This regulation designates under section 102(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“the Act”) those substances in the statutes referred to in section 101(14) of the Act, identifies reportable quantities for these substances, and sets forth the notification requirements for releases of these substances.
Excerpt from 40 CFR 302.1, eCFR as of October 28, 2026

In plain words: The environmental regulator. It keeps the list of hazardous substances and their reportable quantities, including one for every radionuclide, and DOT copies that list into its own rules. That is why a radioactive package can also be a 'hazardous substance' with an RQ.
When you ship: When the activity in one package reaches the RQ for the nuclide, the letters RQ go on the shipping paper and the package, and a release of that much has to be reported.
Where RadShip does it: RAMcalc checks the RQ for each nuclide and adds the RQ notation when it applies.

Checked against 40 CFR 302.1, 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 172.101

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

Except as delegated to the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy by § 1.25, carry out the functions vested in the Secretary by 49 U.S.C. 5121(a), (b), (c), and (d), 5122, 5123, and 5124, relating to the transportation or shipment of hazardous materials by air.
Excerpt from 49 CFR 1.83(d)(1), eCFR as of October 28, 2026

In plain words: The DOT agency for aviation. It enforces the hazmat rules on airlines and air shippers and sits with PHMSA on the international panel that writes the air rules.
When you ship: If you ship by air, the FAA is the enforcer behind the airline's dangerous goods acceptance check. A rejected package or an undeclared shipment is an FAA matter.

Checked against 49 CFR 1.83, 49 CFR 1.97

FMCSA

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Except as delegated to the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy by § 1.25, carry out the functions vested in the Secretary by 49 U.S.C. 5121(a), (b), (c), and (d), 5122, 5123, and 5124, relating to the transportation or shipment of hazardous materials by highway.
Excerpt from 49 CFR 1.87(d)(1), eCFR as of October 28, 2026

In plain words: The DOT agency for trucking. It enforces the hazmat rules on the highway, inspects carriers and vehicles, and owns the motor carrier safety rules that cover driver qualification, routing and parking of hazmat loads.
When you ship: Your carrier's drivers answer to FMCSA. A highway route controlled quantity needs a route plan under its rules, and roadside inspections are where paperwork and placarding errors get found.

Checked against 49 CFR 1.87, 49 CFR 397.101, 49 CFR 177.816

FRA

Federal Railroad Administration

Not defined in the CFR. Source: railroads.dot.gov

In plain words: The DOT agency for rail. It enforces the hazmat rules on railroads the way FMCSA does on the highway and the FAA in the air.
When you ship: Rail shipments of radioactive material are rare for most shippers; when one happens, the railroad's acceptance rules and FRA inspections apply on top of the usual DOT requirements.

Related: DOT, PHMSA

Checked against 49 CFR 1.97

IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency

IAEA means International Atomic Energy Agency.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The United Nations agency for nuclear matters. Its transport regulations, SSR-6, are the model that the DOT rules, the air rules and the sea rules all follow, which is why the same A1, A2, Type A and Type B ideas appear everywhere.
When you ship: You will see the IAEA on certificates: a foreign special form certificate or package approval is issued under the IAEA regulations by that country's competent authority, and PHMSA revalidates it for use here.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 173.473, 49 CFR 173.476

IATA

International Air Transport Association

Not defined in the CFR. Source: www.iata.org

In plain words: The airlines' trade association. Its Dangerous Goods Regulations are the field manual for air shipments, built on the ICAO Technical Instructions with the airlines' own additions, and the Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods is its form.
When you ship: If a package goes by air, the airline checks it against the IATA rules. The declaration you sign, the labels, the passenger versus cargo decision and the acceptance checklist all come from the IATA manual.
Where RadShip does it: RadShip produces the dangerous goods declaration for air shipments and makes the passenger or cargo-aircraft-only call.

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organization

ICAO means International Civil Aviation Organization.
From 49 CFR 171.8, eCFR as of October 13, 2026

In plain words: The United Nations agency for civil aviation. Its Technical Instructions are the legal rules for dangerous goods by air worldwide, and the DOT rules allow shipments prepared under them.
When you ship: For international air shipments the ICAO Technical Instructions govern. In practice shippers work from the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, which restate them with the airlines' extra requirements.

Checked against 49 CFR 171.8

IMO

International Maritime Organization

Not defined in the CFR. Source: www.imo.org

In plain words: The United Nations agency for shipping by sea. Its International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code is the rulebook for dangerous goods on vessels, and the DOT rules accept shipments prepared under it.
When you ship: A radioactive package going by sea is prepared under the IMDG Code, with the same classification and most of the same package rules; the vessel operator checks stowage and segregation under it.

Related: DOT, IAEA

NRC

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

This part establishes— (1) Requirements for packaging, preparation for shipment, and transportation of licensed material; and (2) Procedures and standards for NRC approval of packaging and shipping procedures for fissile material and for a quantity of other licensed material in excess of a Type A quantity. [...] The requirements of this part are in addition to, and not in substitution for, other requirements.
Excerpt from 10 CFR 71.0(a)–(b), eCFR as of October 26, 2026

In plain words: The federal agency that licenses the possession and use of most radioactive material and approves the designs of Type B and fissile packages. Its own transport rules sit on top of DOT's: DOT says how to ship, the NRC says what its licensees must also do and which packages are approved.
When you ship: If you hold an NRC or Agreement State license, you follow 10 CFR part 71 as well as the DOT rules: approved packages for Type B and fissile shipments under their certificates of compliance, a quality assurance program, and the NRC's own shipper duties.
Where RadShip does it: RadShip classifies under the DOT rules; where a result needs an NRC-approved package, it says so, and the certificate number you enter goes on the paperwork.

Checked against 10 CFR 71.0, 49 CFR 173.417

PHMSA

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Carry out, in coordination with the Administrators of the Federal Aviation Administration (for matters relating to the transport of hazardous materials by aircraft), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (for matters relating to the transport of hazardous materials by public highway), and the Federal Railroad Administration (for matters relating to the transport of hazardous materials by rail), the functions vested in the Secretary by all other provisions of the Federal hazardous material transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5101 et seq. ) except as delegated by §§ 1.83(d)(2) and (3) (FAA) and 1.87(d)(2) (FMCSA) and by paragraph 2(99) of Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.
Excerpt from 49 CFR 1.97(b)(3), eCFR as of October 28, 2026

In plain words: The agency inside DOT that writes the Hazardous Materials Regulations, answers questions about them in letters of interpretation, grants special permits and, for radioactive material, acts as the U.S. Competent Authority. When a rule in this glossary says 'the Associate Administrator', it means PHMSA's head of hazardous materials safety.
When you ship: PHMSA is who you ask when a rule is unclear, who issues the certificates for special form sources and for package designs going abroad, and who receives the incident report if something goes wrong. Its interpretation letters are public and are the best evidence of what a rule means.
Where RadShip does it: RadShip's rules and its library of interpretations are built on PHMSA's regulations and letters.

Related: DOT, Competent Authority, FAA, FMCSA, IAEA

Checked against 49 CFR 1.97, 49 CFR 171.8, 49 CFR 173.476

USPS

U.S. Postal Service

Not defined in the CFR. Source: pe.usps.com

In plain words: The mail. The Postal Service has its own rules for hazardous materials and accepts only very small amounts of radioactive material, with its own limits and markings. Most Class 7 shipments cannot go through the mail at all.
When you ship: Do not assume a small source can be mailed. Check the Postal Service's hazardous materials publication, and when in doubt use a carrier.

Related: DOT, Excepted package

Checked against 10 CFR 71.0

Class 7 Radioactive Shipping Glossary

Terms, A to Z

Regulators and standards bodies

Related Guides & Tools

RAMcalc Calculator

DOT Class 7 Shipper Certification Course

What is Radioactive Material per DOT? The Definition Explained

Package Types Explained: Excepted, Type A, Type B, and Industrial