Batteries are running the world. OK, not literally. However, according to a report from Market Research Future, the global battery market is expected to grow at a 4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between this year and 2023. While the automotive sector is expected to fuel this growth as companies look to alternatives to gas-powered vehicles, cell phones, laptops, and other portable electronic devices and the overall increasing dependence on technology are contributing to the rise in battery usage in a big way.

This growth in the battery market could mean that more shippers will be sending products carrying Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) and probably more commonly, Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. In a high-volume parcel shipping environment, you may not even know it.

If you are shipping batteries, you’ll need to be sure they are being labeled correctly as hazardous materials (hazmat), or you may risk sanctions and penalties. In fact, beginning Jan. 1, 2019, you will need Lithium Battery Marks or Hazard Class 9 Lithium Battery Labels for your battery shipments to stay in compliance.

However, whether you are shipping batteries or other dangerous goods, the risk of regulatory non-compliance is a growing concern for parcel shippers. As Pierbridge Managing Director Bob Malley wrote about in a recent guest blog for Labelmaster, “How Your Systems Can Simplify Hazmat and Multi-Carrier Shipping Compliance to Fuel Growth,” it takes the right planning and the right technology to keep your shipping more straightforward and compliant, including the:

• Ability to control access and user permissions by users, user groups, and locations

• Ability to digitize and store hazmat shipping records and forms to meet DOT filing requirements

• Ability to validate hazmat shipments against regulatory rules

Visit our partner Labelmaster’s website and read the blog to get the rest of the story. There are insights about how the right Dangerous Goods Information System (DGIS) and parcel shipping software can help your hazmat parcel shipments stay compliant.