Today’s fast-paced world may bear little resemblance to the 1860s, but the safe shipping of Dangerous Goods was every bit as important then as it is now. This infographic provides a brief retrospective on the key milestones and government agencies that have shaped US shipping regulations over the past 100+ years.

1. 2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
1900
1890
1880
1880
1870
1860
HM-112
1866
1887
1908
1930s
1975
1976
1977
1985
1986
1990
1994
1996
2002
2003
2004
The first federal regulations
were passed covering the
transportation of Dangerous
Goods, specifically nitroglycerine.1
The Interstate Commerce
Commission (ICC) was established
to bring consistency to all modes
of transportation.1
Congress passed the Explosives and Other Dangerous Articles Act
(EODA), which set the standards for packing, marking, loading,
and handling Dangerous Goods for the next 60 years.1
The EODA:
The ICC regulations
were adopted
by other federal
agencies:1
The US Coast Guard
covered water transportation
The Civil Aeronautics
Board (CAB) established
the first rules for
transporting DG by air
Highway transportation
was handled by the ICC
The history of DG shipping regulations in the United States dates back to the Civil War.
At that time, shipments of explosives by rail were covered by contracts between
shippers and carriers based on English common law.
It’s been a long and winding road from shipping
rail cars of nitroglycerine in the post-Civil War era
to flying lithium batteries across the globe, but
Labelmaster is here today with dedicated regulatory
experts on staff to help make sense of the current
regulations and ensure your DG packages travel
safely and compliantly by land, sea, or air.
1959
1960
1967
The Federal Aviation Administration
was established.2
Congress prohibited the transportation
of radioactive materials by passenger
carriers, except for shipments under
the direct supervision of the
Atomic Energy Commission or
Department of Defense.3
The Department of
Transportation (DOT)
became operational,
overseeing DG
shipping regulations.2
The National Transportation
Safety Board was established
as an independent agency.4
The Hazardous Materials Regulations Board
was created to coordinate all hazardous
materials activities within the DOT.5
The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1975 (HMTA)
was passed. The HMTA greatly expanded the DOT’s authority
to set regulations applicable to DG shipping by any mode
of transportation.1
Applied to any traffic affecting interstate commerce
Authorized the designation of DG classifications,
quantities, and forms
Authorized DOT to create regulations for packing, repacking,
handling, labeling, marking, placarding, and routing
Established a registration program for shippers, carriers,
and container manufacturers
The Materials Transportation Bureau (MTB) was created to
consolidate responsibility between modal administrations.6
Congress consolidated and amended
DG regulations for labeling and
placarding, including adding new
hazard classes with HM-112.1
The Research and Special
Programs Administration
(RSPA) was created to con-
solidate the Transportation
System Center, the MTB, and
other intermodal activities.2
Amendments to the Federal Aviation Act
of 1958 were signed into law, one of
which substantially exempted all cargo
aircraft operations from CAB regulation.2
As the CAB ceased
operations, the DOT
assumed aviation-related
regulatory functions.2
The Surface Freight
Forwarders Deregulation
Act was signed.2
Congress enacted the Hazardous Materials
Transportation Uniform Safety Act
(HMTUSA) to clarify the HMTA and align
DG requirements with the UN.
The Hazardous Materials Transportation
Authorization Act broadened the regulatory
and enforcement authority of the Secretary
of Transportation with discretionary power
to require any DG shipper (not already
required) to register with the DOT.7
The ICC (the nation’s oldest regulatory
commission) ceased operation and was
replaced by the Surface Transportation
Board under the DOT.2
The Transportation Security
Administration (TSA)
became operational.2
The TSA and US Coast Guard were
transferred from the DOT to the newly
created Department of Homeland Security.2
The RSPA was restructured, creating the Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA) and the Research and Innovative
Technology Administration (RITA).8
INTERSTATE
COMMERCE ACT (1887)
1907
The Bureau of Explosives
was created to
establish standards
for handling
explosives and
other Dangerous
Goods by rail.1
AIR shipping was
now handled by the
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA).
LAND transportation
was governed by
the Federal Highway
and Railroad
Administrations.
MARITIME DG
shipping was still
covered by the US
Coast Guard.
CFR—Regulations for
the different modes
were published in
the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR).
Prohibited the transportation of
DG without specific authorization
from the ICC
Established criminal
penalties for violations
Shipping
Dangerous Goods (DG)
can be a complicated prospect
with thousands of rules covering
packaging, labeling, placarding, and
documentation from dozens of regulatory agencies.
DID YOU EVER WONDER HOW THE SYSTEM GOT TO BE THE WAY IT IS TODAY?
labelmaster.com
800.621.580
SOURCES:
1
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Transportation of Hazardous Materials,
OTA-SET-304 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, July 1986).
2
http://ntl.bts.gov/historian/chronology.htm
3
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/86/s1806/text source for 1960 Congress radioactive
4
https://www.ntsb.gov/about/history.html NTSB history
5
https://www.federalregister.go/artles/2010/04/05/2010-7544/hzardous-materials-regulations
-combustible-liquids Hazardous Materials Regulations Board reference
6
http://testimony.ost.dot.gov/test/pasttest/76test/Curtis1.PDF source for MTB
7
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/101/s2936 HMTUSA
8
https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/research-and-special-programs-administration
source for end of RSPA
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