# FedEx Express Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 10-0068  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2010-06-02

10-0068 response to FedEx Express Corporation concerning 172.204.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
JUN 0 2 20m
Mr. David Littlejohn
FedEx Express Corporation
3070 Hack Cross Road
Building G, 2nd Floor
Memphis, TN 38125-8800
Reference No. 10-0068
Dear Mr. Littlejohn:
This is in response to your e-mail and telephone conversation with a member of my staff requesting
clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) regarding
shipping paper formatting of identification number entries. Specifically, you asked whether a UN
identification number, for example, UN1263, may be split into two lines in the identification
number column on shipping papers.
You provided the following example:
NATURE AND QUANITY OF DANGEROUS GOODS
Dangerous Goods Identification
UN
or
ID
No.
Proper Shipping Name Class or
Division
(Subsidiary
Risk}
Packaging
Group
Quantity and type of
packaging
UN3
268 AIR BAG MODULE 9 III
We recommend that the designated column be of sufficient width to accommodate the identification
number on a single line. However, the identification number may be entered on two lines, split
between any of the numerals, when placed in a column captioned to clearly identify the contents
and the entry is easy to read and not run together with other text or numerals. The entry shown in
the above example is acceptable.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact this office if you have additional questions.
Sincerely, «-.
-t/il6c~
Hattie
L. Mitchell
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
From: Betts, Charles (PHMSA) Ml!.1.n~rc
Sent: Monday, March 22, 201011:57 AM
To: Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
Subject: FW: PHMSA Interpretation ~ 172. AOq
Importance: High 'Sh ipp I ~j P~fer-.s
CAROLYN, ~ 0 -0 l) "g
HERE IS ANOTHER NEW REQUEST FROM FEDEX.
THANKS,
CHARLES
From: David Littlejohn [mailto:mdlittlejohn@fedex.com]
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 11:36 AM
To: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)
Subject: PHMSA Interpretation
Importance: High
Dear Mr. Betts:
FedEx Express is requesting your office provide an interpretation regarding information noted on a Dangerous
Goods (DG) Shipper's Declaration. As you are aware many shippers utilize a standard format where the
paperwork has headings or columns for the information to be noted. At times because of space a shipper may
not be able to include all of the information under the column. For example the UN/ID number. A shipper that
may be offering UN 1263 lists the number as UN12 with the 63 directly underneath. It is our position this
would be permissible certainly when this information is being noted on a standard form directly under a
heading/column. Thank you in advance for providing a response and if any additional information is needed
please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Regards,
David Littlejohn
FedEx Express Corporation
Corporate Safety Advisor
901-434-9567
1

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2010/100068.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `cac2ebee4f121561390d4abbdbf32069945eb3ac6cbdf76714579c98c56a0f99`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T19:23:07.874Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-10-0068`

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