ISTA® Transit Tested Certification
The biggest single advantage to our Shipper members is the use of the ISTA® Certification Mark.
The ISTA® Transit Tested Certification Mark is visible proof to carriers and customers alike that a package has passed industry accepted preshipment laboratory testing and that ISTA has reviewed the results of the test report and certified the packaged-product for safe transit within specified damage limits.
Any company may test a package to an ISTA® test procedure. Only ISTA members receive Certification and, under a Manufacturers License, are allowed to print or affix the ISTA® Transit Tested Certification Mark on their packages.
Package Certification, when partnered with use of the ISTA® Certification Mark, helps:
- Generate a package that will adequately protect against shock, vibration, compression and/or atmospheric hazards in the distribution environment.
- Reduce or eliminate the need for multiple trial shipments and get new products to market faster while insuring their survival.
- Strengthen your company's position in claims negotiations as it establishes the adequacy of the package, thus encouraging carriers and claims inspectors to look for other causes of damage and to settle or accept settlement more quickly, reducing claims and claims processing expenses.
- Customer satisfaction: Customers remain loyal if their product arrives in optimal condition.
- Negotiations for lower freight and cargo insurance rates because of a lower risk of damage in shipment.
How to get your packaged-product certified:
Transportation packaging successfully tested in an ISTA Certified Laboratory according to one of the current ISTA Procedures or Projects may be certified as Transit Tested for ISTA Shipper members.
The test lab completes a report form and forwards it to ISTA Headquarters for review and processing. Product Manufacturers who are Shipper members of ISTA are then allowed to have the Transit Tested Certification Mark printed on the approved packaged-product. ISTA will notify the Shipper member of the approved certification in the form of a letter.
The Transit Tested Certification Mark on a package is visible proof to carriers that it has passed industry accepted preshipment laboratory testing and that ISTA headquarters has reviewed the results of the test report and certified the package-product for safe transit.
Any company may test a package to an ISTA test procedure, but ONLY ISTA Shipper members receive notification of Certification and, under a Manufacturers License Agreement, are eligible to print or affix the Transit Tested Certification Mark on their packaged-products.
The ISTA® Certification Mark shows your company’s dedication to optimal packaging. While such certification doesn't automatically guarantee the payment of claims, this third-party involvement puts you in a very strong position if there is a dispute with carriers, or others, involved with your product distribution. Even if you never get into a dispute, the fact that the testing and reporting process can be certified (available only to ISTA members) gives you maximum confidence in the results.
Since ISTA is truly an international organization, with global membership and certified labs in over 30 countries, recognition of the effectiveness of our programs is widely accepted.
Click here to view a flow chart of how the process works from the initiation of a test report submission to ISTA through the issuance of a certification notification.