Match rechargeable sample revisions to battery identities, UN 38.3 test summaries and the forwarder’s shipment assessment before collection.
QQIP Editorial · Published 2026-11-04
Before an air shipment of rechargeable OEM samples is booked, ask the supplier to connect the actual sample configuration to its battery identity, test summary and proposed packing arrangement. Send that same file set to the forwarder's dangerous-goods team. Resolve mismatched model numbers before collection rather than asking the courier to infer the contents from a retail product name.
This workflow is for brand buyers coordinating intact consumer-product samples containing rechargeable lithium-ion cells or batteries. It is not a packing instruction. Damaged units, returns, loose spare batteries and untested development batteries need a separate assessment before anyone offers them for transport.
Start with the sample that will actually leave the factory
Request the finished-product model and revision, battery or cell manufacturer and model, battery chemistry, rated voltage and capacity, number of cells or batteries per product, number of samples, and proposed packing arrangement. Ask whether any battery travels separately from the device, including an extra replacement unit in the carton.
Keep those answers together with a supplier photograph identifying the installed battery where safely obtainable by the manufacturer. The buyer need not open or modify a sample to create this record. If the commercial SKU differs from the engineering model, ask the supplier for a written cross-reference between them.
Treat a proposed battery substitution as a new review item. A product catalogue's capacity value does not identify its cell supplier or establish which battery design was tested. Use the product specification comparison guide to keep product claims separate from missing component information.
Match the test summary to that identity
PHMSA's July 2024 guide describes the standardized information in a lithium battery test summary. Useful checks include the manufacturer and laboratory contacts, unique test report number and date, battery description and model, test results, applicable manual edition, and responsible person's name and title. The model identification can refer to the battery or, for a summary established for a product containing it, the product. PHMSA test-summary guide.
Read the document rather than filing a cover page labelled “UN38.3.” When a summary covers several batteries or products, find the entry that corresponds to this sample. Request a supplier cross-reference if the product has been rebranded. Keep the original identification intact; changing a PDF's model name does not demonstrate that the test results cover a different design.
PHMSA also explains that a summary does not have a general expiry date: a different design requiring retesting calls for revised information. An older report date is therefore a prompt to check design continuity, not by itself proof that the summary has expired. PHMSA, questions 7 and 10.
Conceptual illustration of keeping the sample identity and document set together.
Give the forwarder a configuration record
The 2026 IATA Battery Guidance Document distinguishes lithium-ion batteries shipped by themselves, packed with equipment and contained in equipment. It identifies different packing instructions for these arrangements. Describe the physical arrangement to the forwarder rather than selecting a declaration from the product category. The guide is based on the 2025–2026 ICAO Technical Instructions and the 67th edition of the IATA DGR; it states that the guide itself is not a regulatory compliance source. IATA 2026 battery guidance.
Use this handover table for the proposed shipment. The forwarder should return the applicable classification and preparation requirements for that configuration and route.
| Handover item | What the buyer should obtain |
|---|---|
| Product-to-battery match | Sample model and revision linked to battery identity and the relevant summary entry |
| Physical arrangement | Installed batteries, separately packed batteries and any spares clearly distinguished |
| Quantity and route | Products and batteries per package, package count, origin, destination and intended carrier |
| Transport assessment | Applicable classification and packing instruction confirmed by the responsible shipping team |
| Preparation requirements | Required packaging, marks, labels, charge conditions and documents for this consignment |
| Release responsibility | Named shipper and person approving preparation before collection |
Do not copy requirements from a different year's shipment or assume a low sample quantity removes the need for assessment. Ask which current edition and operator variations the shipping team used. Retain its response with the shipment record.
Separate a requested SDS from a test summary
A forwarder may request an SDS as part of its intake process. Ask what it needs and provide the relevant supplier document, but do not substitute an SDS for the battery identity and test-summary review. IATA notes that SDS information can be inadequate for transport classification and directs questions back to the manufacturer, distributor or an appropriate laboratory. IATA dangerous-goods FAQ.
Similarly, a general statement that a battery meets UN test criteria does not contain all the standardized summary information. PHMSA distinguishes such a statement from making the required summary available. It also explains that making a summary available does not generally mean a paper copy must accompany every shipment. Follow the actual requirements returned for the consignment rather than inventing an extra universal paperwork rule. PHMSA, questions 8 and 9.
Generic dispatch illustration, not a demonstration of an approved battery packing method.
Close the file before collection
Ask the factory to send the final packing list, the document versions assessed and photographs of the prepared package to the shipping team. Check that no replacement battery, spare unit or extra sample has been added since assessment. Where the proposed arrangement changes, return the changed configuration for review before collection.
Keep a record of the shipper, carrier acceptance conditions and collection details. IATA's FAQ makes clear that airlines can impose requirements beyond the general regulations and can refuse a shipment. A complete test-summary file is therefore one part of shipment preparation, not a promise of carriage. IATA operator variations and acceptance.
Include these document requests in the OEM brief when ordering samples. Agree who supplies battery information, who resolves a mismatch and who confirms the shipment's preparation. That turns the paperwork into a defined supplier deliverable before a delivery date is promised.
Sources checked 4 November 2026: IATA's 2026 battery guidance and dangerous-goods FAQ, and PHMSA's July 2024 test-summary guide. The handover table is QQIP Editorial's coordination worksheet. Reconfirm applicable rules and carrier conditions for every shipment; it does not authorize dispatch of a particular sample.