Editorial Policy
Every claim on this site is meant to be checkable. This page explains the method, including what happens when a figure cannot be verified.
Source hierarchy
Sources are ranked, and the ranking is applied consistently rather than case by case.
| Tier | Sources | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| First | The published test method itself, standards bodies, carrier classification documents, government data, peer-reviewed research | Any figure, threshold, or statement about what a standard requires |
| Second | Trade associations, accredited laboratories, established industry publications | Context, industry practice, and figures where no primary source is reachable, always with the uncertainty stated |
| Context only | Supplier, manufacturer and vendor material | Understanding how a term is used in the trade. Never the basis for a number |
That last row matters more than it looks. Vendor pages dominate the search results for nearly every topic covered here, and they are frequently the only thing a reader will otherwise find. They are read for orientation and then set aside.
How an article is built
- Scope. The question is narrowed until it can be answered completely rather than gestured at.
- Source gathering. Governing documents are identified first: the test method, the classification item, the carrier rule. Only then is secondary material read.
- Drafting. Written in the third person, reporting what the sources establish. No invented experience, no fabricated case studies, no testimonials.
- Evidence pass. Every claim needing support is listed and either sourced and linked, or qualified in the visible text.
- Review. Checked against the source set for accuracy, and against readability standards so the prose stays usable by someone who is not a packaging engineer.
- Publication. Published with a named author, a publication date and a modification date.
Figures that cannot be verified
This field has a specific problem: several of the documents that actually govern it are paywalled or restricted to members. A freight classification table or an industry handbook is not something a reader can simply open and check.
When a figure cannot be confirmed against a primary source, one of three things happens, and never a fourth:
- It is verified and cited, with the source linked.
- It is qualified in plain language in the visible text, using wording that tells the reader what the uncertainty is: published guidance has commonly called for, industry guidance treats it as approximate, current requirements should be confirmed.
- It is cut. A specific number from a source with an interest in that number is worse than no number.
What does not happen is an estimate presented as settled fact, or a precise-sounding figure carried over from a vendor page because it was the only one available.
Standards move
Test methods are revised. Classification rules are amended. Carrier tariffs change on their own schedule and without notice to anyone outside the carrier. Articles carry a modification date that reflects genuine revision, not a cosmetic touch to look fresh to a search engine.
Where a requirement is known to change, the text says so and tells the reader to confirm the current rule before committing to a specification.
Authorship
Every article carries a named author with a published biography and a stated coverage area. Authors write in the third person and do not claim first-hand testing they have not performed. Each author page lists which hubs they write in and how many references they have published.
Independence
Editorial decisions are made without reference to any commercial relationship. No advertiser sees an article before it publishes. No company can pay for inclusion, favorable description, or the removal of criticism. Correction requests are handled identically whether or not the party advertises here. See the affiliate disclosure.
What is never published
No guest posts. No contributed articles. No paid links. No sponsored placement dressed as editorial. No content published without being checked against sources.