inbound

Eighty years ago, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson were honored as the finest baseball players of their era when they became the first athletes inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has taken a page from Major League Baseball’s playbook and will honor three supply chain pioneers as the inaugural class of its Supply Chain Hall of Fame. They are J.B. Hunt, founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.; Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Co.; and Malcom McLean, developer of the modern intermodal shipping container.

CSCMP created its Supply Chain Hall of Fame to honor
individuals and groups who have made outstanding contri-
butions to the supply chain discipline. “The Supply Chain
Hall of Fame allows us to recognize those who have been at
the forefront of this growing and evolving discipline, and
to look toward those who will continue to shape it in the
future,” CSCMP president
and CEO Rick Blasgen said
in a press release.
Inductees were chosen for
their thought leadership,
creation or advancement
of innovative technologies,
and overall contributions to
supply chain management.
“The 2016 inductees into the CSCMP Supply Chain Hall
of Fame represent the pinnacle of innovation and industry
leadership,” said Kevin Smith, chairman of CSCMP’s board
of directors, in the release. The formal induction ceremony
will be held at CSCMP’s Annual Conference, which takes
place Sept. 25–28 in Orlando, Fla.

CSCMP creates Supply Chain Hall of Fame

Here’s something we bet you’ve never thought about before (we certainly hadn’t): how shipping hazardous materials is eerily similar to the TV show “Game of Thrones.” But thanks to a tongue-in-cheek press release from Labelmaster, a company that helps shippers comply with regulations governing dangerous goods (DG) and hazardous materials, our eyes have been opened. Herewith, Labelmaster’s entertaining take on why “Game of Thrones” is like hazmat shipping:

1. They’re both based on ridiculously long books … Hazmat/ dangerous goods transport is based on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Code of Federal Regulations, Vol. 49, which clocks in at well over 1,000 pages. “Game of Thrones” is based on George R.R. Martin’s series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which averages 1,000 pages per volume.

2. … which never seem to be finished. Regulators update 49CFR regularly, so you can never truly know what it will contain in the future. Likewise, Martin has been so slow to produce the sixth book in his series that the TV show went ahead without it.

3. Flammable liquids play a prominent role. From alcohol to gasoline to house paint, Class 3 flammable liquids are some of the most common dangerous goods shipped. As for “Game of Thrones,” suffice it to say that, if a certain wildfire-bearing ship in the Battle of the Blackwater had borne the correct hazmat labels, Stannis Baratheon would sit on the Iron Throne today.

4. Poisons, too. Class 6 poisons are among the more com-
mon types of dangerous goods shipped. Poisons are popu-
lar in “Game of Thrones,” claiming the lives of Jon Arryn,
King Joffrey, Princess Myrcella, and—almost—Ser Gregor
Clegane. Assassins have also tried to poison Daenerys
Targaryen twice.
5. Many of the rules seem arbitrary … DG professionals
may wonder why the borders on a shipping label can only
be a certain width, or why one can ship lithium batteries
on passenger jets if they’re installed in devices, but not by
themselves. “Game of Thrones” characters may wonder
why the men of the Night’s Watch are forbidden from
dating, quitting, or wearing any color but black. Or why
in Vaes Dothrak you’re not allowed to kill someone with a
knife, but it’s OK to bash his head in with a rock.

6. … but compliance is strongly recommended. Fines for hazmat shipping violations can be pretty steep, and violations can hurt sales, customer relationships, and a company’s reputation. Still, that’s small potatoes compared with the penalties in “Game of Thrones.” Abandoning the Night’s Watch? Death. Disobeying an order? Death. Looking at Ramsay Bolton the wrong way? You get the idea.

7. The number 7. Hazmat shipping is governed by the 49th volume of the Code of Federal Regulations—and 49 is equal to 7 x 7. In “Game of Thrones,” most of the people in the Seven Kingdoms worship a group of Gods known collectively as The Seven—and 7 x 7 equals 49. Coincidence? You know nothing, Jon Snow.