Commonly Used Terms

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services.

ASTM has created a number of standards for the freight transportation sector; the most important ones are:

• Test Methods for Programmable Horizontal Impact Test for Shipping Containers and Systems
• 16 Standard Practice for Performance Testing of Shipping Containers and Systems
• Practice for Conditioning Containers, Packages, or Packaging Components for Testing
• Test Method for Random Vibration Testing of Shipping Containers
• Test Method for Bridge Impact Testing
• Test Method for Drop Test of Loaded Containers by Free Fall
• Test Method for Performing Programmed Horizontal Impacts Using an Inclined Impact Tester
• Test Method for Simulated Drop of Loaded Containers by Shock Machines
• Test Methods for Mechanical Handling of Unitized Loads and Large Shipping Cases and Crates
• Test Methods for Rough Handling of Unitized Loads and Large Shipping Cases and Crates
• Test Method for Concentrated Impacts on Transport Packages
• Test Methods for Determining the Effects of High Altitude on Packaging Systems by Vacuum Method
• Test Method for Determining Compressive Resistance of Shipping Containers, Components, and Unit Loads
• Practice for Performance Testing of Packages for Single Parcel Delivery Systems
• Test Method for Impact Testing for Shipping Containers and Systems
• Test Method for Water Resistance of Shipping Containers by Spray Method
• The terminology of Packaging and Distribution Environments
• Test Methods for Vibration Testing of Shipping Containers

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