So you need RFID labels for your military shipping containers to comply with MIL-STD-129? (If you don’t know if you need RFID, find out here.)
MIL-STD-129 requires specific labeling for intermediate and exterior shipment containers going to the DoD. Here we are talking about the exterior labeling requirements including RFID.
There are 3 possibilities for exterior shipment labels:
MIL-STD-129 Exterior Label. Normally you would use this on an exterior containter that is being palletized. There is some product and contract data included on the label. In some cases, this label would also be put onto boxes that are being shipped by UPS or FedEx alongside the shipping label. The label will look similar to the label shown here to the left and might need to be RFID enabled.
MSL. This is the DoD label that has all the shipping and product information included. The graphic to the right shows a typical MSL. The MSL is the main DoD shipping label so can be used on pallets and on non-palletized boxes and crates.
RFID Label. If you already have a way to print the shipping labels, you can add an RFID label— just like the example shown here to the left. This is a simple way to get into compliance if your contract asks for RFID. Because there is no product or contract data in the label, they can be ordered in advance and used as required.
If you are shipping to the DoD, your contract calls for RFID and you need help producing your labels, there is good news. The RFID label is the simplest for us to make for you because it contains far less information than the others. For us to produce the other labels, we will send you a spreadsheet that you will need to populate with all the information that goes on the label.
How do you know which to use?
If it isn’t clear from the contract (which is often the case) I’d suggest contacting your DCMA rep. These guys are handling contracts all the time and should be able to guide you in the right direction.
To learn more about how to have your RFID or MIL-STD-129 labels printed and/or encoded or contact me at Winco ID and I’ll be hapy to help you comply.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions:
David Holliday
dholliday@wincoid.com
603-598-1553 x237
Labeling & Coding News is the online industry insider from ID Technology, EPI , Panther, Greydon, and Code Tech Labeling & Coding product brands of ProMach.
