identified by the TSA as the "known shipper" program. Both of these items are directly related to the safe and secure conduct of a flight, both passenger and freight. Since 9/11, each of these decisions have been made a little easier for us due to the aggressive position taken by the FAA on Dangerous Goods Training and the oversight of the Known Shipper program by the TSA. There no longer is a "lets wait and see" attitude by FAA inspectors as they look at the certification of Shippers, Freight Forwarders and Air Carriers. It is now a binary decision; either you are certified to conduct Dangerous Goods shipments or you are not. And if you are not, you may face fines, and even worse, temporary cessation of operations. The IAC's are even in a more precarious situation because of the heavy focus by the TSA on auditing shippers. You may have read the news of an owner of a Freight Forwarding firm in the New York area who may even face criminal charges as well as loss of his company due to his behavior in the face of auditing his shippers. While the TSA is willing to assist you in the process, once you are in operating mode, there is a firm policy on how you handle freight from your shippers. But these arguments are negative reasons for training; it is not the best way to appeal to those who need it. What if there was no certification needed; does that mean that you would never train your staff? The answer is a resounding "no" because even those of us who are busy and who are dealing with tight cost constraints know that training in the long term reduces costs, makes our employees more productive and improves customer service. It is no secret that the best managed firms in the United States have the highest marks for both customer and employee retention. The way we manage and promote our staff is directly related to our bottom line. The other aspect of training is that it fuels productivity and efficiency. Again, it will take a "negative" story to make the point but a few years ago, a cargo carrier had their airplane severely damaged when a skid loosened and penetrated the skin of the airplane. What would have been the cost of one weight and balance class or a class on palletization?? A lot less that the repair of that 747. I would like to offer a chart on the areas of training related to Cargo, and then a brief summary of who should attend and the content. Finally, I will recommend a few training companies who can assist you in the process.