mpl35 said:
Yeah it has a special tag. It should never "smoke". Not sure when you saw that happened. I've seen literally thousands of packages coming in and going out with dry ice. It is the preferred method for most meat shipments in my experience.
When dry ice thaws quickly it can create a cloud of CO2 vapor that from a distance can look like steam or smoke. I have not seen it personally but I have had lab coolers delayed by a FedEx plane that had an unmarked dry ice shipment start leaking visible CO2. If they tip an unmarked cooler over and start seeing visible gas seeping out of it, they are not going to walk up and check to see if it is dry ice, smoke, or some other dangerous gas. They are going to clear out the plane and send in a hazmat team. If the package is clearly labeled as containing dry ice, they have a way to know what it is if it starts leaking gas.
That is why it has the special labeling requirement. Yes, it is the preferred method and is used all the time, but sometimes shippers refuse to accept it for certain destinations at certain times, so it is best to check with them first before you show up with a shipment. Wasn't saying there was some big risk to doing it, just that there are special rules and they take a dim view when you don't declare it and follow their rules.
