Paintings, nail polish, dry shampoo, hairspray, perfume, batteries, e-cigarettes. While these may seem like everyday items to some people, did you know that they are considered dangerous goods? If you sell these products online, you will face some challenges with shipping dangerous goods.

You may think of hazardous products as items such as nuclear waste and other highly toxic chemicals, but they actually contain much more common items. Why? Because people handling or storing these products (for example, in a warehouse or on a truck, airplane or ship) can be injured if the products fall, break, spill or come in contact with other substances.

Hazardous materials are among the most complex, highly regulated and expensive products to transport. Because of the danger they may pose to people, property or the environment, dangerous goods shipping requires compliance with many rules and regulations.

Four carriers of dangerous goods shipping

The four major carriers in the United States (FedEx, USPS, UPS and DHL) all offer dangerous goods shipping services. Each carrier has specific rules that govern how they transport certain classes of dangerous goods and how they ship dangerous goods domestically and internationally by truck, air and sea.

1. FedEx

FedEx provides training and guidance on dangerous goods shipping, including how to be approved to ship hazardous materials, battery shipping information, services and restrictions, acceptable and prohibited materials, marking and labeling, packaging, and more. Read the FedEx Hazardous Materials Guide.

2. United States Postal Service

USPS ships dangerous goods, but there are restrictions on domestic and international dangerous goods shipments. You cannot ship matches, aerosols, tobacco products, glues, perishables, and other items through any USPS mail type. Contact your local post office to see if they can assist you.

3. DHL Express

DHL is a well-established dangerous goods carrier that complies with IATA and ADR regulations and other applicable national legislation. Please refer to the DHL Dangerous Goods Shipping Guide for shipping conditions, dangerous goods charges, a summary of shipper responsibilities, other important facts and information, and to contact a DHL Dangerous Goods Specialist.

4. UPS

UPS ships hazardous materials and provides training for those new to shipping these materials. the UPS Dangerous Goods Shipping Guide includes updated regulatory information, UPS hazardous materials requirements, examples of proper box marking, and more information on safely and successfully shipping hazardous materials.

Find out which categories UPS can ship here. If you have any questions about shipping hazardous materials with UPS, you can contact the UPS Hazardous Materials Support Center at 1-800-554-9964.

JIKEship is a third party logistics ( 3PL ) company that works with all four carriers listed above to help e-commerce businesses store inventory, pick and pack products, and ship orders.JIKEship can work with some brands that sell hazardous materials and ship orders domestically via ground, but some restrictions apply.

JIKEship is compliant

At JIKEship, we pride ourselves on meeting regulatory requirements. Our warehouse is certified to comply with local, state and federal hazardous materials laws, and our employees are trained in 49 CFR to know how to handle hazardous materials.

For every hazardous material that JIKEship ships (e.g., lithium-ion batteries, aerosols, hand sanitizer with less than 80% alcohol content, etc.), the shipping label indicates that it is a hazardous material, so the carrier knows what is in it. jikeship does not ship hazardous materials internationally, expedited, or by air.

For JIKEship approved products, merchants must mark each SKU as "Dangerous Goods" in the JIKEship dashboard to comply with all regulations.

Conclusion

Dangerous goods shipping can be a complex and expensive process. Because so many regulations are required, make sure you have completed all the correct paperwork and research before attempting to ship.

You can also work with a 3PL that handles hazardous materials order fulfillment. Find out if JIKEship can help your brand ship hazardous materials in a safe manner. Contact our team below to learn more.