Hazardous Materials Shipping | HAZMAT Services

Hazardous materials (HAZMAT) include substances that pose a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment during transport. Common examples include lithium batteries, aerosols, flammable liquids, dry ice, paint, cleaning agents, perfumes, and certain medical or laboratory samples. The DOT and IATA maintain detailed classification systems—our team can help you determine whether your item qualifies as HAZMAT before you attempt to ship.

Yes, but each carrier has specific rules about which hazardous materials they accept, in what quantities, and under what conditions. FedEx and UPS accept a wider range of HAZMAT items than USPS, which has stricter restrictions on flammables and certain chemicals. At ShipMate+, we're authorized shippers for all three carriers and can identify the best compliant option for your specific material and destination.

Required documentation typically includes a Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods (for air shipments), proper hazard class labels, UN identification markings on packaging, an emergency contact number, and carrier-specific acceptance forms. International HAZMAT shipments require additional customs declarations and may need Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS/SDS). Our team prepares and reviews all required paperwork to ensure your shipment won't be rejected or delayed.

Yes. We handle international HAZMAT shipments to over 200 countries, managing IATA dangerous goods compliance, country-specific import restrictions, customs documentation, and carrier coordination. International HAZMAT shipping involves significantly more regulatory complexity than domestic shipments, including quantity limits per package and aircraft type. Our specialists ensure every cross-border HAZMAT shipment meets all applicable regulations before it leaves our Vista, CA store.

Lithium batteries are among the most commonly shipped HAZMAT items and are subject to specific regulations under IATA and DOT rules. Standalone lithium batteries, batteries packed with equipment, and batteries contained in equipment each fall under different rules governing packaging, labeling, and watt-hour limits. We handle lithium battery shipments regularly and will ensure your package meets all carrier-specific requirements for safe, compliant transport.

Hazardous materials must be packed in UN-certified containers appropriate for the material's hazard class and packing group. Inner packaging must prevent leakage, and outer packaging must be sealed, labeled with the correct hazard diamonds, and marked with UN numbers and proper shipping names. Absorbent materials are required for liquids. Rather than risk a packaging error, bring your HAZMAT items to ShipMate+ and let our professional packers handle it correctly.

Improperly declared or packaged HAZMAT shipments can result in package refusal, seizure by carriers or customs, civil penalties from the DOT (fines can exceed $80,000 per violation), and in serious cases, criminal liability. Beyond regulatory consequences, mislabeled HAZMAT shipments pose genuine safety risks to handlers and transport workers. Working with ShipMate+'s trained team eliminates these risks by ensuring full compliance from the start.

Yes. For hazardous material volumes that exceed standard parcel carrier limits, we coordinate LTL (less-than-truckload) and full-truckload freight solutions through our network of over 40 freight and cargo carriers. Freight HAZMAT shipments require proper placarding, carrier-specific hazardous materials bills of lading, and compliance with FMCSA regulations. Our freight specialists handle all coordination so your large-volume HAZMAT cargo moves safely and compliantly.