Shipping Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Materials
Learn how to safely and successfully transport hazardous materials/dangerous goods with UPS.
Dangerous Goods Resource Centre
As a transportation company, UPS is obligated to comply with all governmental laws and regulations relating to the transportation of dangerous goods. Such laws and regulations are issued by Transport Canada, the U.S. Department of Transportation (D.O.T.), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other regulatory bodies to ensure the safe transportation and offering for transportation of dangerous goods/hazardous materials using all modes, including highway, air, and rail.
In order to ship dangerous goods with UPS Canada, you must:
- Have a UPS Scheduled Pickup shipping account
- Be in compliance with all dangerous goods regulatory requirements and UPS's carrier variations
- Have approval of the specific commodities and quantities of dangerous goods to be tendered to UPS
- Have a signed UPS Dangerous Goods service contract
- Use a current UPS dangerous goods/hazardous materials compliant shipping system and formatted shipper declarations
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For additional information about approval to ship dangerous goods with UPS, contact your UPS Account Executive or contact the UPS Dangerous Goods support centre at cancompliance@ups.com or call 1-800-509-0953.
This guide is designed to help UPS customers comply with the limitations and other requirements (variations) for shipping dangerous goods with UPS. However, in Canada, all dangerous goods must comply with the appropriate regulations. Ground service level packages must always comply with the Canada Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR).
UPS accepts dangerous goods in air service level packages prepared in accordance with the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). ). In order to ship air service level packages prepared under the IATA DGR, shippers must follow the provisions in Part 12 of the TDGR for the use of the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. TThe IATA DGR is the aviation industry’s user-friendly version of the ICAO Technical Instructions. Use of the IATA DGR must take into consideration UPS carrier variations. In any case, failure to comply with applicable TDGR or IATA regulations may result in enforcement action by appropriate authorities.
Where through this guide UPS publishes restrictions or additional requirements applicable to its dangerous goods shipments, it does so to establish conditions for satisfying the conditions incident to transportation in the UPS system.
If you have any questions about shipping dangerous goods with UPS, please contact the UPS Dangerous Goods support centre at cancompliance@ups.com or call 1-800-509-0953.
All dangerous goods shippers must process their shipments using a UPS compliant shipping solution in conjunction with hazardous materials shipment preparation software. You may utilize the current version of UPS provided WorldShip purchase approved third-party software or use a comparable system which will provide UPS with the necessary computer-generated documentation (shipping papers for TDGR prepared packages or DG Declarations for IATA prepared packages) and electronic information.
In addition, all dangerous goods customers must be in compliance with the current UPS Canada Terms and Conditions.
Effective January 1, 2016, shipments of UN 3171, Battery-powered vehicle, will only be accepted under the following conditions:
- Passenger aircraft quantities only, not accepted as CAO
- Shipment is limited to a maximum gross weight of 30 kg
- Vehicle containing lithium battery or batteries therein that would separately be classified as UN 3480 or UN 3090. The battery contained in the vehicle is limited to 5 kg maximum net weight.
- For shipments of UN3171 powered by lithium batteries, UPS requires the additional marking, "Contains Lithium Batteries." The marking must meet the requirements as stated in 49 CFR 172.301(a)(1) and be near the proper shipping name.
- Vehicle containing a wet, non-spillable battery or batteries therein that would separately be classified as UN 2800. The battery contained in the vehicle is limited to 25 kg maximum net weight.
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Shipments of UN3171, Battery-powered vehicle, containing defective or damaged batteries are not accepted by UPS.
Effective July 1, 2015, UPS will only accept for air transportation, UN3090 Lithium Metal Batteries or Cells from approved shippers.
Lithium Metal Battery Shipper Pre-Approval
For safety, UPS recommends that all combination packages of nitric acid include intermediate, non-reactive plastic or metal packagings between the inner container and outer packaging.
Authorized single packagings may be offered for UPS Standard service only within Canada. Authorized single packagings are those allowed by the regulations, with the following additional UPS requirement: For the UPS small parcel environment, rigid packagings must be used (e.g. plastic, steel, aluminum, etc.) in order to withstand the normal rigors of small package transportation. Additional handling charges may apply.
If you have any questions about shipping dangerous goods with UPS, please contact the UPS Dangerous Goods support centre at cancompliance@ups.com or call 1-800-509-0953.
Related Important Information
Shipping Dangerous Goods
Types of Dangerous Goods and Commodities
International Dangerous Goods Chemical Tables
Preparing a Dangerous Goods Package
Dangerous goods packages must be prepared in accordance with TDG regulations for ground shipments and IATA regulations for air shipments. Shippers must make certain that a package is correctly marked, packaged, labelled and documented.
Note: Preparing dangerous goods/hazardous materials for transport by aircraft usually requires compliance with more stringent regulations than for ground transport. For example, for air shipment, packages containing liquids must satisfy a pressure differential test specified in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Each dangerous goods package must also have the required IATA Shippers Declaration for Dangerous Goods.
Recent Regulatory Changes
Effective 1 January 2020, all manufacturers and distributors of cells, batteries and equipment powered by cells and batteries manufactured after 30 June 2003 are required to make available a test summary as specified in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria.
Distributors and shippers are not required to provide printed copies of the test summary with each consignment containing lithium batteries, and are encouraged to make it available using technology, for example, by listing it on the company’s website.
For more information on IATA regulations, please visit the IATA website or contact your local account executive or customer service representative.
Dangerous Goods regulations are subject to change on a regular basis.
UPS Ready Vendors
UPS works with third-party dangerous goods software vendors. The following vendor list offers preparation modules for the IATA Shipper´s Declaration for dangerous goods. These programmes work in conjunction with WorldShip.
- Dangerous Goods Council
- Hazmat Software, LLC©
- Labelmaster
