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Hazardous materials are not always what you think they are, and shipping them is possible in most cases, but there are stipulations and rules that you must comply with. Anytime a material that is considered harmful or potentially harmful is moving, there is a risk. Whenever shipping hazardous materials, federal regulations must be adhered to through the entire transportion process. 

What is Hazardous?

The definition of hazardous material is relatively loose and does not always specify exactly what is and isn't hazardous. The US Department of Transportation does a pretty good job of outlining the items, but some of the more common things are radioactive materials, infectious substances, hazardous chemicals, dry ice, compressed gases, lithium batteries, liquid nitrogen, and the list goes on. Any of these could be a cause for concern while in transit and therefore, must follow the DOT guidelines when shipping them.

Hire a Shipping Company

Finding a shipping company that is familiar with shipping hazardous materials is not difficult. Many companies specialize in materials that could be potentially harmful because, while there is a risk, there is also more money in shipping these materials than carrying other non-hazardous cargo. When you start talking to a carrier or shipper about your shipping needs, be sure to ask about their experience in the industry and if they have shipped material like yours before. 

The shipper must know what they are doing and how to comply with safety regulations so that your freight gets where it needs to be without hurting anyone along the way. You can check the shipper's history and references before working with them, and if you find anything that concerns you, move on to another shipper.

Cost of Shipping

This is one area that cutting corners for a few dollars is not going to serve you well. Shipping anything that is considered a hazard is going to cost more than standard shipping. There are a lot of additional fees that the shipping company has to deal with, and they need to pay drivers more to compensate for the risk of moving these hazardous loads.

If you find a shipper that is a lot less expensive than other shippers in the area, check them out thoroughly before you hire them. They may just be a smaller company with less overhead, but if there is a problem with a load, it can reflect poorly on your company as well as the shipper.