Knowledge Base

Summary: This is what UPS needs on a domestic package that carries dangerous goods (hazmat) or dry ice, and the exact wording UPS returns when something is missing. For the addresses on the shipment, see "UPS domestic shipments: required address fields and length limits." To get dangerous goods turned on and the paperwork printing in the first place, see "Ship dangerous goods: IATA (air) and 49CFR (ground) papers."

You enter these details at Ship > Package > Advanced > Hazmat. Shipstore passes them to UPS when it makes the label.

What UPS always needs on a hazmat package

• Proper shipping name - the official name of the material, up to 150 characters.
• Rule set - which set of dangerous goods rules applies: CFR, IATA, TDG, or ADR (explained below).
• How it travels - Ground, Highway, passenger aircraft, or cargo aircraft only. Not needed for ADR, which is always ground.
• Hazard class or division, unit of measure, packaging, and quantity. UPS turns the shipment down without these even though they look optional.
• Emergency contact and 24-hour phone number - always required under TDG, and required whenever a phone number is entered. The phone number needs at least 10 characters and has to contain digits.

Which rule set goes with which shipment

Two rules to keep in mind. Use the same rule set across the whole shipment, and if the package is travelling by ground, the rule set has to be CFR, TDG, or ADR. IATA with a ground shipment is turned down.

Package limits

• Up to 3 different regulated materials in one package. A fourth is turned down.
• One dry ice entry per package.
• Dry ice and hazmat cannot share the same package. Split them.
• Dry ice needs a rule set (CFR, IATA, or ADR) and a weight in pounds or kilograms. The dry ice weight cannot be more than the package weight, and it is capped at 440 pounds (200 kg).

The errors you may see, and how to fix them

UPS shows the exact wording below. Fix what it names and try again.

• HazMat ProperShippingName is required and not set. - The proper shipping name is blank. Enter it.
• Missing or invalid RegulationSet - No rule set, or one that is not CFR, IATA, TDG, or ADR. Pick from the table above.
• RegulationSet must be CFR, TDG or ADR when TransportationMode is Ground. - You picked IATA on a ground shipment. Change the rule set to CFR, TDG, or ADR, or ship it by air.
• HazMat ClassDivisionNumber is required. - The hazard class or division is blank. Enter it.
• HazMat UOM not set or invalid. - The unit of measure is blank or not one UPS accepts.
• HazMat PackagingType is required. - How the material is packaged is blank. Enter it.
• HazMat EmergencyPhone required since Regulation Set is TDG - TDG always needs a 24-hour emergency phone number. Add it.
• Number of HazMat entities per package cannot be greater than 3. - More than three materials in one package. Split them across packages.

What you should see

After you fill in what the message names and process again, the label prints and the dangerous goods paperwork prints with it.

If something goes wrong

UPS turns down every hazmat shipment no matter what you enter. The UPS account itself has to be approved for dangerous goods by UPS. Contact UPS.

No paperwork prints at all. The documents have to be added to your profile first. See the related article on dangerous goods papers.

The UPS air declaration will not print on plain paper. UPS sends its own document back with the label and it has to print on the striped stock UPS supplies. Plain paper is not an option for it.

You cannot see a hazmat field on the screen. Email support@shipstore.com with your company name and say which field you need, so it can be added where you enter shipments.

One thing this article does not do: it does not tell you whether what you ship is regulated, or how. That stays with you and your carrier.

Related articles

• Ship dangerous goods: IATA (air) and 49CFR (ground) papers
• UPS domestic shipments: required address fields and length limits
• UPS domestic shipments: billing and payor fields
• Switch to a hazmat profile automatically with a child rule
• Ship USPS limited-quantity hazmat and print the "H" on the label

Regulated levels: fully regulated, limited quantity, and the smaller reliefs

Every dangerous-goods entry carries a regulated level. The level decides how much information you supply and, just as important, how the box has to be packed, marked and papered. UPS calls the four choices Fully Regulated (FR), Limited Quantity (LQ), Excepted Quantity (EQ) and Lightly Regulated (LR).

The level is a regulatory decision, not a shipping preference. Whoever at your company holds current dangerous-goods training decides which level applies to the material. That training is a legal requirement for the person who offers the shipment. If you are not that person, ask them before you send.

What every level needs

Whatever the level, a dangerous-goods entry always carries the proper shipping name, the regulation set, and the transport mode. Transport mode is the one exception: it does not apply when the regulation set is ADR.

Fully regulated (FR)

Information: the full set. Proper shipping name, ID number, hazard class or division, the quantity with its unit of measure, and the packaging type.

The box: UN specification packaging, the hazard class labels for the material, and shipping papers travelling with the shipment.

Limited quantity (LQ)

Information: the same identifying detail as fully regulated. Proper shipping name, ID number, hazard class or division, quantity and unit of measure.

The box: this is where the relief is. A limited quantity goes in strong outer packaging rather than UN specification packaging, and it carries the Limited Quantity marking. On a ground shipment no placards are needed, and the hazard label can be left off when the shipment is not moving by air.

Excepted quantity (EQ) and lightly regulated (LR)

These cover the smallest amounts. The hazard label does not apply at either level. You still identify the material: excepted quantity carries the hazard class or division, and lightly regulated carries the proper shipping name and ID number.

Pick the regulation set that matches the lane

• CFR for hazardous materials moving by ground inside the United States, and for ground shipments to Canada.
• IATA for anything moving by air, anywhere.
• TDG for Canada-to-Canada ground, and Canada to the United States on a standard movement.
• ADR for Europe-to-Europe ground movements.

The regulation set has to be the same across the whole shipment, and it has to agree with the transport mode. A ground shipment has to be CFR, TDG or ADR, and UPS says so plainly: "RegulationSet must be CFR, TDG or ADR when TransportationMode is Ground."

Emergency contact details

When the regulation set is TDG, an emergency phone number is required and it needs at least ten characters. Whenever you supply an emergency phone, you also have to supply the emergency contact name that goes with it.

Limits worth knowing before you pack

• A single package can carry at most three dangerous-goods entries. A fourth is refused.
• Dry ice cannot travel in the same package as a dangerous-goods entry, and a package can carry only one dry-ice entry.
• Dry ice is capped at 200 kg, which is 440 lbs, per pallet or shipment, and the dry-ice weight cannot exceed the weight of the package it is in.

The messages you may see, and what each one wants

• "HazMat ProperShippingName is required and not set." The proper shipping name is blank.
• "HazMat ClassDivisionNumber is required." The hazard class or division is blank.
• "HazMat UOM not set or invalid." The unit of measure is blank or is not one UPS accepts.
• "HazMat PackagingType is required." The packaging description is blank.
• "Missing or invalid CommodityRegulatedLevelCode" The regulated level is blank or is not one of the four.
• "HazMat EmergencyPhone required since Regulation Set is TDG" A TDG shipment has no emergency phone.
• "Number of HazMat entities per package cannot be greater than 3." Split the material across more packages.

If the entry looks complete and UPS still refuses it, email support@shipstore.com with your company name, the shipment number, and the exact wording UPS returned.