Dangerous goods can cause harm to people, living organisms, and the environment. When transporting such materials, it is important to ensure the shipment arrives safely and to prevent any unwanted situations. It is important to properly configure in ShipStation any of your products that are dangerous goods.
See our What are Hazardous or Dangerous Goods? FAQ article to learn about dangerous goods classifications and if your product requires special shipping. We also have a country-specific list of carriers that accept shipments of dangerous goods.
This article explains how to configure dangerous goods in ShipStation, add them to manual orders, and import product information in bulk using a CSV file.
To configure a Dangerous Goods product:
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Add your Dangerous Goods Product Name and your Dangerous Goods SKU into the corresponding fields.
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Click on the Shipping tab.
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Check the box that reads, "This product is classified as dangerous goods."
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Add your product's dangerous goods information starting with the UN Number.
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Add your product's Shipping Name and Technical Name.
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Add the Product Hazard Class and Sub Hazard for your product.
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Select from the Packaging Group dropdown the appropriate option for your dangerous goods product.
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Add the Quantity, Amount (weight or volume), and Packaging Type for your product.
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Click Save.
Avoid Fines, Delays, and Denied Shipments
Failure to comply with dangerous goods regulations can result in significant fines, delays, or even denied shipments. Ensure your shipping carrier approves dangerous-goods-classified products and that you follow current regulations, guidelines, and requirements when shipping dangerous goods.
If you're unsure about the specific dangerous goods information required, contact your carrier directly for guidance, as these requirements can vary between carriers.
Follow these steps to manually add a dangerous goods product to an order:
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Fill in the recipient's shipping and order information in the New Order popup.
A red asterisk indicates a required field.
🇺🇸 Paste the Full Address
US-based accounts have a Paste Address option to paste in a full address and let ShipStation parse the elements into the correct address fields. This feature currently works only for US addresses.
If you have multiple manual stores, make sure you select the appropriate one for the order.
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Click + Add a Line Item to add your dangerous goods product.
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Add the SKU for your dangerous goods product.
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Click Save Order.
Information about and associated with the dangerous goods product (based on its SKU) will now appear in the Order Details under the Shipment Items.
The process to bulk import your catalog of Dangerous Goods using a CSV will be similar to how you upload products via CSV. The main difference is that the goal of this specific CSV import is to add dangerous goods information to the existing product record.
You can find a Dangerous Goods Import Sample CSV attached at the end of this article.
Understanding Required Data for Proper CSV Configuration
It's crucial that first you properly configure your Dangerous Goods CSV before you import it. To do this, you must understand the data fields required for dangerous goods products.
A CSV for importing dangerous goods (DG) should have columns matching the fields in this table that are used for DG classification and safe shipping.
|
Column Names |
Description |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Product Name |
The name of the product as it appears in your ShipStation product page. |
Bluetooth Speaker |
|
SKU |
The unique identifier (Stock Keeping Unit) assigned to this product. |
BATTERY-123 |
|
UN Number |
A four-digit number associated with this hazardous material to identify the dangerous goods. |
3481 |
|
Shipping Name |
Trade description of the dangerous goods. |
Lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment |
|
Technical Name |
The detailed name of the product for safety or compliance. |
Lithium cobalt oxide |
|
Product Class |
The main hazard category assigned to a dangerous good based on regulations. Products are grouped into one of nine classes depending on their primary or most significant risk, with some classes further divided into divisions. |
9 |
|
Sub Hazard |
An extra hazard type assigned to products with more than one risk category. |
N/A - Example (9.1) |
|
Packaging Group |
Associated packaging group and danger level. |
N/A - Example (i, ii, iii) |
|
Amount |
How much of the product is in the shipment |
1 |
|
Amount Unit |
The unit of measurement, like liters or kilograms. |
grams |
|
Packaging Type |
What the product is packed in, like a box or drum. |
Box |
|
Transport Category |
Any special transport rules or restrictions. |
N/A - Example (3) |
|
Reportable Quantity |
A flag to indicate whether or not the quantity of a hazardous substance from Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) is sufficient to trigger a report under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). |
FALSE |
|
Weight Quantity |
The total weight of the product in the shipment |
400 |
|
Radioactive |
Indicator if the substance is radioactive. |
FALSE |
Follow these steps to bulk import your catalog of Dangerous Goods using a CSV.
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Click Import then choose Import Product Dangerous Goods.
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Select the prepared CSV file then click Upload & Preview.
Optional: You can select an Import Template for faster future CSV imports.
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Preview the imported data to ensure it contains the correct information.
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Ensure that the columns in your CSV file are correctly mapped to the corresponding fields in the system.
ShipStation will attempt to automatically map the fields. Verify that each column matches the right field, especially for dangerous goods properties.
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Click Start Import.