Hazmat Paperwork for Ground Freight

Hazmat shipping involves a stricter set of rules than standard freight. This quick guide covers the minimum hazmat identifiers carriers typically need for hazmat shipments via ground freight, where to find them, and how to place them on your documents so the shipment isn’t held up at pickup or in a terminal.

Hazmat paperwork essentials

At a minimum, have the following details ready before booking your hazmat freight shipment:

• UN number (UN code)
• The full commodity description
• Hazmat class
• Packing group (when applicable)
• Emergency contact number

If you’re not sure where to get this information, start with your product’s SDS/MSDS (Safety Data Sheet / Material Safety Data Sheet); that’s where this information is typically documented.

Where to put hazmat info (and why you must declare it before pickup)

Declare hazmat during quoting/booking, not as a last-minute note on the paperwork. Not every carrier accepts hazmat goods, and those that do need to plan for the right equipment, authorizations, and routing. If hazmat is disclosed late (or only written as a note), the carrier may refuse the shipment, and you may see additional charges.

The carrier needs the hazmat details documented in the right place and in the right format. A Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) is the document usually used to communicate the key hazmat details carriers need to handle the shipment safely. Most ground carriers will allow the DGD to be replaced by the Bill of Lading (BOL), as long as the BOL includes the required hazmat details.

If you use the BOL instead of a separate DGD, the hazmat details still need to be placed in a clear, expected format: list the UN number → proper shipping name → hazmat class → packing group in the product description (in that exact order), and include the emergency contact number in special instructions.

A DGD is documentation showing the shipment has been labelled, packaged, and declared according to dangerous goods regulations.

Often yes, if the BOL includes the required hazmat fields (UN number, proper shipping name, hazmat class, packing group).

List the UN number → proper shipping name → hazmat class → packing group in the product description (in that order), and include the emergency contact number in special instructions.

Pull the hazmat identifiers from the SDS/MSDS for the product you’re shipping.