Dangerous Goods
ShipStation API supports many properties required by various carriers to indicate you are shipping dangerous goods (DG) and remain in compliance with the carrier's dangerous goods shipping requirements.
Which dangerous goods objects and properties you use and how you use them will depend on the carrier and service you are using for your shipments. Requirements and support will vary from carrier to carrier. In general, we advise that your integration allows the entry of any field we have defined. By sending full information, you ensure that your integration can support shipping dangerous goods with any carrier that supports it with ShipStation API.
Dangerous Goods Properties
ShipStation API currently offers two levels of dangerous goods-related properties when creating shipments or purchasing a label:
- Dangerous Goods Advanced Option: Using the
dangerous_goodsadvanced option, you can mark a shipment as containing one or more items designated as a dangerous good. - Dangerous Goods Object: The
dangerous_goodsobject holds multiple DG-related properties in thepackages.productsaray so you can indicate specific dangerous goods attributes at the product level, as required by the carrier.
Whether you use one or both of these options will be determined by the carrier you use for your shipment. For example, USPS shipments use only the dangerous_goods property in the advanced_options object, and do not support the product-level properties.
Dangerous Goods Advanced Option
The dangerous_goods advanced option is used to indicate a shipment includes an item that is considered a dangerous good by the carrier and is included in the shipment.advanced_option object. While shipping dangerous goods with certain carriers may only require this identifier, other carriers will require additional product-level dangerous goods properties (review the Dangerous Goods Object details below).
This table lists the dangerous goods advanced options available with ShipStation API. Whether these properties are required or not is determined by the carrier and service you are using for the shipment.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
dangerous_goods | boolean | Indicates to the carrier that the shipment contains one or more items that are classified as dangerous goods. |
dangerous_goods_category | string | Specific to DHL eCommerce. Use a number code to denote DG type [01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08, or 09] as a string instead of the dangerous_goods boolean. See the DHL eCommerce Americas API Content Categories for the correct number-code value of each DG type. NOTE: Dangerous Goods is unavailable for DHL eCommerce AU. |
dangerous_goods_contact | object | The contact details for the shipment recipient responsible for accepting the DG shipment. Includes name and phone properties. |
dangerous_goods_contact.name | string | The name of the shipment recipient. |
dangerous_goods_contact.phone | string | The contact phone number for the shipment recipient. |
List carrier options to see if your carrier supports the dangerous goods advanced options.
Dangerous Goods Object
The dangerous_goods object and its related properties live in the packages.products array. These properties provide details about the dangerous good(s) at the product level for any individual item included in a shipment.
No individual dangerous goods property is required or validated by ShipStation API directly. Whether a property is required or not is determined by the carrier and service you are using for the shipment. We are currently working to provide carrier-specific dangerous goods shipping guidance in our carrier guides. Check back soon for new and updated carrier guides with dangerous goods shipping details!
This table lists all properties available for the dangerous_goods object at the product level in ShipStation API.
| Property | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
id_number | string | Standard 4-digit ID to identify the dangerous goods. | UN1950 |
shipping_name | string | Trade description of the dangerous goods. | Lithium metal batteries |
technical_name | string | Recognized technical or chemical name of the dangerous goods. | Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, desensitized |
product_class | string | Defined DG product class based on regulation. "Substances (including mixtures and solutions) and articles are assigned to one of nine classes according to either the hazard, or the most prominent of the hazards, they present. Some of these classes are subdivided into divisions." | 4.1 |
product_class_subsidiary | string | A secondary product class for substances presenting more than one particular hazard | 2.2 |
packaging_group | enumerated string | From the three packing groups that can be assigned to the substance, the one that indicates the degree of danger it presents. Values: i ii iii | ii |
dangerous_amount | object | The amount of the Dangerous goods. Includes amount (number, >=0) and unit (string) properties. | 0.2 kg |
quantity | integer | Mathematical representation of the copies/pieces/volumes of the material being transported. | 1 |
packaging_instruction | string | The specific standardized packaging instructions from the relevant regulatory agency that have been applied to the parcel/container. | P905 (UN recommendation used by ADR) 967 (IATA regulation) |
packaging_instruction_section | enumerated string | Complementary information to specify the exact 'Section of Packaging' instructions (a mandatory piece of data for processing lithium batteries shipments). Values: section_1 section_2 section_1 section_1b | section_1 |
packaging_type | string | The type of exterior package used to contain the regulated good. | Fiberboard Box 1A1 (ADR) |
transport_mean | enumerated string | The most critical leg of the journey required to deliver the goods. Values: ground water cargo_aircraft_only passenger_aircraft | ground |
transport_category | string | Category assigned to goods for the transport purpose. | 3 |
regulation_authority | string | Regulatory agency whose standards are being followed for the shipment. E.g., "ADR", "CFR", "IATA", "TDG". | IATA |
regulation_level | enumerated string | Reference to the amount of the substance being transported, used to trigger different levels of controls/restrictions. Values: lightly_regulated fully_regulated limited_quantities excepted_quantity | fully_regulated |
radioactive | boolean | Indicates the substance is radioactive. | FALSE |
reportable_quantity | boolean | 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). | TRUE |
tunnel_code | string | Defines which types of tunnels the shipment is allowed to go through. | D |
additional_description | string | A field to provide an additional description about the dangerous good. Use this property to give the provider additional context about the shipment. |
Other Considerations when Shipping Dangerous Goods
In addition to adding the necessary properties to your create shipment or purchase label requests, be sure to also check with your carrier on any additional requirements you may be contractually obligated to when shipping dangerous goods with them.
Such additional considerations may include:
- Packaging requirements: While ShipStation API can communicate the class of hazardous material to the carrier, there may be specific packaging requirements that the carrier specifies for particular shipments. We recommend that you double-check those details with your carrier.
- Package labeling requirements: Some carriers may require special dangerous or hazardous goods stickers to be present on the outside of any parcel that contains dangerous goods. Check with your carrier to confirm if this is the case and exactly what form such labeling will take.