Hazmat shipping

What are the current charges?

The current hazmat charges on UPS and FedEx Ground shipments are $35 per box. Air shipments are very limited for hazardous materials so we cannot provide “Next Day Air” shipping on these products (NOTE: next day Air is available on non hazmat products). Hazmat charges are normally updated in February of each year. Wood Finishers Depot will charge the current surcharge at the time of your shipment.

What are hazardous materials?

Hazardous Materials are items that have been deemed hazardous in shipping situations. These materials are classified according to the CFR 49 statutes published by the Department of Transportation in Washington D.C. For more information please visit the DOT website. https://www.transportation.gov/

How does this affect me?

If you order an item that is classified as hazardous material you may receive an assessorial charge from the company handling the freight or packages.

How do I know what items are considered hazardous material?

Our printed catalog shows a hazardous material symbol by any item considered hazardous. Our website also shows the same information with links to this page.

Who receives the extra charge?

The shipping company that imposes the charge receives the money. Wood Finishers Depot acts as the shipper and does not receive any of this charge.

Does Wood Finishers Depot add any additional handling charges to hazmat shipments?

Wood Finishers Depot does incur significant charges to remain eligible to handle and ship your hazardous materials.

Annual expenses such as:

• Annual subscription to Chemtrec, a 24 hour hotline.
• Annual contract with UPS to remain in compliance with their regulations.
• Annual subscription to Federal database showing proper shipping name information.
• Special boxes, labels and other packaging materials to meet CFR 49 and UPS guidelines.
• Annual training to ensure all employees are certified to handle and ship hazmat materials.

Wood Finishers Depot considers these expenses to be part of doing business and does not add any of these costs to your hazmat charge; the hazmat charge surcharge you pay is exclusively paid to the company handling your freight!

Can I ship all of my hazmat items in one box?

In certain situations we can combine products. We are limited to 4 gallons cans per box or a single 5 gallon pail and they must all have the same Proper Shipping Name according to CFR 49 regulations. Wood Finishers Depot always consolidates products and does everything possible to limit the costs of shipping hazardous materials.

What can I do to limit these costs?

Making larger orders that can be shipped by truck line will help reduce costs. Wood Finishers Depot has negotiated hazardous material exemptions from all freight lines. You can also order multiples when shipping via UPS. Remember that the hazmat charge is per box, not per item. If you order 1 gallon of a hazmat material you will pay the full charge. If you order up to 4 gallons, or a 5 gallon pail of the material you will still only pay the single box charge. Please remember that all material must be of the same classification. Please contact us if you have questions regarding specific classifications. Also many items are exempt from a hazmat charge if they are packaged in quarts or smaller packages. Even though you may pay more for 4 quarts of material, the delivered cost to you including freight, may be less because of the hazmat charge.