Dangerous goods on pallets: what we need before we quote.

Paint and thinners, aerosols, lithium batteries, pool and cleaning chemicals, gas cylinders and fuels are all dangerous goods under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, and all of them move on pallets every day. The class, the quantity and the packaging decide which rules apply and which vehicle and driver can take the load, so dangerous goods are priced personally rather than by the quote tool. This page is what to send and what changes the price.

Send the SDS and the count for a price What we need to price a truck

Or call Jayden on 0494 820 639, 7am to 5pm weekdays.

Quick answer

Can dangerous goods go on a pallet?

Dangerous goods can go on a pallet, and before we quote we need section 14 of the safety data sheet, which says which rules apply: the UN number, the class and the packing group. Small inner packagings under the limit for that UN number travel as limited quantities with the limited quantity mark; above the placard load line, about 1,000 kg or litres for most classes and 250 for the most dangerous, the driver and the vehicle hold dangerous goods licences and the vehicle carries placards. Dangerous goods go on a dedicated vehicle quoted personally, never a shared run, and the consignor writes the transport document that travels in the cab.

Is it dangerous goods?

How do I know if my freight is classed as dangerous goods?

Section 14 of the product's safety data sheet (SDS) says. It gives the UN number, the proper shipping name, the class and the packing group, or it says the product is not regulated for transport. If you do not have the SDS, the supplier does. The classes that turn up on warehouse pallets most often:

Class	What it covers	Seen on pallets as
2.1 and 2.2	Flammable and non-flammable gases	Aerosol cartons, LPG and refrigerant cylinders
3	Flammable liquids	Paint, thinners, solvents, fuel in drums, hand sanitiser
5.1	Oxidisers	Pool chlorine, some fertilisers
8	Corrosives	Cleaning concentrates, acids, battery acid
9	Miscellaneous	Lithium batteries, equipment with batteries fitted, dry ice

Explosives (class 1), radioactive material (class 7) and infectious substances (division 6.2) are specialist freight and are not quoted here.

What changes the price

Why is dangerous goods freight priced personally?

Because three things about the load decide the vehicle, the driver and the paperwork, and the quote tool cannot see them from a pallet count.

Quantity. Small inner packagings under the limit set for that UN number travel as limited quantities, marked with the limited quantity diamond, and move with fewer rules. Above the placard load line, about 1,000 kg or litres in total for most classes and 250 for the most dangerous (packing group I and toxic gases), the vehicle carries placards, the driver holds a dangerous goods licence and the vehicle is licensed for it.
Class and segregation. Some classes cannot share a vehicle or sit next to each other on the deck, so a mixed load can need two runs where general freight needs one.
Packaging and the receiver. Drums, IBCs and cartons of aerosols are handled and secured differently, and some receivers only take dangerous goods at a set dock or on set days.

Dangerous goods go on a dedicated vehicle, not a shared run, because a shared run mixes consignors' freight and the segregation rules then fall on everyone's load. There is no flat surcharge: the quote is built on the class, the quantity and the vehicle and licence it needs, and it is in writing before you book.

What to send

What do you need from me to quote dangerous goods?

The SDS, or section 14 of it: UN number, proper shipping name, class and packing group for each product.
The quantity: how many packages, the size of each inner and outer packaging, and the total weight or litres per pallet.
How it is packed: cartons, drums, IBCs or cylinders, and whether the consignment is marked as limited quantities.
The pickup and delivery suburbs, the day, and whether the receiver has a dangerous goods dock or window.
Forklift at both ends, or a tail lift and a pallet jack at one of them; a hand unload of drums is priced up front, not on the invoice.

Send it through the quote form with the dangerous goods noted in the freight description, or email solutions@360operationsgroup.com.au with the SDS attached. A quote asked for before 2pm is answered the same business day.

On the day

What paperwork travels with dangerous goods?

The consignor classifies, packs, marks and labels the goods and writes the dangerous goods transport document; that is how the Code places it, and the driver cannot do it for you. The document names the consignor and the consignee, the UN number, the shipping name, the class, the packing group, the quantity and an emergency contact, and it travels in the cab. Packages carry the class label and the UN number; a placard load carries the placards on the vehicle and the emergency information in the cab. A load that arrives without the document does not leave the dock, which is the one delay that is entirely avoidable.

What the driver checks before loading: the document matches the packages, nothing is leaking or damaged, the pallets are wrapped and stable, and the classes on the deck can sit together. How to pack a pallet for freight covers the wrapping and the height; the same rules apply with the labels facing out.

Getting a price

Send the SDS, the count and the two suburbs.

The quote names the vehicle, the driver licence it carries and the paperwork expected at pickup, in writing before you book. A quote asked for before 2pm is answered the same business day.

Send the SDS and the count for a price What we need to price a truck

Questions about dangerous goods freight

Can aerosols go on a pallet with general freight?

Often, yes. Cartons of aerosols are usually consigned as limited quantities when each can is under the limit for its UN number and the carton carries the limited quantity mark; the pallet then moves with general freight on a dedicated vehicle, with the carton marks facing out and the SDS on file. Above the placard load line the full rules apply.

Do lithium batteries count as dangerous goods?

Yes, class 9: UN 3480 for batteries on their own and UN 3481 for batteries packed with or in equipment. They travel in the packaging the Code sets, with the lithium battery mark on the package, and a damaged, defective or recalled battery does not travel on a general freight run at all.

Do you need a dangerous goods licence for a small quantity?

Below the placard load line, no driver or vehicle licence is required in NSW, but the packaging, the marks and labels, the transport document and the segregation rules still apply, and the driver still checks them before loading. At or above the line, the driver and the vehicle both hold dangerous goods licences.

Can dangerous goods go on a shared freight run?

No. They go on a dedicated vehicle quoted personally. A shared run carries several consignors' freight and the segregation rules would then depend on what everyone else sent that day.

Is there a surcharge for dangerous goods?

There is no flat surcharge. The quote is built on the class, the quantity and the vehicle and driver licence it needs, and it is in writing before you book, so the price you see is the price on the invoice.

What if the SDS says the product is not regulated for transport?

Then it is general freight and the quote tool prices it in a minute. Keep the SDS on file in case the receiver asks for it at the dock.

Who is responsible if the paperwork is wrong?

The consignor, under the Code: classification, packaging, marking and the transport document are the sender's. The carrier checks before loading and refuses a load that does not match its document, which protects both of you.

Prefer to talk? Call Jayden on 0494 820 639. Related: How to pack a pallet for freight, How many pallets fit on each truck, What we need to price a truck.

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