Primers Hazmat Transport Rules and UPS

[rebeltex]

I ordered a brick of CCI 41 primers from Midway the other day when they were in stock. Got the shipping notice quickly. Then the next morning I got an email from UPS saying a Hazardous Materials Exception had occurred. Uh Oh, what's that? So, I asked Midway via the online chat. The guy said that means UPS is short on Hazardous Material drivers and it causes a delay until they can get caught up.

Anyone else dealing with this?

 

[shoot4fun]

Can't say I have.
I ordered 8 pounds of powder from Powder Valley the evening of 6/18.
It was shipped on 6/22 and arrived on 6/25.
Are not ALL UPS drivers schooled in handling HazMat packages?

 

[Fuj]

See if they will ship Fedex.

 

[rebeltex]

Last Updated: 07/02/2021 2:48 P.M. EST

​

The status of your package has changed.

Exception Reason: A hazardous materials irregularity occurred with this package. We'll contact the sender with additional information.

Shipment DetailsShipment Details Shipment ProgressShipment Progress

07/01/2021 9:43 P.M.	On the Way Columbia, MO, United States
06/30/2021 8:42 P.M.	Shipped Columbia, MO, United States
06/30/2021 5:54 P.M.	Label Created United States

 

[D-4297]

Not all "Commercial Drivers" have a Haz-Mat certificate , or "rating" on their license . It requires a special test be taken and passed . And it costs extra , beyond regular license fees . Why would you want someone blastin around your town with explosives who isn't knowledgeable in the handling or transport of them ?

 

[rebeltex]

I just called Midway. They said this happens all the time when they send out a bunch of primers, The drivers making the pickups can only carry 66 lbs(?) of Haz Mat materials at a time on their truck, so this creates a bottleneck.
How do they get primers delivered then? 66lbs at a time?

 

[4xforfun]

Been on a first name basis with every UPS driver to walk into my business for the last 30 years. Hazmat is simply another way for them to make money.

Just sayin.

 

[Link]

You have to sign for Fedex. ;{

 

[tmwinds]

Been on a first name basis with every UPS driver to walk into my business for the last 30 years. Hazmat is simply another way for them to make money.

Just sayin.

The carrier (UPS) doesn’t charge a hazmat fee. It’s charged by the shipper to cover the costs of employee training, packing, labeling, etc.

 

[muleman69]

The carrier (UPS) doesn’t charge a hazmat fee. It’s charged by the shipper to cover the costs of employee training, packing, labeling, etc.

Really? Cant believe it could take to many Smarts? $20-$40 bucks a package? I must be missing something here?

 

[Ranger188]

As a retired 38 yr UPS driver, every driver is able to deliver and pick up haz mat. pkg.
Midway would have a tractor trailer driver and they are CDL and haz mat cert. to pickup
I've never heard of a limit to ship on one trailer from Midway. That could be new.
UPS has always charged their Haz Mat shippers a Haz charge. There is a little more
paper work that is required by the Gov. That pkg. has to be pulled off and put into
a special area to be inspected and paper work checked. It's a pain but if DOT
inspector checked it and it wasn't right, you can be fined big time.
So that shipper passes that cost to you.
I'm guessing something in the OP's paper work wasn't right and was held until
it could be corrected. Or pkg. could have been damaged. UPS doesn't list the real
reason for a lot of things, they use a generic term.

 

[rebeltex]

Thanks Ranger188.
I'm not trying to run down Midway, I'm sure they are doing the best they can considering the panic. But what they told sure doesn't seem to pass the smell test.

 

[std7mag]

Could it possibly be due to UPS Frieght being bought out by Trans Force?

I've seen the UPS Frieght guys hauling some questionable stuff without any placards on the trailer.
Like 10 drums of high octane racing gasoline.

But it's ok, we pinned them in with 5 excavator buckets & a loader bucket each weighing over 3,000 lb.
Not like the teeth would go through a barrel if they shifted.

Oh, and they are not banded to the skids.
If a truck ended up in the ditch would be a 3,000lb cannon ball.

 

[AccelR8]

I've got primers coming from Brownells. I received an email stating they've been shipped via RPS. The tracking number in the email links back to Brownells' site so I do not know what or who this RPS is. I've googled it, it can mean various things like Regional Parcel Service, Roadway Package System (which appears to be part of FedEx) or a couple of other things. Oh well, I'll wait and see if they show up .

 

[Ranger188]

You are correct that UPS doesn't need placard on the sides because
of the limits, But ALL UPS drivers are Haz Mat cert.
The OP's problems is related to either a damaged pkg. or paper
that wasn't filled out correctly, ripped off pkg.causing a delay.
Could be a number of things.
Midway or UPS will never tell you it was damaged in shipment.

 

[XTR]

As long as it’s under 1000 lbs of hazard material the driver doesn’t need a hazard endorsement nor does the vehicle need to be placard.

This is why I have a job, blanket statements like this can get people fines.

49CFR172.504 (a) states that "Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, each bulk packaging, freight container, unit load device, transport vehicle or rail car containing any quantity of a hazardous material must be placarded..." [emphasis added]

The "except as provided" in this discussion is found in 49CFR172.504(c) that is where you get the exception for less than 454 kg (1,001 pounds). What that section tells you is that "...when hazardous materials covered by table 2 of this section are transported by highway or rail, placards are not required on - ...". [emphasis added]

"(1) A transport vehicle or freight container which contains less than 454 kg (1001 pounds) aggregate gross weight of hazardous materials covered by table 2 of paragraph (e) of this section"

The point here, there are 2 tables in section 504. If you are hauling something from Table 1 you must placard for any quantity. Table 2 lets you carry up to 454Kg aggregate before you need to placard.

 

[RoDog]

They're full of crap. I work at UPS and ALL drivers can pickup hazmats. They're doing it right now with some powder I ordered. Said the same thing. Something is weird. Probably damaged because their shipping department doesn't know how to pack packages well to save money on materials, etc.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Midway has the worst shipping personnel in the business. Poor packaging likely resulted in damage to, or loss of the contents.
I have returned several items for refunds due to damage and only buy from them when an item cannot be found elsewhere. At least their customer service has been responsive in my experience.
Hope you get your order, eventually.

 

[RoDog]

RECEIVED

 

[NorCalMikie]

Primer shipping was probably held up because the driver wasn't trained well enough to throw the package around in the truck so it looked like it got run over in parking lot??? Just a guess.