That $75,000 Fine? It’s Per Violation.

If you sell products containing lithium batteries, aerosols, perfumes, nail polish, or dozens of other common items, you’re shipping hazmat. And every shipment without proper classification and documentation is a potential violation.

You’re Probably Shipping Hazmat Right Now

Here’s a partial list of regulated products that most sellers don’t realize are hazmat:

Product	Why It’s Regulated	Classification
Wireless earbuds	Lithium battery	UN3481, Class 9
Portable chargers	Lithium battery	UN3481, Class 9
Perfume/cologne	Flammable liquid	UN1266, Class 3
Nail polish	Flammable liquid	UN1263, Class 3
Hand sanitizer	Flammable liquid	UN1987, Class 3
Hairspray	Flammable aerosol	UN1950, Class 2.1
Spray paint	Flammable aerosol	UN1950, Class 2.1
Laptop batteries	Lithium battery	UN3481, Class 9
E-cigarettes	Lithium battery + liquid	Multiple
Certain supplements	ORM-D	Varies

If you sell any of these, every shipment needs proper handling.

What “Proper Handling” Actually Means

Hazmat shipping isn’t just slapping a label on a box. It requires:

1. Correct Classification

Every hazmat product needs:

• UN Number — The international identifier (e.g., UN3481)
• Proper Shipping Name — The official name (“Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment”)
• Hazard Class — Category 1-9 (flammable, corrosive, oxidizer, etc.)
• Packing Group — Severity level (I = most dangerous, III = least)

2. Carrier Compliance

Not every carrier accepts every hazmat:

• USPS won’t ship most aerosols
• Air carriers have strict lithium battery limits
• Ground carriers have quantity restrictions
• Some items require special contracts

3. Documentation

Depending on the shipment:

• Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods
• Hazmat handling labels on the package
• Emergency contact information
• Quantity declarations

4. Packaging Requirements

• Specific inner packaging for liquids
• Quantity limits per package
• Orientation requirements (“This side up”)
• Outer packaging specifications

Miss any of these, and you’re non-compliant.

How Most Companies Handle This (Badly)

The Spreadsheet Approach

Someone maintains a list of “hazmat products” in a spreadsheet. When an order comes in, the packer is supposed to check the list and… do something? Print a special label? Use a different carrier?

Problem: People forget. The spreadsheet gets outdated. New hires don’t know the process.

The “Hope for the Best” Approach

Ship everything the same way. If the carrier catches it, deal with it then.

Problem: Carriers don’t always catch it. When they do, your shipment is rejected. When they don’t, you’re liable.

The “Avoid Hazmat” Approach

Just don’t sell regulated products.

Problem: You’re leaving money on the table. Lithium battery products are everywhere. Aerosols are a huge category.

How Vectis Handles Hazmat

Product-Level Classification

When you add a product to Vectis, you specify its hazmat classification once:

Product: Wireless Earbuds Pro
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
☑ Contains Dangerous Goods

UN Number: UN3481
Proper Shipping Name: Lithium ion batteries 
                      packed with equipment
Hazard Class: 9
Packing Group: II
Air Eligible: Yes (with documentation)
Special Handling: None

This data lives with the product forever. You never have to remember it again.

Type a UN number and Vectis looks up the hazard class, proper shipping name and required labels for you. On Pro and above, carrier rules can also send hazmat packages to the carrier you choose.

Automatic Enforcement

When an order contains hazmat products, Vectis:

1. Marks the package — Packages carry their hazard classes, and the floor shipping screen shows a dangerous-goods notice
2. Filters shipping methods — Rate shopping hides methods you haven’t marked as hazmat-capable, and automatic method selection skips methods that don’t accept the package’s hazard class
3. Tells the carrier — Rate and label requests include the hazmat type, so the carrier can apply its own hazmat rules to the services it offers
4. Keeps handling data on the product — Required labels, handling instructions and air restrictions show on the product page

Vectis keeps the classification in front of your team. Trained staff still confirm every hazmat shipment.

Carrier Rules You Control

For each shipping method, you mark whether it accepts dangerous goods and which hazard classes it allows, based on your carrier agreements. Vectis includes starting defaults for common FedEx, UPS, USPS and DHL services; check them against your contracts before you ship.

When you rate shop a hazmat package, methods you haven’t marked as hazmat-capable don’t appear.

Hazmat Data at Your Fingertips

Vectis stores and displays the hazmat information your team works from:

• Classification data — UN number, hazard class, packing group always visible
• Required labels — Which hazard labels the product needs
• Handling instructions — Clear guidance for warehouse staff

Note: You’ll need to generate Shipper’s Declarations through your carrier’s system or approved forms. Vectis provides the classification data to make this faster.

Real-World Example

Order: Customer buys wireless earbuds + phone case + charging cable

Without Vectis:

1. Packer doesn’t realize earbuds contain lithium battery
2. Ships via USPS Priority (cheapest option)
3. Package gets inspected at hub
4. Shipment rejected, returned to sender
5. Customer angry, you eat shipping costs
6. (Or worse: it goes through, and you’re liable)

With Vectis:

1. Order comes in
2. The package is marked with its hazard class (Class 9, UN3481)
3. Rate shopping shows only methods you’ve marked as hazmat-capable, and the carrier gets the hazmat type with the rate request
4. The floor shipping screen shows a dangerous-goods notice, and the product page lists the required labels
5. Your trained packer applies the markings and completes any carrier paperwork
6. The package ships with its classification on record

What changes: the classification lives on the product, so it isn’t left to each packer’s memory.

The Hazmat Checklist

Where Vectis helps (decision support; staying compliant is still your team’s responsibility):

Requirement	How Vectis Helps
Product classification	Store UN numbers, classes, packing groups per SKU
Carrier selection	Show only shipping methods you’ve marked as hazmat-capable
Classification lookup	Quick access to product hazmat data for documentation
Handling guidance	Display required markings and handling instructions
Record keeping	Order status history and the hazard classes saved on each package

Getting Started With Hazmat

1. Identify your hazmat products — Check Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from suppliers
2. Enter classifications in Vectis — UN number, class, packing group
3. Mark hazmat-capable shipping methods — Based on your carrier hazmat agreements
4. Train your team — DOT requires hazmat training (we can recommend resources)

See Hazmat-Aware Shipping in Action

We’ll show you:

• How to classify your hazmat products
• How carrier filtering works in practice
• How Vectis displays hazmat data for your documentation
• How to handle mixed orders (hazmat + non-hazmat)

Bring your product list. We’ll help you understand what’s regulated.

Schedule a demo →

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Common Questions

Do I need hazmat training to use Vectis?

Yes, for your team. DOT requires that anyone involved in hazmat shipping complete training. Vectis keeps the classification data organized, but you still need trained personnel. We can recommend training providers.

What if I’m not sure if my product is hazmat?

Check the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) from your supplier. Section 14 covers transportation classification. If it lists a UN number, it’s regulated. We can help interpret the classification.

Can I ship hazmat internationally?

International hazmat has additional requirements (IATA for air, IMDG for ocean). Vectis stores the classification data domestic shipments need; DOT compliance stays with your trained staff. For international, you may need additional documentation and carrier contracts.

What about “limited quantity” and “excepted quantity” shipments?

Many products qualify for reduced requirements when shipped in small quantities. Vectis doesn’t determine limited or excepted quantity status today. Confirm it with your trained staff and your carrier.

What if I have a hazmat contract with a carrier?

Mark the shipping methods your carrier agreements cover as hazmat-capable, and list the hazard classes each one accepts. Rate shopping then includes them for hazmat packages. Vectis doesn’t tell standalone lithium batteries apart from batteries packed with equipment, so your contract terms decide which methods you mark.

How do I handle returns of hazmat products?

Returns are trickier: customers aren’t trained shippers. Vectis tracks returns (Growth plan and above) but doesn’t create return labels or hazmat paperwork, so set up hazmat returns with your carrier.