Regulated freight moves by air every day — batteries, aviation chemicals, oxygen generators, laboratory materials. It moves smoothly when the paperwork is right and dies at the ramp when it is not. Here is the short version of how to be in the first group.
What counts as dangerous goods
If it ships under a UN number, it is dangerous goods — sorted into nine hazard classes covering everything from flammable liquids to lithium batteries to compressed gases. Plenty of ordinary-looking aviation freight is regulated: an oxygen generator, a squib, a battery-powered LRU still charged.
Who does what
The shipper of record signs the dangerous goods declaration and is responsible for classification, packaging, marks, and labels. The carrier must hold an active DG program approved for the classes involved — not every operator does, which is why carrier selection is half the job. The coordinator — that is us — matches the class to a certified carrier and walks your team through the declaration before the truck leaves your dock.
Lithium batteries, the frequent flyer
The most common modern DG shipment, and the most misunderstood. Cell type, watt-hour rating, state of charge, and packaging determine whether — and how — a battery flies under the applicable IATA/ICAO provisions and 49 CFR. The answer is frequently yes, with the right routing; the mistake is assuming instead of checking.
Why the paperwork happens before the truck moves
An acceptance check at the ramp is pass/fail. A rejected shipment does not get a do-over that night — it gets a second truck, a re-book, and a missed deadline. Verifying declarations, packaging specs, and quantities per package up front is slower by twenty minutes and faster by a day.
International adds one more layer
Destination-state rules and carrier approvals vary. We confirm feasibility before quoting — if a class cannot fly a route, we tell you straight and build another way.
Regulated freight, real deadline? Start at hazmat & dangerous goods air charter or call (858) 529-7860 — 24/7/365.