Shipping Paper Preparation

Shipping papers may contain both hazardous and non-hazardous materials. When both types of materials are entered on the same shipping paper, hazardous materials must be identified by one or more of the following methods:

• List HAZMAT first, before any non-hazardous materials
• Highlight "HAZMAT" or enter it in a contrasting color
• Identify HAZMAT with the letter "X" in the "HM" column before the proper shipping name

If the hazardous material is identified as a hazardous substance, the letter "X" may be replaced with the letters "RQ" for reportable quantity.

Additional guidelines for preparing shipping papers that list hazardous materials include the following:

• The description must be legible and printed in English
• No codes or abbreviations may be used, unless specifically authorized by the HMR
• Any additional information must follow the basic description unless otherwise provided in the HMR
• Multiple pages are permitted as long as each page is consecutively numbered and the first page indicates the total number of pages

To learn more about DOT HAZMAT Awareness visit our DOT HAZMAT General Awareness Online Training web page.