Aviation - Shipping Papers

Unless excepted under certain provisions, you must not accept or transport any hazardous material unless it is accompanied by a shipping paper. Shipping papers contain information identifying the hazardous materials being transported and is important during a hazardous materials incident to help initiate protective measures for your safety and the safety of the public. They must accompany any quantity of hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, and marine pollutants. Shipping papers must always include an emergency response telephone number.

Note that previously, PHMSA allowed the use of alphanumeric emergency contact numbers, which are telephone numbers that substitute numeric digits with their corresponding letters on the telephone dial pad. In 2016, PHMSA has issued a new ruling requiring shippers to only use numerals in emergency contact phone numbers on shipping papers.

A shipping paper may include:

• A shipping order
• A bill of lading (referred to as an Air Waybill for air transport)
• A hazardous materials manifest
• Any other type of shipping document serving a similar purpose and containing the required information

For air transports, each shipping paper copy must include the date of acceptance by the carrier. Emergency response information must also be included. Only an initial carrier must receive and retain a copy of the shipper's certification, as required by §172.204.

An aircraft operator must retain a copy of the shipping paper, or an electronic image of it, for one year after the hazardous material is accepted by the initial carrier. However, for hazardous wastes, the shipping paper must be retained for three years after the material is accepted by the initial carrier.

Shipping papers must be readily available, upon request, to an authorized official of a federal, state, or local government agency.

The shipping paper and notification-to-pilot in command may be combined into one document if it is given to the pilot-in-command before departure of the aircraft.

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