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Are you interested in selling fire extinguishers online, but aren’t sure if you can ship them out? We’ve got some good news for you. It is indeed legal to ship fire extinguishers with USPS, and you don’t need any special permission or anything like that!
USPS (and the Other Major Carriers) Allows You to Ship Fire Extinguishers
You can use either the US Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx to ship your fire extinguishers. For shipping with USPS, you’re able to use either air transportation services like Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, or ground services such as Retail Ground.
Keep in mind that fire extinguishers are a type of hazardous material, since they contain compressed, nonflammable gas inside. Therefore, the process isn’t as simple as sticking them inside a box and sending them out. You’ll need to follow some specific instructions depending on the type of service you’re shipping with, which we’ve laid out for you below.
Air Transportation Services (Priority Mail/Priority Mail Express)
- Affix a ID8000 Consumer Commodity Label to the outside of the package
- Affix Limited Quantity “Y” Label to the package
- Include shipper’s Declaration of Dangerous Goods inside
Ground Transportation Services (Parcel Select/Retail Ground)
- Clearly mark “Surface Transportation Only” on the outer packaging
- Affix outer packaging with an ORM-D Consumer Commodity Label
Pro Tip: No matter what shipping service you choose, USPS expects shippers to package all shipments properly. This is especially true for shipments that contain items with hazardous materials. For more info on how to properly package your fire extinguisher shipment, check out the USPS packaging instructions.
What About International Shipments?
This is where the Postal Service draws the line. While domestic shipments are perfectly fine, you can’t send fire extinguishers internationally. Sorry!
Check the UN Number to Make Sure Your Fire Extinguishers Are Mailable
Before you get shipping, you should note that USPS also prohibits fire extinguishers with certain UN numbers from being shipped altogether. Those prohibited numbers are: UN0275, UN0276, UN0323, and UN0381. If your extinguishers fall into any of these four categories, we’re afraid you’re out of luck.
The Cheapest Way to Ship Fire Extinguishers: Use Free Shipping Software
As always, you’ll save the most money on shipping fire extinguishers when you make use of free online shipping software. The best shipping software options out there allow you to access the deepest level of USPS discounts that only huge shipping companies typically get access to.
Some shipping software solutions even offer a special USPS service called Priority Mail Cubic, which charges prices based on the dimensions of your package, and not its weight. In fact, Priority Mail Cubic allows you to load up your packages up to 20 pounds, and the price won’t be affected! As a result, it’s perfect for shipping smaller, heavier packages like boxes containing fire extinguishers.
In addition to all of the aforementioned benefits, shipping software lets you print the labels from home and even schedule free pickups, so you’ll never need to go the Post Office again and wait in those long lines. There’s no reason not to use it!
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