A dangerous goods surcharge is an additional freight charge applied when a shipment contains hazardous or regulated materials that require special handling, documentation, packaging, labelling, storage, or carrier approval. It helps cover the extra risk, compliance work, trained personnel, safety equipment, and routing controls needed to move dangerous goods by road, rail, air, or sea. The surcharge may vary based on the hazard class, UN number, transport mode, destination, quantity, and carrier rules.
A Dangerous Goods Surcharge (DG Surcharge) is an additional freight fee charged by carriers for transporting hazardous materials classified under IATA, IMDG, or DOT regulations. It covers additional handling, documentation, equipment, and compliance costs.
- Applied per shipment, per container, or per kg depending on the carrier and mode
- Higher for Class 1 (explosives), Class 6 (toxics), and Class 7 (radioactive) materials
- Carriers must be declared DG capable and equipped to handle the specific commodity
- Proper DG documentation including MSDS and dangerous goods declaration must accompany the shipment
For related logistics context, see Dedola’s medical device logistics and glossary entries on Hazmat, UN Number, Cargo Insurance, and Air Freight.
