Why do we as a whole put up with the bullshit hazardous shipping fee that is assessed everytime we order ammunition, powder, primers etc. I don't mind paying a few extra dollars, but $20 if I order 100 primers. UPS or Fed EX carry the components on the truck with everything else. What do they do to demand the extra $20 plus what if there are 3-4 orders on the truck. I think we should boycott the manufacturers so they can put pressure on the shipping companies to drop these irrelevant and ridiculous charges. ?/comments

quote:

I think we should boycott the manufacturers

I don't think that will happen as that means no one will buy powder or primers. If you don't want to pay the $20, buy your supplies locally. For a large order with sale prices, 40 lbs of powder and 6,000 or 7,000 primers, is still a bargain even with shipping and Haz-Mat fee.

I believe you'll find that the "Hazmat" fees are for a lot of things and not just primers or powder!

I, too, have wondered how this BS got started and in looking much deeper I discovered that this is really a very big thing!.....I only wish I could remember all the things being charged Hasmat fees!

The regulations are extremely complicated and the warning and packing requirements are extensive!

In the end I was convinced that it wasn't totally BS.....but some anyway...

Until then get used to it as it's not going away!!!!!.....learn to buy cooperatively in large quantities or just do as I do.....buy it at the local sporting goods store!

I believe that to a degree it is bullshit that a package of primers is hazmat and a case of ammuntion is not.
Besides what is in the fuel tank of the UPS truck?

these regulations were placed in effect during Bil Clinton's first term...any thoughts on the timing?

Rich
DRSS

If you haven't noticed, you pay hazmat fees for an oil change, battery disposal, new tires, etc. I just buy local or order a large enough quantity to make it worth while. Try going in on an order w/ a couple of shooting friends.

hazmat if a huge pain in the ass for everyone concerned. my drivers at work have to have commercial drivers licenses and hazmat endorsements if they have a 5 gallon pail of glue on the truck. more government controls to save us from ourselves

I purchase bullets and brass online, but I refuse to pay that extra money for the primers and powder. I will only purchase that at a locale store. The prices is a little higher at the store, but once the hasmat charge is applied, it is still way cheaper for me to pay the little bit more at the local store

Always buy local on anything with a HAZMAT fee. The local guys still have to pay the HAZMAT but they can divide it up amongst all the items in their order. If you don't buy local they will eventually have to stop carrying primers, powder and such. That's not in anybody's best interest.

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
Always buy local on anything with a HAZMAT fee. The local guys still have to pay the HAZMAT but they can divide it up amongst all the items in their order. If you don't buy local they will eventually have to stop carrying primers, powder and such. That's not in anybody's best interest.
Ray

8 Lbs of IMR4064 at powdervalleyinc.com cost me $111.50 plus hazmat and shipping and that comes to about $150

At the local store it's $192 plus tax of $13.92 for $205.92.

I order about 20 Lbs of powder plus a couple of thousand primers every 6 months and ordering it online saves me $150-$200 on each order ($300-$400 a year).

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
Always buy local on anything with a HAZMAT fee. The local guys still have to pay the HAZMAT but they can divide it up amongst all the items in their order. If you don't buy local they will eventually have to stop carrying primers, powder and such. That's not in anybody's best interest.

Ray

True, but what if there are no primers available locally? I just ordered some powder and primers from powder valley, because they have the 8 lb kegs of Ramshot TAC on sale for just $77.99 each. Buy 2, and even with the hazmat surcharge, you are still getting it for around $11 per lb, plus shipping. Saving 8.3% for washington state sales tax, too. I don't like the hazmat surcharge either, but if you find a good deal on powder or primers, it does pay to stock up. I kind of think of it like gasoline. I truly don't believe these products are going to be dropping in price anytime soon. I plan to stock up on bullets every chance I get a good deal too. Better than not having them if you need them. The manufacturers will be happy to make more, just that it will be at the next higher price...

Pain in the ass? Yes. Ripoff? No. It provides a needed service about the "bad shit" that travels around the country. Let's say you're a cop or fireman or EMS person that is working a expressway wreck, several cars and a semi that is on its side burning. Those little placards on the truck means stuff. And it's a result of the hazmat fee you pay. Every hazmat shipment that is sent via common carrier is vetted and properly documented before it can travel.

quote:

Originally posted by stillbeeman:
Pain in the ass? Yes. Ripoff? No. It provides a needed service about the "bad shit" that travels around the country. Let's say you're a cop or fireman or EMS person that is working a expressway wreck, several cars and a semi that is on its side burning. Those little placards on the truck means stuff. And it's a result of the hazmat fee you pay. Every hazmat shipment that is sent via common carrier is vetted and properly documented before it can travel.

What is the point?
I would suspect every UPS truck has HAZMAT on it everyday.

quote:

Originally posted by stillbeeman:
Pain in the ass? Yes. Ripoff? No. It provides a needed service about the "bad shit" that travels around the country. Let's say you're a cop or fireman or EMS person that is working a expressway wreck, several cars and a semi that is on its side burning. Those little placards on the truck means stuff. And it's a result of the hazmat fee you pay. Every hazmat shipment that is sent via common carrier is vetted and properly documented before it can travel.

I have no issue with them charging a HazMat fee but I would like to know what it's for. UPS still leaves them on my front porch without ringing the bell, knocking on the door or gettng the required adult signature.

$25 for every shipment? They only have to buy the placards once and the package stickers probably cost 10 cents a piece.

Every UPS truck is full of fuel and oil plus the battery, etc. Every vehicle is a rolling HazMat carrier.

Its not only that there is hazmat onboard, its also what kind. The fact that there is batteries, fuel and oil onboard the truck is a given -- we've all seen the dramatic pictures of gas tanks blowing up-- but what about if there's a large shipment of TNT on board? Or fertilizer for that matter.
The cost of the placard is not the expense, it's the little old lady or man in an eye shade and sleeve garters that vets the shipment and okays it. I worked for an airline and one of the first things you determine, if there's a possible problem, is what, if any, hazmats are on board.
I don't know what leaving the shipment on your porch has to do with hazmat. My delivery guy does it quite often. I appreciate his good judgement so I don't have to call up and make an appointment and find out what time he will re-deliver my shipment and make a point of being there.
I'm ready to get flamed, but I do have to say, in all probability, many of the same folks bitching about the hazmat fee would be the first to point fingers and scream for their lawyers if an incident occurred with an undocumented hazmat.
Again, I don't like it but I pay it because I understand the need.

stillbeeman

Sorry I don't understand it, HM is nothing more then another tax, that the democRATS thought up.

It all has to do with liability. When a carrier accepts a package from the shipper they accept liability for what that package contains. By accepting liability they now have to train their personnel, from drivers to clerks, to know what the products are and how they are supposed to be identified and how they are to be handled. It is flat out ridiculous. But that is society today. Everyone wants to shed responsibility by blaming someone else rather than taking responsibility for their own actions.
So, in the end we only have ourselves to blame.

I worked 42 years in the airline industry. Hazmat training was done every year for all of us and it was no big deal as it fit in with yearly training. Packaging was done by the company shipping the product. The paper work was simple and took almost no time. It was free! UPS started the charges and makes a lot of money from it. It spread to other shippers when they seen a huge profit could be made. The only problem loading on trucks or planes is a separation requirement for certain items or a limit on quantity. Some stuff was so bad it wasn't allowed on a plane and went by rail or truck. Big deal, does that cost extra? I never made more money loading the stuff.
I'm sorry but hazmat training has been with every company for a long time and has been standard procedure. The fee is a ripoff, plain and simple.

Welcome to the world of creative revenue !. Haz Mat Fuel Sur Charges insurance and anything else they can tack on !.

Business never curbs it's appetite for MONEY !.

They simply pass the added expenditures on too the consumers while adding in extra profits !.

Just be Dam thankful Shipping company's aren't delivering your mail !!!!!!.

Jump on board with a shooting club or shooting buddy's buy in quantity so as to lessen the pain !.

The real money is not in Hazmat fees, it is in getting caught doing something wrong. That is where they stick it to ya.

You can ship a couple of ounces of adhesive by ups for $30. Throw it in a box and forget to do the paper work it can $20000 or more

I agree about the insurance.

Where else can somebody handle your merchandise, drop it, kick it, break it, lose it but you have no recourse unless you pay THEM to insure it against their mishandling.

quote:

Originally posted by ireload2:
I believe that to a degree it is bullshit that a package of primers is hazmat and a case of ammuntion is not.
Besides what is in the fuel tank of the UPS truck?

What if they dropped a container load of primers packaged in trays and boxes onto the World Trade Center?

The would have spilled all over the place.
We would still be cleaning them up.