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My first experience at shipping ammo was a real learning experience.
I thought I had researched enough on the UPS site. I boxed up my half case of ammo real well and filled out a shipping order, listing the contents as Cartridges, Small Arms, as directed on the site. Then I drove about 1 1/2 miles to the closest UPS Store. The woman there asked me what cartridges were and then got alarmed about them being bullets... for a pistol... a firearm! I tried to explain that ammo was okay to ship and that there was no firearm involved, so I didn't need to be a dealer.
She had to call UPS and was asked a few questions and I could see where things were headed. I asked to talk to the person she was talking to, but she said no, it was a special line just for "Store" personnel to use.
Anyhow, she said that I could only ship that from the Customer Service Center and gave me a pre-printed direction sheet with the address and instructions on how to get there. I wasn't really happy and went home.
I called the UPS Hazardous Material information number and got instructions. Yes that was the only place that hazardous material could taken for shipping. I also found that I needed a DOT sticker that I couldn't find a good enough representation online to print one of my own... there were lots of listing of businesses trying to sell rolls of the things. I just needed a few.
I finally looked at the boxes that had been used to ship ammo to me and found a nice fresh and uncovered sticker. I took a closeup picture and through trial and error matched the size after I inserted the picture into my Word document, and then printed out a page of them on photographic paper with my inkjet printer.
I added another requirement just under the picture for my "sticker"... the words "Cartridges, Small Arms". I added this and taped it with clear 2" packaging tape.
I considered having the package picked up, but that was $9 or so more, so I decided to turn this into a trip to NAS Jacksonville for a shopping trip as well. I went ahead and did the shipping processing online and paid for shipping in advance and printed out a shipping label which I affixed to the package with the clear, two-inch packaging tape.
I then drove the twenty miles across town to the UPS Customer Service Center on the outskirts of town, using my GPS-directed routing... different from the MapQuest online directions, because I have Interstate preference set in my GPS. (This 40-mile round trip would use at least 3 gallons of gas to be added to the shipping cost, as well)
The clerk there said my work was fine and took the package. I enclosed the sticker picture I used. I set the page margins at .5" all around and used an image size that gave 3 images per line. This gave me the right size.
The first is the DOT label picture, the second is a picture of the text needed on the package, and the third is how I added the two together.
I know... I gab a lot, but this might be helpful information for anyone else thinking of shipping ammunition. There are also packaging cardboard standards or requirements, as well. Your box should meet those requirements as well. See the info online at the UPS Site.
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/res...on&WT.svl=SRCH
Wynn
Oh, I also learned that you can't accurately compute shipping costs with only the Retail price list and the Shipping Zone list. There is insurance, if over $100, Fuel Surcharge, Residential Fee, and Rural Fees that added to my low estimate of $14 to reach almost $20. Keep this stuff in mind. The businesses shipping to you get special rates and all of those things aren't listed.
I thought I had researched enough on the UPS site. I boxed up my half case of ammo real well and filled out a shipping order, listing the contents as Cartridges, Small Arms, as directed on the site. Then I drove about 1 1/2 miles to the closest UPS Store. The woman there asked me what cartridges were and then got alarmed about them being bullets... for a pistol... a firearm! I tried to explain that ammo was okay to ship and that there was no firearm involved, so I didn't need to be a dealer.
She had to call UPS and was asked a few questions and I could see where things were headed. I asked to talk to the person she was talking to, but she said no, it was a special line just for "Store" personnel to use.
Anyhow, she said that I could only ship that from the Customer Service Center and gave me a pre-printed direction sheet with the address and instructions on how to get there. I wasn't really happy and went home.
I called the UPS Hazardous Material information number and got instructions. Yes that was the only place that hazardous material could taken for shipping. I also found that I needed a DOT sticker that I couldn't find a good enough representation online to print one of my own... there were lots of listing of businesses trying to sell rolls of the things. I just needed a few.
I finally looked at the boxes that had been used to ship ammo to me and found a nice fresh and uncovered sticker. I took a closeup picture and through trial and error matched the size after I inserted the picture into my Word document, and then printed out a page of them on photographic paper with my inkjet printer.
I added another requirement just under the picture for my "sticker"... the words "Cartridges, Small Arms". I added this and taped it with clear 2" packaging tape.
I considered having the package picked up, but that was $9 or so more, so I decided to turn this into a trip to NAS Jacksonville for a shopping trip as well. I went ahead and did the shipping processing online and paid for shipping in advance and printed out a shipping label which I affixed to the package with the clear, two-inch packaging tape.
I then drove the twenty miles across town to the UPS Customer Service Center on the outskirts of town, using my GPS-directed routing... different from the MapQuest online directions, because I have Interstate preference set in my GPS. (This 40-mile round trip would use at least 3 gallons of gas to be added to the shipping cost, as well)
The clerk there said my work was fine and took the package. I enclosed the sticker picture I used. I set the page margins at .5" all around and used an image size that gave 3 images per line. This gave me the right size.
The first is the DOT label picture, the second is a picture of the text needed on the package, and the third is how I added the two together.
I know... I gab a lot, but this might be helpful information for anyone else thinking of shipping ammunition. There are also packaging cardboard standards or requirements, as well. Your box should meet those requirements as well. See the info online at the UPS Site.
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/res...on&WT.svl=SRCH
Wynn
Oh, I also learned that you can't accurately compute shipping costs with only the Retail price list and the Shipping Zone list. There is insurance, if over $100, Fuel Surcharge, Residential Fee, and Rural Fees that added to my low estimate of $14 to reach almost $20. Keep this stuff in mind. The businesses shipping to you get special rates and all of those things aren't listed.
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