Lithium batteries are dangerous goods
Lithium-ion batteries need the right UN number, packaging, marks and shipping papers. Damaged or defective batteries have stricter rules and some cannot fly at all.
Solar & Battery Storage
Solar and battery freight, handled by the rules
Solar modules, racking, inverters and lithium-ion battery systems moved to warehouses and project sites, with the dangerous goods paperwork and handling the batteries require.
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Overview
Fragile glass and regulated batteries, often on the same project
Solar and storage projects bring two very different kinds of freight to the same site. Solar modules are large sheets of glass that crack if dropped or stacked wrong. Lithium-ion batteries, from small packs to container-sized storage systems, are Class 9 dangerous goods under Canadian and US rules. Most modules and cells are made in Asia and arrive by ocean container, then move inland to a warehouse or straight to a site that may be a field with a gravel access road. We book the ocean freight, drayage and trucking, make sure battery shipments travel with correct dangerous goods documents on trained carriers, and schedule deliveries to the installer's build plan.
- Class 9 lithium battery shipments
- Module pallets handled upright
- Project site delivery planning
- Heavy storage container moves
Challenges we solve
What makes solar and battery freight hard
Module breakage
Solar modules are glass. Pallets have to stay upright as packed, never be double-stacked beyond the manufacturer's limit, and be unloaded with the right equipment.
Project site access
Utility-scale sites are often rural, with soft ground and no dock. Deliveries need forklifts or telehandlers on site and trucks that can handle the approach.
Heavy storage containers
Battery energy storage systems often arrive as fully built 20 or 40 ft units that weigh far more than a normal container, needing heavy chassis, permits and a crane.
Trade remedies on solar
Solar cells and modules entering the US face several layers of tariffs and duties that have changed repeatedly. The entry has to be right before the container lands.
How we work
How we run solar and storage shipments
Classify the freight
We confirm which items are dangerous goods, their UN numbers and packaging, and what the manufacturer's safety data says.
Book qualified carriers
Battery shipments go on carriers with drivers trained for dangerous goods, with placards where the quantity requires them.
Ocean and drayage
Containers of modules and cells are booked from origin and picked up at the port or rail ramp after customs release.
Site delivery plan
We match deliveries to the installer's schedule and confirm unloading equipment and access at the site.
Heavy units
Container-sized storage systems move on heavy chassis or specialized trailers with permits and crane timing.
Rules and regulations
Dangerous goods, air limits and trade rules
Lithium batteries: Class 9 dangerous goods
Lithium-ion batteries ship as UN3480 on their own, UN3481 when packed with or contained in equipment, and UN3536 when installed in a cargo transport unit such as a storage container. Canada's TDG Regulations and US 49 CFR set the packaging, marking and paperwork.
Air restrictions
Standalone lithium-ion batteries shipped by air are limited to a reduced state of charge, and damaged or defective batteries are generally forbidden on aircraft.
US trade remedies on solar
Solar cells and modules from several countries are subject to US anti-dumping and countervailing duties and other tariffs, along with forced labour import rules on polysilicon. Your customs broker confirms what applies.
Oversize and overweight permits
Heavy storage containers and large transformers for solar sites can exceed legal axle weights and need permits in each jurisdiction.
Batteries
Shipping lithium-ion batteries correctly
Every lithium-ion battery moving by truck, rail, ship or plane is a dangerous good. The rules depend on whether the battery ships on its own, packed with the equipment it powers, or installed inside it, and on how large it is.
Small consumer batteries can move under simplified rules with reduced marking. Industrial battery modules and storage systems need full dangerous goods treatment: classification, approved packaging, Class 9 labels, shipping papers and, above certain quantities, placards on the truck.
Battery energy storage systems are often built into containers at the factory. When batteries are installed in a container that is itself the shipping unit, the shipment uses UN3536, with its own marking and documentation.
Damaged, defective or recalled batteries are the hardest case. They can overheat, so they need special packaging and are generally restricted to ground transport. If you are returning failed batteries, tell us at quote time.
Solar projects
From the port to the field
Most solar modules sold in North America are made overseas and arrive by container, roughly a few hundred modules per container depending on the panel size. Free time at the terminal is short, and large projects can bring dozens of containers through the same port in a few weeks.
Rural project sites set the pace. Many cannot store more than a few days of material, so containers or transloaded trucks are released to match installation. Holding containers at the port or a nearby yard costs less than idle crews or damaged stock on a muddy laydown area.
Unloading needs planning. Module pallets are tall and fragile, and a telehandler or forklift with long forks is usually needed. Trucks that arrive when the equipment is busy elsewhere wait, and detention adds up.
Trade rules for solar change often, especially for US-bound modules. Duties, tariffs and forced labour rules have all shifted since 2024, so the customs side should be checked before each order ships.
Frequently asked questions
Solar & Battery Storage: common questions
Do you ship lithium-ion batteries?
Yes, as Class 9 dangerous goods with the correct UN number, marks and shipping papers, on carriers whose drivers are trained for dangerous goods.
Can you deliver solar panels to a project site?
Yes. We schedule deliveries to the installer's plan and confirm site access and unloading equipment before each truck is dispatched.
Do you move battery energy storage containers?
Yes. These units are heavy and often need heavy-duty chassis or specialized trailers, permits and a crane at delivery, which we plan with the site.
Can you ship damaged batteries?
Damaged or defective batteries have special packaging and transport rules and are usually restricted to ground transport. Tell us the condition and we will confirm the options.
Do you import solar modules?
Yes. We book ocean freight, coordinate customs clearance through a licensed broker, and deliver from the port to your warehouse or site.
Do you ship inverters and racking?
Yes. Inverters move on air-ride vans, and racking and mounting steel on flatbeds or vans depending on how it is packed.
Related industries
Other industries we ship for
Oil, Gas & Renewable Energy
Oilfield services, drilling support, wind/solar components, energy project cargo.
Construction & Building Materials
Lumber, drywall, fixtures, steel and pre-fab modules — flatbed and project cargo to job-sites.
Chemicals & Hazmat
All 9 DOT hazmat classes — liquid bulk, ISO tank, IBC, drum and packaged chemicals.
Let’s move it
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