A Quick Guide to Bulk Chemical Transportation

Written on: November 14, 2022

What You Should Know Before Finding a Provider

Chemical transport is a highly specialized field of materials transportation. To get the job done right, you need a company that has the equipment, knowledge, and experience to make sure that your materials are delivered on-time while meeting all regulations to the highest standards of safety.

For folks in the Eastern United States, that means turning to C3 Logistics, who offers decades of experience in handling all kinds of materials transport, including chemicals and hazardous materials.

In this article, we’ll examine key information that goes into determining what you need for your next chemical transport project.

What Product Do You Need Transported?

Because chemical transport is so specialized and regulated, your transport provider needs some critical information about the materials you need to have transported. This information allows them to make sure that they have the right vehicles, equipment, and qualified drivers on hand so that your transport can be done properly and to all safety codes and regulations.

Here’s the information about your chemicals that you should have ready when you contact us to set up a chemical transport.

Basic product information. What is the chemical material? Is the chemical material liquid, or dry?

Hazmat or non-hazmat. Is the chemical material you want transported designated a hazardous material? If it is, proper placards for the transport vehicle are needed, and the driver must have the proper endorsements for transporting your material.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS). A Safety Data Sheet is required for most chemicals—especially hazardous chemicals—that details the product’s compositions as well as its safe transport and handling.

Key data includes things like:

• Density. Knowing the weight per gallon of your material allows helps determine the number of trucks that will be needed to transport it.
• Viscosity. If your material is a liquid, the viscosity is how thick or thin it is. That way, it can be determined whether it can be pumped or if an air compressor is required.
• pH level. The material’s pH level dictates the types of tanks or trailers that can safely transport it. For example, low-pH materials need specialized rubber-lined tanks.

What Additional Information Do I Need Before I Find a Provider?

Equipment requirements. It’s critical to know from what kind of container will your chemical material be loaded and unloaded. This includes whether it requires a rear or center unload, any incompatible prior products—products that cannot have been shipped in the tank or trailer being used for your material—the width and length of hose required for loading and unloading, any needed fittings or adapters, and any needed safety equipment at the delivery site.

Whether or not you have an on-site scale. Your material’s weight will be determined by recording the truck’s weight before and after your shipment is loaded. The difference equals the weight of your material.

It must be known if you have a scale available at the loading site or if a stop to a scale needs to be factored in when planning the driver’s route.

Contact C3 Logistics today for a free consultation towards your next chemical transportation project.