May 22, 2023
Amazon Freight prides itself on safely transporting a range of items as freight cargo. However, there are some items that we cannot carry due to UK and EU law. This is in keeping with the European Agreement on International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) which designates goods as “hazardous, dangerous, restricted or prohibited”.
If you’re a shipper looking to move freight cargo, read on to learn about the full list of restricted and prohibited shipping items we can and cannot transport. Once you are happy your freight meets the requirements, explore our freight solutions to discover how we can support your freight shipping needs.
If you’re a shipper looking to move freight cargo, read on to learn about the full list of restricted and prohibited shipping items we can and cannot transport. Once you are happy your freight meets the requirements, explore our freight solutions to discover how we can support your freight shipping needs.
Prohibited & Restricted Goods
We restrict or prohibit certain goods from our road freight network to comply with UK law. Under this legislation, a great deal of everyday items, from batteries to aerosols, are classified as ‘dangerous’ goods.
The shipper is ultimately responsible for checking if the item they want to transport is restricted or banned altogether. If you are sending goods into or across the UK, Amazon reserves the right to dispose of your cargo if it does not comply with transport legislation.
The shipper is ultimately responsible for checking if the item they want to transport is restricted or banned altogether. If you are sending goods into or across the UK, Amazon reserves the right to dispose of your cargo if it does not comply with transport legislation.
Restricted Items
The term ‘restricted’ refers to when:
1. An item is permitted but only within a certain quantity, or;
2. An item can be shipped, but only under certain conditions
Restrictions are enforced for safety measures, for example, to prevent fire, damage to goods or any risks to health, safety and hygiene. Here are some example of items that are not banned outright, but can face restrictions when shipping:
1. Aerosols
2. Alcoholic beverages and liquids
3. Balloons
4. Batteries
5. Biological substances
6. Christmas crackers
7. Electronic devices
8. Lighters (new & unused)
9. Liquids
10. Nail polish
11. Perishable items
12. Prescription medicines
13. Sharp objects (depending on use)
14. Vaccines
Please note: Amazon Freight does not currently ship ADR restricted items.
1. An item is permitted but only within a certain quantity, or;
2. An item can be shipped, but only under certain conditions
Restrictions are enforced for safety measures, for example, to prevent fire, damage to goods or any risks to health, safety and hygiene. Here are some example of items that are not banned outright, but can face restrictions when shipping:
1. Aerosols
2. Alcoholic beverages and liquids
3. Balloons
4. Batteries
5. Biological substances
6. Christmas crackers
7. Electronic devices
8. Lighters (new & unused)
9. Liquids
10. Nail polish
11. Perishable items
12. Prescription medicines
13. Sharp objects (depending on use)
14. Vaccines
Please note: Amazon Freight does not currently ship ADR restricted items.
Prohibited Items
Amazon Freight does not support shipping hazardous materials (HAZMAT), those requiring refrigeration, and other prohibited goods. The full list of items we are not permitted to transport are as follows:
(i) live or dead animals, including insects
(ii) bullion
(iii) counterfeit goods
(iv) money and/or coins of every description
(v) bearer form negotiable instruments, share certificates and blank shares, contracts, deeds, lottery tickets, vouchers, stamps, duty stamps and any other documents negotiable or equivalent as cash
(vi) Precious Metals, Precious Stones and Semi-precious Stones or items that are made from or which may include the foregoing:
(vii) magnetised metals with a magnetic field strength greater than 0.418A/m at a distance of 4.6m from the outside of the parcel or package.
(viii) firearms and ammunition,
(ix) alcohol above 70% Alcohol By Volume (ABV),
(x) cigarettes, cigars and any other tobacco products,
(xi) frozen or chilled food,
(xii) human corpses, human organs or body parts, human and animal embryos or cremated or disinterred human remains,
(xiii) pornography and (ix) prescription and/or illegal drugs
(xiv) parcels or packages that are wet, leaking or emit an odour of any kind,
(xv) parcels or packages containing frozen water or dry ice,
(xvi) explosives, fireworks and other items of an incendiary or flammable nature,
(xvii) antiques or works of art,
(xviii) watches and jewellery with an individual item value in local currency equivalent of US$500 or more,
(xix) items not permitted or restricted for transport by any applicable laws, rules or regulations, and
(xx) any other goods as notified by Amazon from time to time.
(i) live or dead animals, including insects
(ii) bullion
(iii) counterfeit goods
(iv) money and/or coins of every description
(v) bearer form negotiable instruments, share certificates and blank shares, contracts, deeds, lottery tickets, vouchers, stamps, duty stamps and any other documents negotiable or equivalent as cash
(vi) Precious Metals, Precious Stones and Semi-precious Stones or items that are made from or which may include the foregoing:
(vii) magnetised metals with a magnetic field strength greater than 0.418A/m at a distance of 4.6m from the outside of the parcel or package.
(viii) firearms and ammunition,
(ix) alcohol above 70% Alcohol By Volume (ABV),
(x) cigarettes, cigars and any other tobacco products,
(xi) frozen or chilled food,
(xii) human corpses, human organs or body parts, human and animal embryos or cremated or disinterred human remains,
(xiii) pornography and (ix) prescription and/or illegal drugs
(xiv) parcels or packages that are wet, leaking or emit an odour of any kind,
(xv) parcels or packages containing frozen water or dry ice,
(xvi) explosives, fireworks and other items of an incendiary or flammable nature,
(xvii) antiques or works of art,
(xviii) watches and jewellery with an individual item value in local currency equivalent of US$500 or more,
(xix) items not permitted or restricted for transport by any applicable laws, rules or regulations, and
(xx) any other goods as notified by Amazon from time to time.
Weight restrictions
We currently support most commodities that can be shipped in standard 13.6m trailers for live pickup and live delivery.* There are, however, some items we cannot accept.
No items should exceed 63.5cm x 63.5cm x 63.5cm, unless it's the only item on the pallet (these should fit within the boundaries of a UK or EU pallet). Items heavier than 31.5kg, or with pallet dimensions of more than 175cm Length or 360cm girth, are considered ‘Heavy & Bulky’ items. The maximum weight limitations are:
• Palletized load: <500kg per pallet
• Loose load (clampable): <140kg per item
• Loose load (not clampable): <45kg per item. The cost of freight shipping typically increases with the length of the journey. For instance, it will be more expensive to send a truckload of cargo from Exeter to Glasgow than between Manchester and Merseyside
No items should exceed 63.5cm x 63.5cm x 63.5cm, unless it's the only item on the pallet (these should fit within the boundaries of a UK or EU pallet). Items heavier than 31.5kg, or with pallet dimensions of more than 175cm Length or 360cm girth, are considered ‘Heavy & Bulky’ items. The maximum weight limitations are:
• Palletized load: <500kg per pallet
• Loose load (clampable): <140kg per item
• Loose load (not clampable): <45kg per item. The cost of freight shipping typically increases with the length of the journey. For instance, it will be more expensive to send a truckload of cargo from Exeter to Glasgow than between Manchester and Merseyside
Start your freight journey today
It is the responsibility of the shipper to be aware of the requirements involved in shipping certain items and to find out which goods they cannot ship. All items must ultimately be accounted for by senders.
If you have any further questions around restricted and prohibited goods, or other individual shipping requirements, don’t hesitate to contact us at freight-uk-interest@amazon.com. Our team will be happy to provide you with more information. Otherwise, you can get started with your freight journey today by creating a shipper account. The faster you want to ship your freight, the higher the price of transportation will be.
If you have any further questions around restricted and prohibited goods, or other individual shipping requirements, don’t hesitate to contact us at freight-uk-interest@amazon.com. Our team will be happy to provide you with more information. Otherwise, you can get started with your freight journey today by creating a shipper account. The faster you want to ship your freight, the higher the price of transportation will be.
When you ship with Amazon Freight, you can expect competitive freight pricing for a reliable and hassle-free shipping service. Once you have opened your shipper account and provided us with your shipment details, we'll provide you with an instant quote. You can also inquire with us about cost breakdowns to get an insight into how we calculate expenses for each stage of the shipping process.
Read our freight pricing guide for more information on how we calculate freight shipping costs, alternatively, contact us at freight-uk-interest@amazon.com for any pricing queries you may have. Our team will be happy to answer all questions.
Read our freight pricing guide for more information on how we calculate freight shipping costs, alternatively, contact us at freight-uk-interest@amazon.com for any pricing queries you may have. Our team will be happy to answer all questions.
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