15 replies to this topic

[www.oliverbrown.co.uk]

I'm trying to find a UK courier to deliver chems and fuse, I've been in contact with city link who have been very helpful but their license doesn't cover them to carry fuse and magnalium.
wirelessfireworks.co.uk advertise they use a courier, does anyone know which one it is or can anyone point me in the right direction of the correct type of courier?

Cheers!

[Karl Mitchell-Shead]

Good luck is all I will say, I used a small time courier for a period but they soon told me where to go when I fell well short of the 200+ packages they required me to send PCM in order to gain the price break! Nightfreight will take hazardous good but again to need quantity and it is notoriously hard to get an account with them.


As for wireless fireworks, order something and see how it comes

[Arthur Brown]

If you pack in suitable containers and in suitable weights then lots of things go by ordinary courier, You must have the regs to find the LQ for every material - each will be different.

For example petrol is ADR in bulk but if packed in appropriate containers of three litres or less any amount of petrol goes without ADR. BUT no I wouldn't want to carry 3000 litres of petrol in 3L cans! But it would be lawful!

[www.oliverbrown.co.uk]

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll badger City link again tomorrow, the guy there is a top chap and very helpful, I think there will be a work around with the magnalium but I'd say I'm screwed with the fuse side of things, not the end of the world though.
I have a list of my products that are OK'd from City link, some of it doesn't make much sense, I guess it does to someone!

[crystal palace fireworks]

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll badger City link again tomorrow, the guy there is a top chap and very helpful, I think there will be a work around with the magnalium but I'd say I'm screwed with the fuse side of things, not the end of the world though.
I have a list of my products that are OK'd from City link, some of it doesn't make much sense, I guess it does to someone!

You could try `The National Courior Association`, they maybe able to put you in touch with companies/vehicle owners who can transport chemicals/explosives legally.

[martyn]

I'm fairly sure there is no LQ for hazard class1 (fuse)
Wih the magnalium I seem to remember reading somewhere it may depend on the particle size and the percentage of each size within the package.
I think skylighter do some sort of workaround whereby they send a mix of fine mesh and chunks together and then buy back the chunks, granted that is the US though.
Digger and Steve both do it by the book though, they could give a definitive answer if they see the thread.

[Karl Mitchell-Shead]

Depends on the type of fuse too and how it falls into ADR fo example Quickmatch is designated 1.3g.

[Atom Fireworks]

Depends on the type of fuse too and how it falls into ADR fo example Quickmatch is designated 1.3g.

And from what ive heard it may become 1.1g in the future !!!

[Karl Mitchell-Shead]

That's ridiculous and could cause serious headaches......


Quickmatch by nature is called 'instantaneous NON DETONATING fuse' therefore to have a classification that is described as having 'risk of mass explosion / detonation' is ludicrous!

[Karl Mitchell-Shead]

Where has this come from?

[Deano 1]

I know TNT are licenced for a lot of chems, they can carry live rounds, weapons and reloading powder but not all at the same time, you'd have to ring them and ask.

[www.oliverbrown.co.uk]

I think I told him the right UN number?

UN Number Class Proper Shipping Name UN 0101 1 Fuse, non-detonating (instantaneous or quickmatch) UN 0102 1 Cord detonating or Fuse detonating metal clad UN 0103 1 Fuse, igniter tubular metal clad UN 0104 1 Cord, detonating, mild effect or Fuse, detonating, mild effect metal clad UN 0105 1 Fuse, safety UN 0106 + UN 0107 1 Fuzes, detonating
UN 0105 is what I plumped for.

I'll give TNT a tinkle tomorrow, they sound like they should move HE no problem, a bit of fuse should be a breeze for them!

[Firework Crazy]

Here is a link to the City Link page for ADR, Steve is a really nice guy and tried his best to get the powers that be to take 1.4g but they wouldn't. I think he realised the potential in increased business whilst other couldn't.

http://www.city-link...angerous-goods/

There are other couriers that will take fireworks and other hazard classes, however the don't tend to be cheap and usually very hard to get accounts with.

Night Freight - Notoriously hard to get an account with, I think I was very lucky to get an account with them when I did, but I did have to prove myself and my business to them. I won't divulge how here as I worked bloomin hard to get an account and it paid off. I have heard a story of a company who purchased another firework company that wasn't even trading for £60k JUST for their Night Freight account. I was also lucky that I was not tied in to a contract with minimum shipments or payments every month, but again I worked hard for this and it paid off for both of us. There isn't a month where our bills don't have 000.00 on the end and I won't tell you how much we spend a WEEK in October it would scare you. However I will tell you that shipping is the biggest cost in our business other than the products themselves. More than our rent, rates and insurance etc..

Just goes to show how expensive it is to ship fireworks!

TNT - Will take hazard class 1.4s and 1.4g however i've been told that they only have one account for this class, then lots of umbrella accounts under it. AND to get one of those umbrella accounts you need to hold a license for the sale of firearms etc.. Whether true or not I don't know, but it's what I was told by one of their top bods and it took me two months to get to him!

Circle - A small, national courier based in Heathrow but with about 7 main depots scattered around the UK. They will deliver 1.3g and 1.4g but are very expensive. Expect to pay a minimum £25 hazardous surcharge per consignment and that's before any carriage, collection and weight fees.

Tuffnels - Another national courier that will carry 1.4g although they prefer pallet freight rather than home deliveries. They only tend to ship for Blackcat / Standard as they brokered a deal with them many moons ago.

Independent Couriers - There are plenty of independent couriers that will take hazardous goods, however expect to pay about £1.25 per mile for their services.

If anyone knows of any other national couriers then I would love to know. You would think they would be queuing up to take my business, but alas they are not.

I even posted once on a courier's forum offering a £1000 to any person who could get me an account with a national courier to take fireworks, no one succeeded.

It's a shame that so many people / companies break the law when they ship fireworks illegally. I get calls all the time "X company will send it to me for £4.95, why can't you" It will only take one incident and that will be it. No more fireworks. Theses people jeopadise the hobby that so many of us love with their stupidity and greed!

I hope you've found this useful.

Edited by Firework Crazy, 13 December 2011 - 11:31 PM.