Freight glossary / Compliance and authority

What is Hazmat in freight?

Hazmat freight is material regulated as hazardous in transport, requiring specific placarding, documentation, driver endorsement, and often routing restrictions. Carriers must be separately authorized to haul it and many decline. Hazmat capacity is therefore thinner than general freight, which shows up as a rate premium rather than only as a paperwork burden.

Also called: hazardous materials, dangerous goods.

Related terms

• Placard
• Operating authority
• Carrier vetting
• Tanker