How to set up Shopify Shipping for FedEx Special Shipments

We will see how to set up Shopify Shipping for FedEx Special Shipments like Dangerous Goods, Alcohol Shipping, Dry Ice Shipping, etc using the Shopify Ship, Rate and Track for FedEx. We will also see the difference in the shipping label for these shipments.

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What are the FedEx Special Shipments?

As FedEx is one of the giants in the logistics industry, it covers a broad spectrum of shipping services. Among the millions of shipments they handle daily, there are a number of shipments that require special care or that may not be accepted by FedEx.

According to FedEx, materials listed below fall under the special shipments category.

1. Dangerous Goods: A number of items fall under this category like airbags, car batteries, fireworks, explosives, etc.
2. Liquor: This includes any alcoholic beverage for human consumption.
3. Live Animals or Human Body Parts
4. Perishable Goods: This category includes foods and beverages that require refrigeration or any other environmental control.
5. Money: This category includes any currency, both paper money and coins.

FedEx Special Shipments Supported by Shopify Ship, Rate and Track for FedEx

Shopify Ship, Rate and Track for FedEx is one of the easy to use and the simplest FedEx Shipping solution for Shopify. The app handles bulk label generation, scheduling pickup for your orders, and also the shipment tracking. 

This app also handles the FedEx Special shipments and allows Shopify merchants to handle such shipments easily. It supports the below FedEx Special Shipments:

1. Alcohol Shipping
2. Dangerous Goods Shipping
3. Battery Shipping
4. Dry Ice Shipping

Now, let’s see how the Shopify FedEx App handles these services and the FedEx Labels for each of these services.

Under the app settings, navigate to the Products section and move to the product details. You see the options to enable whether the product falls under the FedEx special shipments category. 

FedEx Alcohol Shipping in Shopify

Enable this service if you are shipping alcohol or related products. You can select the Alcohol Recipient type from the dropdown list as shown below.

A sample FedEx shipping label for Alcohol Shipping is given below.

FedEx Dangerous Goods Shipping in Shopify

Enable this service if your product falls under the dangerous goods category. You can choose the Dangerous Goods Regulation Type, Dangerous Goods Accessibility type, and also enable the ‘Ship By Cargo Aircraft Only’ if required.

Dangerous Goods Regulation Types
ADR – It stands for Agreement International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. It is the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. Products like gases, organic peroxides, radioactive materials, etc fall under this category.

DOT – The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) defines a hazardous material as any item or chemical which, when being transported, is a risk to public safety or the environment. Products like corrosives, biological materials, etc., fall under this category.

IATA – It stands for the International Air Transport Association. Some items may endanger the safety of an aircraft or people traveling. IATA ensures the safe handling of dangerous goods in air shipping. The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) helps you prepare, handle, or accept dangerous goods shipments by air. 

ORMD – It stands for Other Regulated Material for Domestic Transport. Packages having ORMD mark contain hazardous material in a limited quantity. These packages present a limited hazard during transportation, due to its form, packaging, and quantity. Products like Perfumes, Charcoal, Lighters, etc fall under this category.

These are the FedEx services that support Dangerous Goods:

Accessible dangerous goods that may be shipped using: 
  1. FedEx Priority Overnight®
  2. FedEx 1Day® Freight
  3. FedEx International Priority®
  4. FedEx International Priority® Freight o FedEx International Economy® 
  5. FedEx International Economy® Freight

Inaccessible dangerous goods that may be shipped using: 
 1. FedEx Priority Overnight
 2. FedEx Standard Overnight®
 3. FedEx 2Day®
 4. FedEx 2Day® A.M.
 5. FedEx Express Saver®
 6. FedEx 1Day Freight
 7. FedEx 2Day® Freight
 8. FedEx 3Day® Freight
 9. FedEx First Overnight® Freight
 10. FedEx International Priority
 11. FedEx International Priority Freight

A sample FedEx shipping label for Dangerous Goods Shipping is given below.

FedEx Battery Shipping in Shopify

Enable this service if you are shipping batteries. Here, you will have the option to choose the Battery Material Type, Battery Packing Type, and the Battery Regulatory Subtype.

A sample FedEx shipping label for Battery Shipping is given below.

FedEx Dry Ice Shipping with Shopify

To ship Dry Ice with FedEx, first, you need to check the Dry Ice Weight under your Products section as shown below:

Now you need to configure your Dry ice weight under Auto Settings. additionally, if you are shipping Dangerous Goods, you can choose the Type of Packaging and Packaging Material as shown below:

Now when your customers place an order they will get to see the best FedEx services for dry ice shipping at the Shopify checkout as shown below:

Once the order is placed, next print the shipping labels under Orders. Select the order/s for which you want the labels, then click on More Actions > Generate Label. Refer to the image below:

Now check the FedEx Rates and click Generate Label:

After the label is generated successfully, now you can print your labels or shipping documents by clicking on Print Documents:

Here have a look at the FedEx Dry Ice Shipping Label:

Enable Signature on Delivery with FedEx in Shopify

Apart from these special shipments, the Shopify FedEx App also supports the Signature Proof of Delivery option. You can enable this option if you require a signature as proof of delivery. Once you enable this, you can select from the various options available.

ADULT – Require signature from someone at least 21 years old (along with government-issued photo ID)

DIRECT –  Require a signature from someone who is a resident or employee at the delivery location. The package cannot be left at the location, notes don’t count, and the neighbors cannot sign.

INDIRECT – Require signature from someone at the delivery address or someone at a neighboring address. The recipient can also leave a door tag confirming the release of the package without anyone present.

NO SIGNATURE REQUIRED – The FedEx agent can deliver the package without having a signature as proof of delivery.

SERVICE DEFAULT – If this option is enabled, enabling the signature option would be based on the particular FedEx service. For example, all packages in a multiple package shipment must have the Signature Option, and all shipments with a declared value of $500USD or $500CAD or greater require a signature.

AS PER THE GENERAL SETTINGS – If this option is selected, the signature on delivery option will be chosen based on what you have set under the “Auto settings” within the app settings.

Below is a sample FedEx label when the Adult Signature option is enabled.

Final Thoughts

We discussed the various FedEx Special Shipments like Dangerous goods, Dry Ice Shipping, etc, and how the Shopify Ship, Rate and Track for FedEx handles the special shipments. The app acts as a complete shipping solution by handling label printing, scheduling pickups, and shipment tracking.

If you face any issues with FedEx special shipments or have any queries on setting up the app, do contact our support.