Specialized
Lithium Battery & Energy Storage Freight
Cells, modules and packs — shipped under the provisions that actually apply to them rather than the ones that are easiest.
Cargo Taxi Deliveries transports lithium batteries and energy-storage equipment out of Los Angeles — cells, modules, packs, EV and stationary storage batteries — moved by hazmat-endorsed drivers under the special provisions that apply to each case. Shipments packed alone, packed with equipment, and contained in equipment are each handled under their own marking and paperwork requirements.
Lithium batteries are the most commonly mis-shipped regulated commodity in the country, and almost always for the same reason: the three shipping cases look similar and are regulated differently. A battery shipped on its own, a battery packed in the same box as the equipment it powers, and a battery already installed in equipment carry different UN numbers, different markings and different paperwork. Getting that wrong is how a load gets refused at a dock or, far worse, gets accepted and then becomes somebody's incident report.
The work spans the whole Southern California battery economy: cells and modules moving between manufacturers, assemblers and test labs; finished packs to installers; stationary energy-storage units to commercial sites; EV service and warranty batteries between dealers, service centres and recyclers; and the return leg — damaged, defective or recalled batteries, which have their own and considerably stricter rules.
Drivers carrying battery freight are hazmat endorsed and briefed on what a thermal event looks like before it is an emergency. Damaged or defective cells are not accepted on a general load — they travel under their own provisions or not at all, and dispatch will say which applies.
Specifications
The numbers.
| Driver qualification | Hazmat endorsement, current |
|---|---|
| Shipped alone | UN3480 (Li-ion) / UN3090 (Li-metal) |
| With or in equipment | UN3481 / UN3091 as applicable |
| Damaged or defective | Accepted only under the applicable special provision |
| Typical freight | Cells, modules, packs, EV service batteries, ESS units |
| Equipment | Sprinter, 26ft box truck, 26ft flatbed for ESS units |
Equipment used for this work
Mercedes Sprinter
Long-wheelbase, high-roof cargo van for medium loads and efficient multi-stop routes — the workhorse of the fleet.
- Limit: No liftgate — needs a dock or forklift for heavy pallets
- Limit: Maximum 4 pallet positions
26ft Box Truck
Enclosed 26ft box with a liftgate and a pallet jack on board as standard — the right truck for palletized freight going anywhere without a dock.
- Limit: Not a 53ft trailer — 12 pallet positions, not 26
- Limit: Restricted on some residential streets and low clearances
26ft Flatbed, Sleeper Cab
Open 26ft deck with a sleeper cab — machinery, steel, building materials, and multi-day long hauls that run without a forced overnight stop.
- Limit: No liftgate — consignee needs a forklift or crane
- Limit: Open deck: weather exposure unless tarped
Questions
Battery & Energy Storage, answered.
Can you transport lithium-ion batteries by road?
Yes, with hazmat-endorsed drivers and under the provisions that apply to your specific case. Tell dispatch whether the batteries are shipped alone, packed with equipment, or installed in equipment, along with the watt-hour rating and the state of charge — those determine the UN number, the marking and the paperwork, and they are different for each case.
Do you handle damaged or recalled batteries?
Only under the specific provisions that govern damaged, defective and recalled cells, which are considerably stricter than those for new product and require particular packaging. Tell dispatch the condition honestly at booking; a damaged cell presented as new product is a genuine safety risk to the driver and everything else on the truck.
Can you move EV batteries to a service centre or recycler?
Yes — EV service and warranty batteries between dealers, service centres and recyclers are routine work, including the return leg. The condition of the pack decides which provisions apply, so dispatch will ask whether it is a new, serviceable or damaged unit before quoting.
Further reading
How this works in practice.
Related services
Often booked together.
Hazmat Freight
Endorsed drivers, correct placards, correct paperwork — and a dispatcher who asks what is actually in the box before saying yes.
Semiconductors & Electronics
Wafers, chips and boards — on a truck that is not shared, in packaging that is not opened, handled by people who know what ESD means.
Automotive & Manufacturing
Inbound supplier runs, line-side replenishment, and the line-down call that has to be answered in minutes.
High-Value Cargo
Sealed at origin, never left unattended, handed over to a named person — and nobody outside dispatch knows the route.