01
Lithium battery hazmat surcharges
Power tools with batteries trigger hazmat fees on every shipment. Standard schedule, rarely negotiated.
Industries · Hardware & Tools
Dense parcels, heavy bands, hazmat exposure.
Hardware and power tools are heavy, dense, and frequently hazmat-classified (lithium batteries, fuels, adhesives). The combination triggers compound surcharges that are negotiable individually.
Where the money leaks
Three problems we see in every hardware audit.
02
Heavy-band rates are punitive
Tool boxes and case sets land in the 30–70 lb band billed at standard rates.
03
RMA volume on tools is real
Returns priced at retail by default. Adds up fast on a mid-volume hardware shipper.
Our playbook
Four levers, specifically for hardware.
01
Hazmat surcharge renegotiation
Hazmat lithium-ion fees negotiated as a specific line.
02
Heavy-band rate sheet
30+ lb tier negotiated separately from the average.
03
Return label parity
Returns at the same negotiated tier as outbound. Critical at hardware return rates.
04
Carrier mix for irregular tools
Long-handle tools, ladders, irregular gear — routed to whichever carrier prices their shape correctly.
Best fit if you are
- ✓Hardware and tool DTC brands
- ✓Power tool retailers and distributors
- ✓B2B hardware wholesalers
- ✓Multi-channel tool sellers
Probably not for you if
Single-retail-store hardware operators without national parcel.
Other industries
Different verticals, same audit-first approach.
E-commerce & DTC
Shopify, BigCommerce, Amazon, multi-channel — we cover the full carrier stack you're juggling.
Open playbook →Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
Carrier rates are the second-biggest line on your bid sheet. We negotiate them as one consolidated book.
Open playbook →Distribution & B2B Wholesale
B2B parcel is a different problem from DTC. We treat it that way.
Open playbook → Want the hardware playbook on your invoices?
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