Required information on a shipping document

You must always include a shipping document when you are transporting dangerous goods, unless an exemption applies.

Overview of a shipping document

A shipping document is a document that identifies the dangerous goods that are being imported, handled, offered for transport or transported and contains the information required by Part 3 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

A shipping document is always required, unless an exemption (i.e. special case) states otherwise and it is the consignor’s responsibility to complete the shipping document before allowing a carrier to take possession of the dangerous goods.

The shipping document that accompanies the dangerous goods cannot be an electronic record.

Information required on shipping documents

Part 3 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations lists all the required information that must appear on a shipping document. It also explains the order in which some of the information must be displayed. Furthermore, there is information that must always be displayed on a shipping document and some is only required when applicable. This document summarizes the required information and the order of dangerous goods description that must appear on a shipping document.

Information Always Required

Name + Address of Consignor (in Canada)
Date shipping document was prepared (or first given to carrier)
UN Number
Shipping Name
Primary Class
Quantity
Number of Small MOC requiring labels
24-Hour Number
Consignor’s Certification*

See Sections Paragraph 3.5(1)(c) and Section 3.6.1 for more information.

Information required when applicable

Technical Name for Special Provision (SP) 16
“Not Odourized” or “Not Odorized” for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Compatibility Group: Class 1
Subsidiary Class
Packing Group
“Toxic by inhalation” or “Toxic - inhalation hazard” for SP 23
Fumigation Unit Information
Residue - Last Contained
ERAP Reference # and Telephone #
Flash Point / Marine Pollutant for Class 3 on a Vessel
Control & Emergency Temperatures: Class 4.1 and 5.2
Additional Information as per PTNSR: Class 7

See Sections Paragraph 3.5(1)(c) and 3.6.1 for more information.

Order of dangerous goods description on a shipping document

UN Number
Shipping Name (Technical Name / Not Odourized (or Not Odorized) for LPG if applicable)
Primary Class (Compatibility Group for Class 1 / Subsidiary Class if applicable)
Packing Group (if applicable)
“Toxic by inhalation” or “Toxic - inhalation hazard” (if subject to Special Provision 23)

See Paragraph 3.5(1)(c) for more information.

Consignor’s Certification

*The Consignor’s Certification is a formal statement that confirms that the content of a consignment is:

fully and accurately described on the shipping document,
is properly classified and packaged,
has dangerous goods safety marks properly affixed or displayed on its means of containment, and
is in proper condition.

The certification must be made by an individual who is the consignor or by an individual acting on his/her behalf. The consignor will determine who is best suited to certify the consignment.

If the consignor delegates this responsibility, the individual who certifies the shipment should be involved in preparing the shipment, should know the content of the consignment, and should be fully aware of the specific requirements of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (classification, selection and use of means of containment, labeling, placarding, etc.).

The certification must be one of the five certifications allowed in Section 3.6.1 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations. Since the name of the individual that certifies the consignment must appear on the consignor’s certification, the name of the organization is not acceptable.

The consignor’s certification must appear anywhere on the shipping document after the information required in Section 3.5 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations. For example, the consignor can place it:

at the back of the shipping document; or
on the last page of a shipping document with multiple pages.

To learn more about the Consignor’s Certification, please contact the TDG regional office in your region:

Atlantic
1-866-814-1477
TDG-TMDAtlantic@tc.gc.ca

Prairie & Northern
1-888-463-0521
TDG-TMDPNR@tc.gc.ca

Quebec
1-514-633-3400
TMD-TDG.Quebec@tc.gc.ca

Pacific
1-604-666-2955
TDGPacific-TMDPacifique@tc.gc.ca

Ontario
1-416-973-1868
TDG-TMDOntario@tc.gc.ca

National Capital Region
tdg-tmd@tc.gc.ca

Required information on a shipping document
( PDF , 100 KB )

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