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Dangerous Goods Declaration - Fuel system flush/purge
Hi
Looking into air freight from Sydney to USA, and one shipper has said that the fuels system needs to be flushed and purged with 'White Spirit' (turpentine) and also a letter stating to this effect needs to be written and provided to the airline. (also battery disconnected etc) I also read another caveat that the airline has stated: "If there is any odour of fuel at all then will will refuse the cargo" has anyone done this before to get around the dangerous goods certification and get a cheaper freight cost? Cheers, mitch |
It's a new one on me, haven't heard of this before!
If it works, fantastic! Every airline and country will have different rules, but it's certainly worth checking into. When you have done the shipment, PLEASE enter it into our shipping database so we have a permanent record to help everyone! Shipments by Travellers | Horizons Unlimited |
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1) Drain out all fuel. 2) Run it .. there will still be a bit of fuel in jets, feeder tubes... just run it untill it runs out. 3) Then put in a high evaporative fuel to flush. 4) Then drain that out. 5) Air .. to get rid of the smell. I found after step two that I could not smell fuel. I just aired it for a day from there and flew. I tried the official instructions .. drained out fuel, replaced with high evaporative fuel to flush, drained that .. and I could still smell fuel after one weeks airing. |
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Normally for air freight bikes not needs to be flushed and purged as always the airlines will consider a used motorbike as dangerous goods, even without any fuel, oil, coolant brake fluids, and battery. The dangerous goods certificates need to be made by your shipper. If your shipper doesn’t know it is probably because he never have made a traveller bike, scape and look for the right people or you can find later a not nice surprise. Bikes could flight with just some small fuel on the tanks, all the liquids in their reservoirs, but not others liquids flammables or not, gas or sprays separated from the bikes on panniers or bags. Battery should be disconnected and tires a bit deflated. Only few travellers have done it as not dangerous goods and was by a mistake of airlines. At least that’s what I know about that isn’t a little… Ride Safe, Ride Far & Regards |
Things must have changed. Last time I flew with my bike I actually rode it (with engine running) down the inside of the fuselage and parked it at the end (in the section where the fuselage tapers towards the fin - it was a narrow body jet.).
I then walked back out (tank pretty much full and battery connected) they filled the plane with cargo and I got a free ride in the jockey seat. Biggest challenge was on the scissor lift as they hoisted me (astride the bike) up into the plane. The base of the scissor lift is just rollers and when the lift jerked the bike rolled forward and I almost plunged 3m off the edge - still don't know how I survived that? |
I've been trying to organise shipping from Melbourne to Bangkok recently and get different requirements from different shipping agents...
Has anyone from Australia dealt directly with Qantas Freight? I heard you can get a DG certificate from a third party, ride to the depot then disconnect the battery and the strap to a pallet to ship? Other agents say to either purge the fuel system, drain oil, etc, and crate the bike... But this sounds like a pain! |
Gentlemen:
There is no need for either shippers (we owners), shipping agents (the folks who receive the shipment) or air carriers (the airlines that carry the bike) to speculate or guess at what the requirements for shipping a motorcycle by air are. Everything has been set out in great detail in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) handbook, which is the official guidebook for shipping dangerous goods (DGs) by air. Motorcycles are classed as "Vehicles, Flammable Liquid Powered". This is UN classification 3166. Precise instructions for how the vehicle must be configured for shipping can be found in Packing Instruction 900, which explains the rules for shipping UN 3166 classified objects. Every shipping agent and every air carrier is required by law to have a copy of the current year's version of the IATA DGR handbook on hand at the location where shipments are accepted. A new version of the DGR book is issued every year and takes effect Jan 1 of each year. 10 years ago, I made a post here on the HUBB that explained this process in detail, including pictures of the then current (2006) DGR for shipping motorcycles. It is possible that either the rules governing UN 3166 shipments or the packing instructions may have changed slightly since then, so, don't rely on my 10 year old post. But it is highly unlikely that the rules or packing instructions have changed substantially since 2006. Here's a link to my post from 2006: 2006 Rules for shipping motorcycles by air freight. After you have read it, go visit your shipping agent or the cargo department of your air carrier, and ask to look at their 2016 DGR book. Then look up UN 3166 and packing instruction 900, and "only read the black ink" - in other words, don't read any invisible ink, don't listen to any old wives' tales, just read the rules that are written in the DGR book, because they are all that matter. Individual countries and/or individual air carriers may impose more strenuous regulations on any form of DG shipments, however, when this is done, the exceptions by country and by carrier are printed in the 'variations' list in the back of the DGR book. Again, only read the black ink, don't try and read the invisible ink and don't attach any credibility to yada-yada you hear from uninformed persons. Michael (Retired Aircraft Pilot & DGR instructor who has shipped his ST1100 by air many times). |
Yep that's right. We just dropped our bikes off at a Sydney cargo company. We had to drain the tanks and fuel lines and carbs, and then had to flush the whole thing with turpentine. There was to be no odours of fuel at all. Only took about 10 mins and two purges. Plus the whole disconnect the battery thing
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That being the case, what happened was that your cargo acceptance agent imposed, of their own accord, a much higher standard than is required by law.
The current issue of the DGR book does not list any state or air carrier variations for Australia. Michael |
Thanks for all of the responses everyone.
We were thrown a few other curve ball questions by this particular shipper, and decided to stick with sea freight (what we know). Quite shocked at the amount shipping from Sydney to Anchorage. - roughly 3 times the cost of shipping Sydney - Vladivostok! It also apparently costs twice as much to ship from Seattle to Anchorage than it does to ship across the entire Pacific Ocean :) thanks everyone. Cheers, Mitch |
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For the most part, that pricing anomaly is a consequence of the Jones Act, a piece of American legislation that requires that anything shipped by sea between two points in the USA must be carried on US built ships staffed by US citizens and operated by US companies. Michael |
Ok..as I am in Brazil finishing my S.American tour and hoping to air lift my bike back to Europe..already hawing problem with shipping agent as they are not familiar with DG procedure, one even suggested that I drain oil from my engine.
In next couple off days all haw some more info ..so going to post here... Ride safe .............kawazoki |
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That's all there is to it. Anything else they tell you that is not written down in the DGR book is just hot air and/or BS. Michael IATA DGR Book (current edition is 57) http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/a...psk0mdidrs.jpg |
Not all off them haw this book ..as they need to spend whupping 309 US
for this...:) Ride safe kawazoki |
If they don't have the book then they don't know what to do. So they may want to reduce their risk (never mind your costs or time) and have you flush all fluids (fuel, oils (including suspension, brake), and remove any compressed gas (rear shock are often pressurised these days)...
If you tell them that you don't need to do that to comply with DGR UN Class 3166 .. again they won't know. Is there another agent .. possibly some $300 more expensive .. that can actually do the job to the regulations rather than what they think? |
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