Upgrade in Hazardous Goods Control: Why Do Ordinary Logistics Companies Refuse Chemical Transportation?

With the rapid development of the global chemical industry, demand for chemical transportation continues to grow. However, at the same time, standards for hazardous goods control are constantly being upgraded—from stricter packaging strength requirements and more rigorous transportation qualification reviews to mandatory provisions for emergency response capabilities. The implementation of a series of control measures has made ordinary logistics companies increasingly cautious about chemical transportation, even refusing it outright. As the main force undertaking the transportation of ordinary goods such as daily consumer goods and industrial parts, why do ordinary logistics companies say “no” to chemicals after the upgrade in hazardous goods control? This phenomenon is not merely an “industry barrier” but the combined result of the capability limitations, regulatory constraints, and risk costs of ordinary logistics. This article will start with the specific manifestations of upgraded hazardous goods control, deeply analyze the core reasons why ordinary logistics companies refuse chemical transportation, and simultaneously reveal the irreplaceability of professional hazardous goods logistics, providing references for chemical enterprises to select compliant transportation channels.

I. Core Manifestations of Upgraded Hazardous Goods Control: From “Lenient Supervision” to “Full-Chain Strict Management”

In recent years, domestic and international control over hazardous goods has shifted from “post-accident accountability” to a full-chain model of “pre-accident prevention, in-process control, and post-accident severe punishment.” The upgrade in control is mainly reflected in the following three dimensions. These changes have directly raised the entry threshold for chemical transportation, making it difficult for ordinary logistics to adapt.

(1) Qualification Review: From “Formal Examination” to “Substantive Verification”

In the early stages, qualification reviews for hazardous goods transportation mainly focused on “document submission” with relatively lenient verification efforts. After the control upgrade, however, qualification reviews place greater emphasis on “substantive capability verification,” fully exposing the qualification shortcomings of ordinary logistics:

• Stricter Enterprise Qualification Review: According to the newly revised Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, enterprises engaged in chemical transportation must not only obtain a Road Transport Operation Permit for Dangerous Goods but also provide more than 10 types of documents, including a “list of dedicated transport vehicles,” “qualification certificates for drivers and escorts,” and “filed emergency response plans.” Additionally, regulatory authorities conduct on-site inspections of hardware facilities such as the enterprise’s parking lots, maintenance workshops, and emergency material reserves. Most ordinary logistics companies focus on ordinary cargo transportation and lack the dedicated sites and facilities required for hazardous goods transportation, making it impossible to pass substantive verification;
• Higher Personnel Qualification Requirements: After the control upgrade, drivers for chemical transportation must pass specialized assessments on “hazardous goods characteristic recognition,” “leakage emergency response,” and “fire-fighting equipment use,” and must participate in continuing education and re-certification every 2 years. Escorts need to master professional skills such as “hazardous chemical classification and identification” and “packaging integrity inspection.” Drivers and loaders in ordinary logistics have mostly only received training in ordinary cargo transportation, lacking professional knowledge related to chemicals and failing to meet qualification requirements;
• Elevated Vehicle and Equipment Standards: New regulations require chemical transport vehicles to be equipped with dedicated equipment such as “real-time positioning systems,” “temperature/pressure monitoring devices,” and “anti-static grounding devices.” Moreover, vehicles must undergo safety technical inspections every six months, covering items such as braking performance, sealing performance, and the effectiveness of emergency devices. Ordinary logistics vehicles are mostly standard trucks equipped only with basic GPS positioning and braking systems, lacking the aforementioned dedicated equipment and failing to meet vehicle standards for chemical transportation.

(2) Operational Specifications: From “Flexible Requirements” to “Rigid Standards”

Before the control upgrade, operational specifications for chemical transportation were mostly “advisory requirements,” allowing enterprises to adjust flexibly based on actual conditions. Today, however, operational specifications have become “rigid standards,” with severe penalties for violations in any link—making the operational models of ordinary logistics incompatible:

• Packaging and Securing: From “Basic Protection” to “Professional Adaptation”: In the early stages, chemical packaging only required “no damage.” The new regulations, however, establish differentiated packaging standards based on the hazard category of chemicals (e.g., flammable liquids, corrosive substances, highly toxic chemicals). For example, Class 3 flammable liquids require “anti-static metal drums + cushioning foam” packaging with a drum wall thickness of no less than 2 mm, which must pass a tightness test at 1.2 times the design pressure. Class 8 corrosive substances require “acid- and alkali-resistant fiberglass-reinforced plastic drums” with anti-corrosive coatings on the inner walls. Packaging commonly used in ordinary logistics, such as cartons and standard plastic drums, cannot meet these professional requirements;
• Transport Routes: From “Free Selection” to “Designated Planning”: After the control upgrade, chemical transport routes must be reported to transportation authorities in advance, avoiding sensitive areas such as densely populated areas, schools, hospitals, and water sources, and prioritizing highways and dedicated freight corridors. Transport times must avoid morning and evening peak hours (e.g., 7:00–9:00, 17:00–19:00) and severe weather (heavy rain, heavy snow, heavy fog). Ordinary logistics typically plans routes based on the “timeliness priority” principle, lacking awareness of avoiding sensitive areas and having no route reporting mechanism, making it unable to meet route control requirements;
• In-Transit Inspections: From “Random Spot Checks” to “Mandatory Scheduled Inspections”: New regulations require mandatory inspections every 2 hours during chemical transportation, covering items such as “packaging damage, valve leakage, and securing tightness.” Additionally, a Hazardous Goods Transport In-Transit Inspection Form must be completed to record inspection times, identified issues, and disposal measures. For the transportation of highly toxic chemicals, position and cargo status must be reported to regulatory authorities every hour. In the operational processes of ordinary logistics, cargo inspections are mostly conducted only before departure and after arrival, with no scheduled in-transit inspection mechanism—making it impossible to meet control requirements.

(3) Accountability: From “Minor Penalties” to “Severe Punishment”

Before the control upgrade, ordinary logistics companies violating regulations in chemical transportation (without causing accidents) mostly faced “warnings and small fines.” Today, however, accountability has achieved “zero tolerance,” with severe penalties—even criminal liability—for both unqualified transportation and operational violations:

• Significantly Increased Administrative Fines: According to the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, unqualified chemical transportation without permits now incurs fines ranging from “50,000 to 500,000 yuan,” up from the previous “20,000 to 100,000 yuan.” For the transportation of highly toxic chemicals, fines can reach “100,000 to 1,000,000 yuan.” In 2023, an ordinary logistics company was caught transporting 500 kg of ethanol without qualifications and was ultimately fined 250,000 yuan—equivalent to the company’s net profit for 3 months;
• Lowered Threshold for Criminal Liability: After the control upgrade, any act of “knowingly transporting hazardous goods in violation of regulations” may constitute “dangerous driving” or “endangering public security”—even without causing accidents. In cases of leaks, explosions, or other accidents, enterprise leaders may face a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison. In 2024, an ordinary logistics company used a standard truck to transport sulfuric acid; packaging damage caused a leak that contaminated surrounding farmland. The company’s responsible person was sentenced to 3 years in prison and ordered to bear 1.2 million yuan in environmental remediation costs;
• Joint Credit Discipline: Ordinary logistics companies violating regulations in chemical transportation are included in the “untrustworthy enterprise list,” facing restrictions in government procurement, bank loans, and qualification upgrades. Untrustworthy information is also synchronized to the national credit information sharing platform, affecting the enterprise’s long-term operations.

II. Core Reasons for Ordinary Logistics Companies Refusing Chemical Transportation: Triple Constraints of Capability, Regulations, and Risk

Against the backdrop of upgraded hazardous goods control, ordinary logistics companies’ refusal to transport chemicals is not a “subjective choice” but a result of inherent shortcomings in capability reserves, regulatory adaptation, and risk bearing. These shortcomings prevent ordinary logistics from meeting compliance requirements for chemical transportation, ultimately leading to refusal.

(1) Capability Shortcomings: Ordinary Logistics Lacks the “Professional Genes” for Chemical Transportation

The operational models, equipment configurations, and personnel skills of ordinary logistics are designed around “ordinary goods,” creating an inherent gap with the “professional capabilities” required for chemical transportation. These shortcomings have been magnified indefinitely after the control upgrade:

• Equipment and Facilities: No Dedicated Equipment to Mitigate Risks: Chemical transportation requires dedicated vehicles, packaging, and handling equipment. For example, liquid chemicals require insulated tank trucks, high-pressure gases require hydrostatically tested dedicated cylinders, and corrosive substances require corrosion-resistant forklifts. Ordinary logistics, however, uses general-purpose equipment such as standard flatbed trucks, manual forklifts, and carton packaging—unable to address the risk characteristics of chemicals. In 2023, an ordinary logistics company attempted to transport 30% hydrochloric acid using a standard truck; the lack of corrosion-resistant lining caused the acid to leak and corrode the truck bed, resulting in cargo losses and fines from regulatory authorities;
• Personnel Skills: No Professional Training to Handle Emergencies: Chemical transportation may involve emergencies such as leaks, pressure anomalies, and fires, requiring staff to possess “risk identification and emergency response” professional capabilities. For example, dry powder fire extinguisher leaks require cleaning with anti-static tools, and carbon dioxide leaks require wearing cold-resistant respirators. Personnel in ordinary logistics, however, have only received basic training in “cargo loading/unloading and route planning,” lacking knowledge of chemical hazards. In emergencies, they cannot only fail to respond effectively but may also exacerbate risks through improper operations. In 2022, a loader at an ordinary logistics company failed to wear anti-static gloves while handling ethanol drums; static electricity ignited leaked ethanol, causing a small fire that destroyed 30 pieces of surrounding cargo;
• Process Management: No Specialized Mechanisms to Meet Control Requirements: Chemical transportation requires specialized processes for “packaging inspection, route reporting, in-transit inspection, and emergency coordination.” Ordinary logistics, however, centers process management on “timeliness,” with simple workflows such as “order acceptance, loading, transportation, and unloading”—lacking control over key links in chemical transportation. For example, ordinary logistics does not conduct tightness tests on cargo packaging before loading or perform scheduled in-transit inspections. These process gaps have become “violation points” after the control upgrade, with ordinary logistics unable to implement rectifications.

(2) Regulatory Constraints: After Control Upgrades, Chemical Transportation by Ordinary Logistics Constitutes “Illegal Operation”

With the upgrade in hazardous goods control, chemical transportation by ordinary logistics has shifted from “non-compliant” to “illegal.” Rigid regulatory constraints prevent ordinary logistics from engaging in chemical transportation:

• Qualification Violations: Unauthorized Transportation as “Illegal Operation”: According to the Provisions on the Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods, transporting chemicals without a Road Transport Operation Permit for Dangerous Goods constitutes “illegal operation.” Regulatory authorities may confiscate illegal gains, impose heavy fines, and impound transport vehicles. If ordinary logistics companies take risks to undertake chemical transportation, they face not only financial losses but also potential revocation of operating qualifications if caught;
• Operational Violations: Non-Compliant Transportation as “Illegal Work”: Even if ordinary logistics obtains superficial qualifications through “affiliation” or “qualification rental,” its operational processes cannot meet control requirements—such as using non-specialized packaging, failing to report routes, or skipping in-transit inspections. Each of these violations incurs fines of 50,000–100,000 yuan under the new regulations. In 2024, an ordinary logistics company rented hazardous goods qualifications to transport acetone; it was caught for failing to report routes and using non-anti-static packaging, incurring total fines of 350,000 yuan—far exceeding the profit from the transport service;
• Joint Liability: Shippers and Logistics Companies Share Responsibility: After the control upgrade, regulations clearly state that “shippers must select qualified logistics companies for chemical transportation.” If shippers entrust ordinary logistics, they share joint liability with the logistics company. This provision has made shippers more inclined to choose professional hazardous goods logistics, leaving ordinary logistics with drastically reduced business opportunities even if they wish to undertake chemical transportation.

(3) Risk Costs: Ordinary Logistics Cannot Bear the “High Risks and High Costs” of Chemical Transportation

The risks and costs of chemical transportation are far higher than those of ordinary goods. After the control upgrade, these risks and costs have further increased, exceeding the profit models of ordinary logistics and ultimately leading to refusal:

• Risk Costs: Accident Losses Far Exceed Ordinary Goods: Chemical transportation accidents not only cause cargo losses but may also trigger chain consequences such as environmental pollution and casualties, resulting in extremely high compensation costs. For example, accidents in ordinary cargo transportation typically involve cargo value losses (usually tens of thousands of yuan), while chemical leaks alone may require millions of yuan in environmental remediation costs—with incalculable compensation for casualties. The insurance coverage and profit levels of ordinary logistics cannot bear such high risks; a single accident may directly lead to bankruptcy;
• Compliance Costs: Huge Transformation Investments with Long Payback Periods: For ordinary logistics to transition to chemical transportation, significant investments are required for “hardware transformation” and “software upgrades.” For example, purchasing dedicated hazardous goods transport vehicles (costing approximately 500,000 yuan each—2–3 times that of standard trucks), constructing dedicated parking lots (requiring fire and leak-proof facilities with investments of approximately 2 million yuan), and conducting specialized personnel training (costing approximately 5,000 yuan per person). These investments range from millions to tens of millions of yuan. With fierce competition in the chemical transportation market, the investment payback period for ordinary logistics is 5–8 years—far longer than the 1–2 years for ordinary cargo transportation—resulting in extremely low cost-effectiveness;
• Opportunity Costs: Chemical Transportation Undermines Core Business: The core competitiveness of ordinary logistics lies in “timeliness and low costs for ordinary cargo transportation.” Undertaking chemical transportation requires allocating significant resources (e.g., dedicated vehicles, professional personnel), which may reduce the timeliness and increase costs of ordinary cargo transportation, undermining core business operations. For example, if an ordinary logistics company modifies its only two idle trucks into hazardous goods transport vehicles, it may fail to deliver ordinary cargo orders on time, triggering customer complaints and order losses.

III. Irreplaceability of Professional Hazardous Goods Logistics: Why Only Professional Logistics Can Undertake Chemical Transportation

While ordinary logistics refuses chemical transportation, professional hazardous goods logistics stably undertakes such services—thanks to its irreplaceable advantages in qualifications, capabilities, and risk management, which perfectly align with the requirements of upgraded hazardous goods control.

(1) Complete Qualifications: Professional Logistics Possesses “Full-Chain Compliance Qualifications”

Professional hazardous goods logistics focuses on chemical transportation from its establishment, possessing complete compliance qualifications to easily pass qualification reviews after control upgrades:

• Enterprise Qualifications: Covering Full-Range Chemical Transportation: Professional hazardous goods logistics not only holds a Road Transport Operation Permit for Dangerous Goods but also obtains special qualifications such as “precursor chemical transport permits” and “cross-border hazardous goods transport permits” based on business needs, enabling it to undertake transportation of all chemical categories—from ordinary chemicals to highly toxic and explosive precursors;
• Personnel Qualifications: All Staff Hold Certifications: Drivers, escorts, and loaders in professional hazardous goods logistics have passed specialized training and assessments, holding qualifications such as Dangerous Goods Transport Driver Certificates and Dangerous Goods Transport Escort Certificates. They regularly participate in continuing education to update professional knowledge, meeting personnel requirements after control upgrades;
• Vehicle Qualifications: Compliant Dedicated Equipment: Vehicles in professional hazardous goods logistics are customized specialized models such as tank trucks, refrigerated hazardous goods trucks, and high-pressure gas transport vehicles. Equipped with real-time positioning, temperature monitoring, and anti-static grounding devices, they undergo regular safety technical inspections, meeting vehicle standards after control upgrades.

(2) Matching Capabilities: Professional Logistics Possesses “Full-Process Risk Management Capabilities”

Through long-term practice, professional hazardous goods logistics has established a capability system adapted to chemical transportation, enabling it to meet operational requirements after control upgrades:

• Packaging and Handling: Professional Adaptation for Risk Control: Professional hazardous goods logistics selects specialized packaging based on chemical hazard categories—such as acid- and alkali-resistant tanks for sulfuric acid and anti-static drums for ethanol. It conducts tightness and strength tests on packaging before handling and uses specialized equipment (e.g., corrosion-resistant forklifts, anti-static handling tools) during loading/unloading to avoid human operational errors;
• Transportation and Monitoring: Full-Chain Control with Real-Time Intervention: Professional hazardous goods logistics plans compliant routes in advance, avoiding sensitive areas and reporting to regulatory authorities. During transportation, it uses a dual mechanism of “scheduled inspections + real-time monitoring” to manage cargo status—such as stopping for inspections every 2 hours while remotely monitoring vehicle location, cargo temperature, and pressure via GPS and sensors, with immediate intervention in case of anomalies;
• Emergency Response: Rapid Response to Minimize Losses: Professional hazardous goods logistics has established a “enterprise-fire department-environmental protection” joint emergency mechanism, equipped with specialized emergency materials (e.g., leak-sealing tools, gas masks, neutralizers), and conducts regular emergency drills. In case of leaks, fires, or other accidents, it can activate emergency responses within 15 minutes to minimize losses. In 2023, a professional hazardous goods logistics company experienced a minor leak while transporting liquid nitrogen; the escort immediately sealed the leak using specialized tools and contacted the nearby fire department for assistance, completing disposal in only 30 minutes without environmental or personnel losses.

(3) Risk Bearing: Professional Logistics Poss