No obligation • No spam • A specialist follows up within one business day
Scale built for Class 9
Contracted carriers across the US and Canada
Storage locations across the US and Canada
Accidents per million miles moved (2026 YTD)
US states covered, plus Canada
Every configuration a commercial operation produces
Damaged, defective, and recalled batteries are the shipments parcel carriers will not touchDDR batteries: handled when no one else will
Why commercial shippers choose RPM
01
Class 9 built in, not bolted on
Packaging, placarding, documentation, and qualified carriers — coordinated as one program, not assembled per shipment.
02
DDR capability most forwarders skip
Damaged, defective, and recalled batteries that parcel carriers refuse are a core part of our program — not an edge case.
03
Scale that sets the price
8,200+ contracted carriers and 70+ storage locations across all 50 states and Canada. We buy capacity at scale and pass the price to the load.
04
A tracked safety metric
Carriers in the network recorded 3.5 accidents per million miles moved (2026 YTD). Screened to RPM's onboarding criteria including MVR checks.
05
One partner, fewer handoffs
Transport, compliant storage, and reverse logistics under a single managed relationship — no second vendor for staging.
UN 38.3 certification and compliant packaging — confirmed before the freight moves
How lithium batteries are classified for transport
Classification decides everything downstream: packaging, labeling, and whether a shipment is fully regulated or ships under an exception. The dividing lines are watt-hours for lithium-ion and grams of lithium for lithium-metal.
| UN Number | Configuration | Fully regulated when |
|---|---|---|
| UN 3480 | Lithium-ion, standalone | Cells > 20 Wh or batteries > 100 Wh |
| UN 3481 | Lithium-ion, in or with equipment | Above small-cell thresholds |
| UN 3090 | Lithium-metal, standalone | Cells > 1 g or batteries > 2 g lithium |
| UN 3091 | Lithium-metal, in or with equipment | Above small-cell thresholds |
| UN 3551 / 3552 | Sodium-ion and other chemistries | Per current rule — newer chemistries entering the rulebook |
What lithium battery freight costs
There is no flat rate for Class 9 battery freight — cost is driven by the hazard, not just the miles. RPM sources across 8,200+ carriers, matching each load to a carrier already qualified and priced for the hazard rather than paying a premium for scarce Class 9 capacity on the spot market.
| Cost driver | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Battery condition | DDR and recalled units cost more — specialized packaging and dedicated handling |
| Volume and mode | Full truckload rates differ from LTL; consolidation lowers per-unit cost |
| Packaging requirements | UN-spec and DDR-rated packaging add material and labor |
| Lane and distance | Origin, destination, and lane density set the base rate |
| State of charge / chemistry | Charge limits and lithium-metal content can restrict carrier options |
| Storage and staging | Interim storage, consolidation, and repositioning add scope |
Who this program is built for
Bulk and commercial lithium battery freight only — not consumer parcels or single-device shipments.
01
Battery and cell manufacturers
Shipping new inventory to distributors and OEMs — full truckload and LTL.
02
EV and equipment OEMs
Shipping battery cells and packs to and from assembly, including installed configurations.
03
Energy storage integrators
Handling large-format packs and second-life battery inventory between sites.
04
Recyclers and take-back programs
Consolidating end-of-life and DDR batteries for compliant routing to permitted facilities.
05
Recall and warranty managers
Compliant reverse logistics for recalled or defective units — fast, documented, and routed correctly.
