Batteries are among the most heavily regulated shipments in road transport: lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries are dangerous goods of ADR class 9, and lead-acid batteries too are subject to their own rules as class 8. Speed Logistics ships industrial and vehicle batteries compliantly as direct transport – from the single pallet to the full load, within Germany, across Europe and to non-EU countries including customs clearance.
You give us the UN number, battery type, watt-hours or weight and the packaging situation – we check the applicable rules and deliver a no-obligation fixed-price quote within a few hours. This spares you the search for a carrier who will accept lithium shipments at all – many groupage networks exclude them or cap the quantities.
Which batteries we transport
- Lithium-ion batteries (UN 3480) and cells built into equipment (UN 3481) – such as e-bike batteries, power-tool batteries or traction batteries
- Lithium-metal batteries (UN 3090/UN 3091)
- Lead-acid batteries, starter batteries and stationary industrial batteries (class 8)
- Energy-storage modules and battery systems for industry and trade
New, tested batteries are the standard case. Damaged, defective or waste-destined lithium batteries are subject to considerably stricter special provisions – such transports we check individually and dispatch only with matching packaging and handling.
Rules and packaging: what matters
For lithium batteries, different regimes apply depending on watt-hours and shipping type – from facilitated carriage under special provision 188 for small cells to fully regulated class 9 transport with UN-approved packaging, hazard label and transport document. Basic rules that always apply: protect the terminals against short circuit, secure the batteries against slipping and damage, mark the packages correctly. Our drivers hold the required ADR training, and load securing is done form-fit with anti-slip mats and lashing straps. As the sender you remain responsible for classification and packaging; we reconcile marking and papers before pickup and point out gaps.
Process and on-time delivery
After checking your dangerous goods data we coordinate pickup and delivery as fixed time windows – as a direct run without transloading, the shipment stays continuously on the same vehicle, which reduces the risk of damage especially with sensitive battery systems. Status updates and the CMR consignment note document the transport from pickup to receipted delivery. For recurring battery traffic we store your dangerous goods data, so follow-up orders start without a fresh checking loop.
A growing field is traction and storage batteries from e-mobility and photovoltaics: heavy, high-value and often part of tight project schedules – e.g. when a commercial storage unit has to be at the grid connection by the installation date. Here we combine ADR-compliant handling with a firm delivery commitment and coordinate the unloading situation in advance: tail lift, forklift or crane determine how the module comes off the vehicle. We also dispatch returns of exchange modules to the manufacturer – provided the batteries are undamaged and transportable.
Shipping batteries to non-EU countries
For battery deliveries to Türkiye, North Africa or the Gulf region we take on the export declaration, border clearance and the alignment of dangerous goods requirements along the entire route – door-to-door from EXW to DDP. Costs depend on quantity and weight, ADR effort, vehicle size, distance and time pressure; you receive binding figures in the transparent fixed-price quote, and depending on lane and lead time a guide-value range in advance.