Domestic and International Shipping

The Purchasing team at ERI will help you ship everything from letters and documents to large pieces of equipment. We work with the Office of Research Export Control team, Environmental Health and Safety Services, Risk Management and the preferred freight forwarding company of UC, American Cargoservice, to ensure all government regulations are followed when transporting your goods across the US and beyond. 

If you are planning to ship or hand-carry research supplies and equipment for your next trip, please reach out to us as soon as possible. Compiling the necessary documentation and arranging transportation can take up to six weeks and we need to be able to mitigate inevitable delays.

Domestic Shipments

FedEx is the preferred carrier for all domestic shipments of packages and trackable envelopes. If you have a small envelope and would prefer it be shipped via USPS, please reach out to us at purchasing@eri.ucsb.edu and let us know what you’d like USPS to ship for you, as well as the project you want to charge for the expense. We will confirm whether or not the charge is allowable on the grant/contract and give you the information you’ll need to take with you to Mail Services at 507 Mesa Rd. For guidelines related to types of envelopes and packages accepted by Mail Services for processing, click the Mail Services link to the right to be redirected to their website.

 

For FedEx shipments, refer to the instructions below to submit a requisition in Gateway. Once the requisition is fully approved and becomes a purchase order (PO), we will generate a label and email the PDF to you to print and attach to your package. 

• Go to gateway.procurement.ucsb.edu and sign in using your UC NetID
• Click on FedEx Shipping Form under the Forms heading 
• Enter your full name, a phone number where you can be reached and all relevant shipping details - please be as specific as possible. If shipping more than one package, multiple dimensions and weights may be entered separated by a semicolon
• Autoclose? No
• Estimated shipping cost- $15.00 up to 25 lbs; $40.00 above 25 lbs

For a detailed guide with screenshots of the FedEx form, click here.

International Shipments

Export Control

To prevent UCSB researchers from unintentionally exporting (i.e., shipping or hand carrying) an export-controlled item to a foreign destination or exporting an item to a person or institution on a restricted party list, the Export Control Officer must review all items being exported to an international destination (letters and documents are exempt from this requirement).

This review ensures UCSB is compliant with US regulations. Members of the UCSB campus who wish to send or hand-carry materials to a destination outside of the U.S. will require the approval of the Export Control Officer before the items leave campus.

For guidelines, please visit their site at https://www.research.ucsb.edu/export-control/for-researchers

A link to the Export Control Survey is included in the sidebar to the right of this text.

Shipping Services

Federal Express is used for all international shipments unless the size/logistics/value of the shipment requires the use of a freight forwarder. If you believe your shipment will require special handling, e.g. the use of pallets, regulated hazardous goods, shipments in excess of 99 lbs., drones with heat sensing capabilities, etc., please contact purchasing@eri.ucsb.edu prior to submitting a requisition and we will help you navigate the process.

Submitting Your Shipping Request in Gateway:

• Go to gateway.procurement.ucsb.edu
• Click on FedEx Form under the Forms heading
• Enter your full name, a phone number where you can be reached and all relevant shipping details - please be as specific as possible. If shipping more than one package, multiple dimensions and weights may be entered separated by a semicolon
• Autoclose? No
• Fill out the first two tabs of the Commercial Invoice/Detailed Inventory and Export Control Survey and attach it in the Comments of the requisition
• Estimated shipping cost- $45.00 up to 25 lbs, $100.00 25-50 lbs, $200 above 50 lbs

For a detailed guide with screenshots of the FedEx form, click here.

Carnet - A Passport for Your Equipment

A carnet is a document that allows the shipper (carnet holder) to temporarily import a shipment into the destination country without payment of duties or tax. The carnet holder must supply a bond promising to pay duties and taxes if the shipment is not properly exported before the carnet expires. A carnet is generally good for six months to one year from the date of issuance depending on the country to which you are traveling.

Please reach out to purchasing@eri.ucsb.edu if you would like to discuss this option for your next research expedition.

American Cargoservice - Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers for UC

American Cargoservice is a full service international and domestic freight forwarder, focused on supply chain and project logistics for energy, industrial, and education customers in the U.S. and worldwide. ACS has a contract with University of California to provide freight forwarding and customs brokerage services for all University of California campuses and facilities.
If your shipment exceeds $2,500.00 in value, weighs more than 99 lbs, or requires specialized customs clearance, ACS will need to be contacted for a quote for services. Links to their website as well as some common documents can be found in the sidebar to the right of this text.

Hazardous Materials

Items such as dry ice, lithium batteries and biological material are heavily regulated and must be disclosed prior to shipment. We will work with you to ensure each shipment meets UCSB’s Environmental Health and Safety department’s requirements as well as the requirements set by the US Government. For more information about who can pack and ship hazardous materials as well as links to required training for such shipments, please visit the EH&S site at https://www.ehs.ucsb.edu. As always, contact us at purchasing@eri.ucsb.edu if you have any questions about how to proceed.

Packing Materials

Packing materials can be procured from a number of sources. Below is a non-exhaustive list of options. If you don’t see what you need here, let us know what you’re looking for and we can provide suggestions.

• Boxes, tape, labels, etc: Office Depot (ODP) - submit a Catalog order in Gateway
• Dry ice: Chemistry Instructional Lab and Stockroom- see Interdepartment / Intercampus Recharge button at top of page for details; SB Ice and Propane- submit a Non-Catalog order in Gateway
• Packaging for shipments containing dry ice: Fisher Scientific- submit a Catalog order in Gateway
• Cold shipping with FedEx- Information about this option can be found here; price range for materials is $46-$155
• Fedex Freight boxes- ask Purchasing for more information; price generally free with shipment