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Shipping and Receiving

Contacts

ALS Shipping & Receiving (packages under 150 pounds)
Building 53
Monday–Friday, 8:00am–12:30pm (domestic shipping), 8:00am–12:00pm (international shipping)
Packages (along with BluJay Mail Room Traveler) can be delivered  to 053-0101A for processing and shipping. Packages received by 12:30pm should be able to ship the same day. You may also leave packages after hours – after 4:30pm
510-486-4494

LBNL Shipping & Receiving (large packages requiring a forklift)
Building 69
Monday–Friday, 7:00am–3:30pm (for package pickup)
510-486-4935; 510-486-5668 (fax)

Transport Policy: Getting Your Samples and Equipment to and from the ALS

All Lab personnel, including ALS staff and users, must follow the procedures detailed below for packing, labeling, and sending shipments to or from the ALS. These shipping procedures are required for:

  • all materials and equipment brought to the ALS;
  • items that are being returned for repairs or refunds to manufacturers or vendors (accompanied by purchase purchase order, mailroom traveler, and paperwork);
  • and any item borrowed from, or being lent to, another institution.

All items transported to or from Berkeley Lab must be:

  • received or sent through ALS or LBNL Shipping and Receiving;
  • shipped during regular business hours:
    • LBNL Shipping & Receiving (Building 69) Monday–Friday, 7:30am–4:30pm
    • ALS Shipping & Receiving (Building 53) Monday–Friday 8:00am–12:00pm (international) or 12:30pm (domestic);
  • intended for Lab-related use only, (i.e., no personal items);
  • accompanied by proper and complete documentation.*

*Shipping or receiving items that have been borrowed from, or lent to, other institutions require additional Lab-specific documentation that must be filled out before the items are handled by shipping personnel.

Shipping to the ALS

Please contact ALS logistics about any shipments that will arrive before or during your stay, and advise of any special handling instructions. We recommend scheduling your shipment to arrive the day before you will be on site. If you intend to ship hazardous materials, storage and shipment may require advance planning. All non-hazardous shipments to the ALS should be labeled as shown below.

ALS Group Name, Beamline Scientist Name
User’s Name
Attn: Sr. Materials Specialist
ALS-User-Sample [for samples only]
Berkeley Lab, Mailstop B53-0101A
1 Cyclotron Rd.
Berkeley, CA 94720

Packing Instructions

It is recommended that, whenever possible, materials be shipped in collapsible cardboard boxes with Styrofoam and cellulose “peanuts” (these can be reused when you leave). It is also recommended that you include a packing slip inside the package with your name and the appropriate ALS address in case of lost or damaged shipments.

U.S. Customs

For equipment arriving through U.S. Customs, users are advised to contact in advance the Berkeley Lab Receiving Office and provide the name of the carrier and the Air Bill Number of any incoming shipments. Additional information that can assist the Berkeley Lab customs broker to expedite delivery of equipment purchased outside the U.S. is a Lab purchase order number and notification of whether or not duty must be paid.

Users shipping scientific equipment from outside the U.S. that requires a temporary import bond (TIB) should contact Sarah Jimenez at Aeronet Worldwide (tel: 650-259-2155; fax: 650-259-2150) to arrange both shipment and customs paperwork for equipment destined for the ALS.

Receiving Shipments

All incoming shipments go through the central receiving process and are then routed to ALS Receiving via the middle hill truck. All ALS packages for Buildings 6, 80, 80A, 15, & 53 should be addressed to the recipient. The packages will be delivered to the recipient name/address on the label.

For information about receiving gas shipments, see the information on Purchase, Delivery, and Storage of Gases.

Express Deliveries

Users who are expecting to receive an express delivery package can ensure more timely delivery by utilizing ALS Receiving. Express couriers deliver directly to the Berkeley Lab Shipping and Receiving Department, but once there, packages have to wait their turn for delivery by truck to the proper laboratory building. If notified, ALS Receiving can help prevent this delay. Users who know an express package is on its way to them should contact Clency Easterling at 510-486-4494 with the name of the courier company, the name of the sender, and the name of the beamline scientist.

Large Items Requiring a Forklift

The ALS recommends that shipments requiring a forklift arrive Monday–Friday between 8:00am and 2:30pm because the ALS forklift operators leave at 4:00pm. Berkeley Lab technicians are available to operate forklifts after hours for an extra charge, but it is highly recommended that ALS personnel handle the forklift if any delicate equipment is involved.

Locker for local users to drop off and retrieve samples

We have set up a contact-less site at Building 53 for local users to drop off and retrieve samples. Samples must be:
  • low hazard (no radioactive or flammable materials)
  • in a suitable container
To use the locker:
  1. Get approval from your beamline scientist
  2. Label packages with:
    • FROM
    • TO
    • Contact information (phone number and email address)
    • Sample contents
    • Date
  3. Confirm drop-off date with beamline scientist and ask beamline scientist to call Blackberry Gate to inform security that you will be making a delivery. The beamline scientist should call within an hour of the planned dropoff.
  4. Use visitor lane at Blackberry Gate (wear mask and provide government-issued ID). State that you are making a delivery. DO NOT provide, show, or swipe a Berkeley Lab badge. Each badge-in counts against the extremely limited number of slots that the ALS has for on-site staff.
  5. Inform your beamline scientist once you have dropped off your sample.

Building 53 locker location

Shipping from the ALS

All items shipped from Berkeley Lab must be handled by either ALS or LBNL Shipping and Receiving

Procedures and Required Documents

Packages should not be sealed; they will be inspected by Lab personnel before they are shipped. Each item/package—excluding documents—to be shipped must have the appropriate and complete documentation including:

  1. a University of California Shipping Document #7600-55567;
  2. a valid project ID number;
  3. mailroom traveler.

Items being returned to the manufacturer for refunds, exchanges, or repair must have the item’s original Purchase Order (PO) number and a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number from the supplier. This includes items picked up on-site by a vendor.

Courier priority overnight shipping (i.e., FedEx) should only be used when absolutely necessary; regular shipping should be used at all other times.

International Shipping of Samples and Equipment

Before bringing to the ALS for shipping, international users needing to send samples or equipment back to their home organization will need to obtain export control approval, in addition to following guidance above. Approval can take 1–3 business days. To get approval, send an email to [email protected] with the following details:

  • Your name and LBNL division (ALS). Provide your ALS contact if a user.
  • Your area of science or project title.
  • The destination organization and country.
  • Name and/or description of the samples or equipment. If any item was custom fabricated, describe the process/method of manufacture/fabrication, and the component parts/elements/chemicals as applicable.
  • State the end use of your samples or equipment and whether they have any potential export-controlled applications/uses.
  • Any other relevant details.
  • Completed mailroom traveler (complete training and login to Netship using the LBNL shipping page).

Please note that, once approval is obtained, this approval extends to future shipping of the same samples and equipment. An overview of export control can be found here: https://exportcontrol.lbl.gov/.

Shipping materials to Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria is prohibited; contact Berkeley Lab Procurement for more information.

Arranging Transport

Several independent carriers, including Aeronet Worldwide, Federal Express, United Parcel Service, Lynden Freight Shipping and Logistics, and DB Schenker, provide a variety of shipping services to the ALS. Users can make all arrangements for shipping online from the above home pages or by filling out the necessary forms in ALS Receiving.

Shipping Hazardous Materials

Transportation of hazardous materials in private or Berkeley Lab vehicles is prohibited.

Users should consult with a materials specialist at their home institution regarding the proper handling and shipping of hazardous materials. Hazardous materials shipped to or from Berkeley Lab by truck must be packaged and handled according to U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines. Hazardous materials shipped by air must meet International Air Transportation Association regulations.

  • Each shipment of hazardous materials must include pertinent Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).
  • Ship the smallest quantity necessary for your experiment. Use of hazardous materials on the experiment floor is limited to small quantities.

For additional information, contact:

  • Chuck Horton, Berkeley Lab Materials Specialist (510-486-5084) for information about the proper packing and safe shipment of hazardous materials;
  • ALS Environment, Health & Safety Program Manager (510-486-7407) for health and safety information regarding hazardous materials.
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