How to Fill Out A Shipping Packing List
Description: The best practices of filling out a shipping packing list as well as some packing list for shipping examples to use.
The Useful Tips That Help You Fill Out A Shipping Packing List
Filling out a shipping packing list every time you have to deal with import or export may be tiring, but it’s not something you should be stressing about all the time. Once you learn how to fill out a packing list for shipping, you will no longer have issues with it. Hence, here are some useful tips that will help you fill out a shipping packing list.
What Is A Shipping Packing List?
Shipping packing lists are documents that list all the items you need to ship and who you should ship them to. However, this is not all the information a shipping packing list can contain. Handling charges or a shipment control number, for example, can also be included on the list. These slips of paper are usually placed in the box with the shipment.
Why Are Import and Export Lists Important?
A shipping packing list is an import or export list used by the Electronic Export Information (EEI) to verify goods. It is also used to issues the Bill of Lading (BOL) and to prevent incorrect items from being shipped. The first two are important for documentation while the third use is necessary to avoid any mistakes during shipping and delivery.
Another reason why you would want to have a shipping packing list is for your customers to be able to confirm all the products by reviewing the list and checking the package. Besides, both you and them (if you make two copies) will have physical proof that the shipment exists and was carried out as it should have been.
Is There A Shipping Packing List Template?
Of course, there are some shipping packing list templates available that can be used in case you don’t have your own template. You can either download them and use them yourself or use them as an example to create your own shipping packing list template. Here are some great template designs to check out:
#1 Basic Company Information
First and foremost, there’s company information. More often than not, you will only want to put your company name and logo which will help your shipping packing list to stand out from all others and show your customers who the package is from. However, some businesses choose to include other important company information on the slip. For example, your business address and contact information can both be included under the company name.
Most of the time, company information is placed in the top left or right corned depending on the design of your shipping packing list. Alternatively, you can make a template that is centered – in this case, company information will be placed in the center at the top. By the way, your lists don’t have to be colored, so don’t worry about spending too much printing paint on making your logo look good.
#2 Basic Document Information
The next thing you will need to put on your shipping packing list is the basic document or order information. This includes the name of the document, order number, and order date. Of course, since you will only be creating shipping packing lists, the name of the document will always be “Packing Slip” or “Shipping List” depending on what you prefer calling it.
Your order number and order date, however, will vary. There is no right way to write the order number because this will depend entirely on the system you use, but you need to pay extra attention to the order date, especially if you ship internationally. Different countries use different date formats, so your customers may be confused by your date if you write it only in numbers. It’s better to write the name of the month as a word and the year in its full form.
#3 Recipient Information
Another thing you need to include on your shipping packing lists is the recipient information. This will consist of the name and address of your customer or recipient and their billing name and address if they are different. This information is particularly important because if you make a mistake here, you may end up angering your customer and losing the package.
As Alex Collins from the writing services reviews site Supreme Dissertations puts it, “Proper shipment and delivery are crucial for customers. If there appears to be a mistake on your behalf, they won’t hesitate to write an angry review online and potentially taint your reputation as a business. So, make sure that you list everything correctly.”
#4 Shipping and Delivery Information
Putting the shipping and delivery information is also important, even if it may seem trivial or unnecessary. Shipping and delivery information includes the name of the shipper or carrier method (e.g. courier delivery) as well as the name and address of the company dispatching the products. You can also include such information as sales representative name, due date, and so on.
#5 Special Instructions and Notes
At the end of the shipping packing list, it’s good to leave some space for special instructions or notes. For example, the package may contain some fragile items that should be handled carefully. This should be noted both in the slip you put into the box and on the box itself so that no mistakes are made while delivering the package.
#6 Product Information
Product information is by far the reason why the document is made in the first place. Product names and numbers as well as product descriptions and quantities all should be included here. Remember that products and their quantities should be listed separately. As Eva McAvoy from the custom writing reviews site Trust my Paper says, “A good shipping packing list will help detailed product information that helps both the seller and the buyer know what they are shipping and receiving respectively.”
#7 Endnote or Closing Salutation
Last but not least, you can add an endnote or closing salutation at the bottom of your shipping packing list. It’s a nice touch even though not mandatory. You can write even a simple “Thank you!” that will already show that you care about your customers and want to make the documentation you send out to them seem less menacing.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, filling out a shipping packing list is easy once you know what you have to do and in what order. There are some free templates you can use, or you can create your own lists and then fill in all the necessary bits of information.
Author:Lafond Wanda
Lafond Wanda is a professional content writer, copywriter, content strategist, and communications consultant. She started young with her writing career from being a high school writer to a university editor, and now she is a writer in professional writing platforms— her years of expertise have honed her skills to create compelling and results-driven content every single time.