How to fill out a packing list
A packing list says what should be inside the shipment if it is opened. Customs uses it to decide whether to inspect. The carrier uses it to plan stowage. The consignee uses it to check the delivery. It shows no prices. Prices belong on the invoice. Adding prices here is the most common way to create a second invoice that contradicts the first.
The 17 fields on a packing list — detailed
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- PO Reference
- Invoice No.
The commercial invoice this list belongs to. It lets an officer put the two documents side by side. A packing list that does not name its invoice cannot be matched to a shipment.
- Incoterms
- B/L / AWB No.
The bill of lading or air waybill number, once you have it. It is often blank when the list is first written and filled in later. That is normal, but it must be there before the documents go to a bank.
- Shipper / Exporter
- Consignee
- Notify Party
- Vessel / Voyage
- Port of Loading
- Port of Discharge
- Country of Origin
- Container No.
Four letters then seven digits, as printed on the container itself. The last digit is a check digit, so two swapped digits will be caught. Copy it from the container. Do not retype it from memory.
- Seal No.
The number on the seal fitted after loading. If the seal number does not match the paperwork, customs opens the container. That means delay and cost.
- Method of Dispatch
- Notes
Record anything that affects handling here: stacking limits, temperature, which pallets carry the heavy items. Do not put commercial terms here.
The line-item columns
One row per product. Columns can be hidden, renamed or added in the generator.
- Item #
- Description
Use exactly the same wording as the commercial invoice. Two different descriptions of the same goods on two documents is the first thing officers look for, because that is what deliberate misdeclaration looks like.
- Qty
- Unit
- Net Wt
The goods alone, without packaging. Net must be lower than gross on every line. If they are equal, you have almost certainly entered the same figure twice.
- Gross Wt
Goods plus packaging plus pallet. The total of this column must match the weight declared to the carrier, and on a sea shipment the verified gross mass.
- Dims
Length by width by height per package. The forwarder uses this to work out whether the shipment fits, and to calculate volumetric weight on an air shipment.
- Pkgs
How many physical pieces, not how many units of product. Six hundred tiles in twenty cartons is twenty packages. The total of this column is the number the carrier signs for.
- HS Code
- Marks & Numbers
What is actually printed or labelled on the outside of the packages, so a specific carton can be found without unloading the container. “As addressed” is acceptable only when the packages really do carry the consignee's address.
- Pkg Type
Carton, pallet, crate, drum. It tells an officer what they will see when the doors open, and whether the packaging needs a treatment certificate. Anything on solid timber usually does.
- Tare Wt
The packaging by itself. Gross minus net. State it separately when the packing is heavy, such as timber crates or steel frames. It explains a gross weight that would otherwise look wrong.
- Vol
Cubic metres. On LCL sea freight you are charged on weight or volume, whichever is greater. This column decides the bill.
A working packing list — detailed, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
| Item # | Description | Qty | Unit | Net Wt (KG) | Gross Wt (KG) | Dims (CM) | Pkgs | HS Code | Marks & Numbers | Pkg Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
It has to reconcile with the invoice
Three things must agree across the two documents: the total number of packages, the total gross weight, and the goods descriptions. Customs compares them line by line. A mismatch is the most common reason a clean shipment gets held. If the invoice says forty cartons and the packing list says forty-two, expect an inspection, whichever one is right.
No prices, ever
A packing list with values on it becomes a second invoice. If the two disagree, the officer has to decide which is the real transaction value, and that decision will not go in your favour. Show quantities, weights, dimensions and marks only.
Detailed, simple, container or consolidated
There are four versions for four situations. Detailed is the default. It carries HS codes and dimensions per item. Simple drops both, for shipments where nobody needs them. Container breaks the list down per container. An FCL shipment of several containers needs this so each line can be traced to a seal. Consolidated covers several orders or invoices moving as one shipment.
+Is a packing list legally required?
It is not required by law in most countries, but in practice you cannot avoid it. Customs asks for it on inspection. Carriers need the weights. Letters of credit almost always list it among the documents to be presented.
+Should the packing list show prices?
No. Prices belong on the commercial invoice. A packing list with values on it looks like a second, competing declaration of value.
+What if one carton holds several different products?
List each product on its own line and repeat the carton's marks and numbers on each line. Record the package count once, against the first line, so the total still adds up.
+Does the packing list need signing?
Usually not. Some letters of credit require it, and where the packing declaration for timber is combined with the list, the declaration part does.
Try it with a real shipment.
Everything above is already on the form. Fill it in and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the packing list — detailed generator