Packing List — Container Generator
A container packing list ties each line of goods to the container and seal it travels in. For a single full container load that distinction hardly matters, but the moment a consignment spreads across two or more containers, it becomes the only document that answers the question everyone eventually asks: which box is it in.
| Container No. | Item # | Description | Qty | Unit | Pkgs | Pkg Type | Net Wt (KG) | Gross Wt (KG) | Vol (CBM) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
Why the container and seal numbers matter
Containers arrive separately, get inspected separately, and occasionally get held separately. When customs opens one of three, they compare its contents against the paperwork for that container, not for the whole shipment. A list that records only shipment totals cannot answer them, and the delay is charged to you in demurrage while it is sorted out.
The seal is the security record
The seal number recorded at loading is what proves the container was not opened in transit. If the seal at destination does not match the one on the paperwork, that is treated as a possible tampering event and the shipment is inspected. Recording the number accurately at the point of sealing, rather than copying it from the booking, is the whole value of the field.
Splitting the goods across containers
Where an order fills more than one container, decide how to split it before packing rather than after. Keeping each product line whole within one container makes every later document simpler, and makes a partial inspection cheaper because only one line is disturbed. Splitting a single line across two containers is sometimes unavoidable. It should be a decision rather than an accident.
Want a blank one, in Excel or Word? Download the packing list — container template →
Not sure what goes in a box? How to fill out a packing list — container, field by field →
Exporters
Make the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for a shipment in one go, without typing the consignee's address four times.
Freight forwarders
Turn a client's spreadsheet into a clean set of documents that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the details you already have.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the details once for every document | Yes | Retype for each document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| Download formats | PDF, Excel, Word | PDF only |
| Try it without an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+What is the difference between FCL and LCL?
Full container load means your goods fill a container of their own. Less than container load means your goods share a container with other shippers, consolidated by a freight forwarder. A container packing list is aimed at FCL, where you control what is inside.
+Where do I get the container and seal numbers?
From the container itself at the point of loading. The container number is stencilled on the doors and sides. The seal number is on the seal you fit after loading. Both should be photographed, because a transcription error here is expensive to unpick later.
+Does the container number go on the bill of lading too?
Yes, and the two must agree. The bill of lading, the packing list and the export declaration are cross-checked, and a container number that appears differently on any of them will hold the shipment.
+What is a VGM and is it the same as the weight on this list?
The verified gross mass is the weight of the cargo plus the container itself, and it must be declared to the carrier before loading under SOLAS rules. The packing list usually records cargo weight only, so the two figures legitimately differ. Do not copy one into the other.
Try it with a real shipment.
The generator on this page is the real product. Fill it in, download the PDF, and see if it is what you need.
Create a packing list — container