From Seller Central to Signed POD: The Journey of Your Amazon FBA Pallet

You have created your Amazon shipment, counted every carton and wrapped your pallet so thoroughly that it could probably survive a light apocalypse.

Now what?

Sending stock to an Amazon fulfilment centre involves more than choosing a collection date and waving goodbye to your pallet. Behind the scenes, reference numbers are checked, delivery appointments are requested and confirmation documents are produced.

Fortunately, you do not need to become fluent in Amazon logistics overnight.

Here is what happens from the moment you create your shipment in Seller Central to the moment your Proof of Delivery appears.

Step One: Create Your Shipment in Seller Central

The journey begins in Amazon Seller Central.

This is where you select the products you are sending, confirm the quantity of stock and create your inbound shipment. Amazon will then provide the important information needed to connect your pallet with its fulfilment system.

This usually includes:

• Your FBA shipment code
• Your Purchase Order number
• Your assigned fulfilment centre
• The number of cartons being sent

These references may look like a random collection of letters and numbers, but each one has a specific job.

Your FBA number is the reference beginning with “FBA” that identifies your shipment.

Your PO number, or Purchase Order number, links the delivery to Amazon’s order system.

You may also see an ASN number, meaning Advance Shipment Notification. Amazon uses this to expect and process the delivery. In some cases, the ASN and FBA numbers may be the same.

Top tip: Copying and pasting is your friend here. One incorrect digit can give your pallet an identity crisis.

Before completing your PalletOnline booking, check that every reference matches the information shown in Seller Central.

You should also record the exact number of cartons on the pallet. In Amazon terminology, a carton is simply one individual box containing your products.

Step Two: Prepare Your Pallet

Amazon fulfilment centres process a huge volume of stock, so pallets need to arrive properly prepared and ready to be handled safely.

Amazon accepts standard four-way wooden pallets. Plastic pallets are not accepted and may result in the delivery being rejected, along with possible additional charges.

Your pallet should also:

• Measure no more than 1.8 metres high, including the pallet base
• Weigh no more than 1,000kg
• Be securely shrink-wrapped
• Have no loose cartons
• Be clearly labelled
• Have no boxes overhanging the pallet

Pallets weighing more than 500kg should be clearly labelled as heavy goods.

Each pallet should display a clear label on A4 paper or larger, showing:

• The Amazon fulfilment centre address
• Your full business address
• The relevant Purchase Order numbers
• The number of cartons
• The number of units
• The pallet count, such as “1 of 3”

“Amazon will know what we mean” is not a recognised labelling method.

If you are sending several pallets, make sure each one is individually numbered. This helps Amazon identify the complete shipment and reduces the risk of stock becoming separated during processing.

Amazon also recommends creating a manifest, known as a SCAN form, for each shipment. This can be generated through Seller Central under the End of Day Forms section.

Step Three: Book Your Collection

Once your shipment is created and your pallet is ready, you can arrange your delivery through PalletOnline.

During the online booking process, you will provide your shipment details, Amazon references, fulfilment centre and preferred collection date.

It is important to remember that the delivery date selected during your booking is the earliest date PalletOnline will request from Amazon. It is not a guaranteed appointment date.

Amazon controls appointment availability based on the capacity, schedule and congestion levels at each fulfilment centre. The final appointment could therefore be earlier or later than the date originally requested.

Top tip: Book as early as possible within your PO delivery window. Leaving yourself some breathing room is much nicer than leaving yourself precisely twelve minutes and a growing sense of panic.

Booking early allows time for collection, movement through the pallet network and Amazon’s appointment availability.

Step Four: PalletOnline Handles the Amazon Appointment

This is where using PalletOnline makes the process considerably easier.

PalletOnline operates through Palletline, the only UK pallet network in Amazon’s Inbound Preferred Carrier Programme, or IPCP.

That means the delivery appointment is managed directly with Amazon through Carrier Central. You do not need to contact the fulfilment centre or attempt to secure the slot yourself.

Once your freight reaches the relevant delivery depot, the earliest available compliant appointment is requested.

Amazon may occasionally change an appointment because of fulfilment centre capacity or availability. When this happens, the revised slot will be shown through your tracking updates once it has been confirmed.

Although PalletOnline will always request the earliest suitable appointment, late-charge protection depends on there being enough time remaining within the PO delivery window. This is another reason not to leave your booking until the last possible moment.

Amazon controls the diary. We simply do our best to get your pallet a very good seat in it.

Step Five: Track Your Pallet

After collection, you can follow your delivery using the PalletOnline tracking page.

Tracking provides updates as the pallet moves through the network and towards its assigned Amazon fulfilment centre.

This gives you greater visibility without needing to chase several different parties for information.

When the Amazon delivery slot has been confirmed, a Bill of Lading number will also appear automatically on the tracking page.

What Is a Bill of Lading?

The Bill of Lading, commonly shortened to BOL, is a delivery reference showing your booking and scheduled Amazon appointment.

The BOL number is created once the delivery slot has been confirmed with Amazon.

You do not need to request it separately. As soon as the number becomes available, it will appear automatically through your PalletOnline tracking.

The BOL is useful when you need confirmation that an Amazon appointment has been arranged, but it is not the same as a signed Proof of Delivery.

Another three-letter abbreviation successfully added to your Amazon vocabulary. You’ll be speaking fluent logistics by lunchtime.

Step Six: Delivery to the Fulfilment Centre

On the confirmed appointment date, your pallet is delivered to the assigned Amazon fulfilment centre.

Amazon sites require sufficient space around the pallets so they can be unloaded safely. At least 30 centimetres of clearance must be left above the pallets and at the rear of the trailer, and the load must be arranged so pallets can be removed from the back.

This is one reason double-stacking pallets is generally not recommended. Vehicle height restrictions and load-security requirements can make stacked pallets unsuitable for the service.

Provided your shipment references, pallet preparation and labels are correct, Amazon can then begin checking the stock into its fulfilment centre.

However, delivery to the building does not always mean that your inventory will appear as available stock immediately.

Amazon still needs to receive, scan and process the cartons internally. Processing times sit with Amazon and can vary depending on the fulfilment centre and the volume of stock being handled.

Step Seven: Wait for the Proof of Delivery

After Amazon confirms that the goods were received, a Proof of Delivery, or POD, will be uploaded to your tracking page.

The POD is the signed confirmation that your shipment was delivered into the fulfilment centre.

Amazon usually returns this confirmation within five to ten working days after delivery. It may therefore take a little while to appear, even when the pallet has already reached the site.

Top tip: A missing POD the morning after delivery does not mean your pallet has vanished into the Amazon rainforest.

You can continue checking the PalletOnline tracking page, where the POD will be uploaded once Amazon provides it.

A Quick Amazon Pallet Checklist

Before your pallet is collected, complete one final check:

• Has the shipment been created in Seller Central?
• Are the FBA, PO and ASN references correct?
• Does the carton quantity match your booking?
• Is the pallet wooden, secure and undamaged?
• Is it within Amazon’s height and weight limits?
• Is every pallet clearly labelled?
• Have multiple pallets been numbered individually?
• Have you allowed enough time within the PO delivery window?

Five minutes spent checking these details can prevent a much longer delay later.

Sending Your Next Pallet to Amazon

Amazon FBA deliveries come with plenty of references, rules and appointments, but the process does not need to become another full-time job.

You prepare the stock, create the shipment and provide the correct information. PalletOnline then collects your pallet, manages the Amazon appointment and keeps the delivery moving towards the fulfilment centre.

You can follow its progress through online tracking, view the BOL once the slot is confirmed and access the POD when Amazon returns the signed confirmation.

In other words, fewer booking headaches for you and more time to concentrate on actually selling your products.

Preparing your next Amazon FBA shipment? Get an instant quote with PalletOnline and arrange your pallet delivery online.