If you import products, the day your container shows up is one of the most important days in your supply chain. Done well, your goods are counted, checked and ready to sell within days. Done badly, you lose weeks to missing paperwork, damaged cartons and stock nobody can find.
Here is what container receiving looks like at a good 3PL, and what you can do to make it go smoothly.
Before the container arrives
Most receiving problems start before the truck does. Send your 3PL the details early so the dock team can plan space and labor.
- The packing list, with item names, SKUs and carton counts.
- The expected arrival date and the carrier or drayage company.
- Any special handling: fragile goods, heavy cartons, mixed pallets.
- What should happen next: store it, label it, or prep it for Amazon.
At the dock
When the container arrives, the team opens it, checks the seal and takes a first look at the condition of the cartons. Photos of any visible damage should be taken right away. This record matters if you ever need to talk to your carrier or supplier about a claim.
Unloading and counting
Floor-loaded containers take longer than palletized ones, because every carton is handled by hand. Ask your 3PL how it handles each type, and tell them which one to expect. Then the cartons are counted and compared to your packing list. Differences, such as overages, shortages or wrong items, should be reported to you with the count, not discovered later when an order cannot ship.
Getting it into inventory
After counting, your stock is stored and recorded by SKU. This is where an inventory portal earns its keep. You should be able to log in and see what arrived and what is available, without emailing anyone to ask.
Labeling and prep, if you need it
Many brands need more than storage. Goods may need product labels, barcodes, repacking, or Amazon FBA and FBM prep before they can sell. Doing this at the same facility that received the container saves a handoff, and one less place for stock to get lost.
Questions to ask any 3PL about receiving
- What do you need from me before the container arrives?
- How do you report damage and count differences, and how fast?
- Can you receive both floor-loaded and palletized containers?
- How soon after unloading will I see the stock in my inventory portal?
- Can you label or prep the goods right after receiving?
Talk to Goldpack USA
Goldpack USA offers container receiving, storage, labeling, an inventory portal, prep and pack, and Amazon FBA and FBM prep from our warehouse at 94 Walton St, Brooklyn. If you have a container coming and want to know how we would handle it, call 929.585.5892 or email office@goldpackusa.com.