Packing and shipping
Pack picked items, print labels, hand off to carriers.
1 min readLast updated 13 Apr 2026
After picking comes packing + shipping: consolidate items into cartons / pallets, print labels, hand to the carrier, manifest the outbound.
Pack stations
Each pack station is a workstation with a scanner, scale, and label printer. The operator:
- Scans the tote / cart arriving from pick.
- App shows the order's items and suggested packaging size.
- Operator scans each item into the carton.
- Weighs carton on the integrated scale — variance vs expected flagged.
- Prints shipping label + packing list.
- Seals, stacks on outbound pallet.
Packing list
Auto-generated per carton / order. See packing list. Contains SKU, description, quantity, lot/serial if relevant, and a carton-level barcode.
Shipping label
Shipping label format depends on the outbound mode:
- Parcel — carrier-specific (DHL, UPS, FedEx, Aramex). Integrated via parcel carrier API; rate + label + tracking returned.
- LTL / pallet road — your own shipping label with barcode + destination.
- Air / sea — HAWB / HBL labels. See regulated doc types.
Dangerous goods
If any picked item is hazmat, the pack workflow enforces:
- Correct outer packaging per UN specification.
- Correct labels (class diamond, UN number, hazard statement).
- Dangerous Goods Declaration auto-generated, signed by a trained packer (DG licence id recorded).
Manifesting
End of day (or per wave), outbound cartons are manifested per carrier:
- For parcel carriers — close the manifest via API, print the end-of-day manifest.
- For LTL / road — generate trip manifest, release to dispatch. See road / dispatch.
Manifesting triggers the shipped status on the orders, which flows to the customer.
Returns
Outbound returns come back via the returns zone; GRN'd like any inbound but flagged as a return.
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