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Packing list template

A packing list is the document that goes with a shipment and says what is in each package: the items and quantities, and the weight and size of each package. The person unloading the truck uses it to check that everything arrived without opening every box. This template has a one-page list with package, item, quantity, weight and size columns and a pack checklist, a page on what goes on a packing list and how it differs from a delivery note, an invoice and a bill of lading, and an Excel file that works out the volume of each package, what has shipped to date for each item and what is on back order, with totals for the shipment. It is a working form, not customs advice.

Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

Page 1 of the packing list templateFields for shipper, ship to, order, packing list number, carrier and ship date, a table with package number and type, item, description, quantities, net and gross weight, length, width, height and back order, and a pack checklist with signature lines.
Package and item rowsQuantity ordered and shippedNet and gross weightLength, width, heightVolumeBack orderPack checklist
Filled-in Packing list template: four packages and one back-ordered item
The same sheet filled in with the worked example (page 3 of the PDF, illustrative numbers). Open full size (opens the picture in a new tab)

When to use it

When to use a packing list

  • With every outbound shipment that has more than one package, so the receiver can check it and a missing package can be named.
  • When an order ships in parts and the customer needs to know what is on back order.
  • When the carrier quotes on weight and size and you need the total gross weight and volume.
  • For customer-to-customer transfers and returns, where you still need a record of what was in the boxes.
  • Not a replacement for the invoice or the bill of lading. Those are separate documents with their own jobs.

How to fill it in

  1. 1

    Fill in the header

    Shipper, ship to, your order number and the customer's PO number, the packing list number, carrier, tracking or BOL number and ship date. Tick the units you are using.
  2. 2

    Number every package

    Carton 1, carton 2, pallet 3. Mark the number on the package itself, so a missing one can be named and found.
  3. 3

    List what is in each package

    One row per item in each package: part number, a plain description and the quantity in that package. If a package holds two items, use two rows.
  4. 4

    Weigh and measure each package

    Net weight is the goods alone. Gross weight is the goods plus the carton, pallet and wrap. Write the gross weight and the length, width and height once, on the first row of the package.
  5. 5

    Note anything on back order

    Compare what shipped with what was ordered and write the difference, so the receiver does not go looking for it.
  6. 6

    Run the pack checks and send the copies

    Tick the checks before the carrier collects. Put one copy in the first package, send one with the invoice and keep one.

Which document is which

Packing list, delivery note, invoice and bill of lading

Four documents travel with a shipment and they do different jobs. A packing list is only the contents.

  • Packing list

    What it is for
    What is in each package, and its weight and size. No prices needed.
    Who uses it
    The receiver, the carrier and the warehouse.
  • Delivery note

    What it is for
    The customer's copy of what was delivered, often with a space to sign.
    Who uses it
    The receiving dock.
  • Commercial invoice

    What it is for
    What the goods are worth and what is owed. International shipments are usually asked for one.
    Who uses it
    The customer's accounts and, abroad, customs.
  • Bill of lading

    What it is for
    The carrier's receipt and contract to carry the goods.
    Who uses it
    The carrier and the shipper.

A filled-in example

Illustrative, not a benchmark

An example (illustrative): a made-up pump works shipping order SO-5530 to a customer distribution center on 4 November 2026.

  • Four packages: carton 1 and carton 2 each hold 24 pump housings, carton 3 holds 40 pump covers and 40 gasket kits, and package 4 is a crate with 2 motors. Package 3 holds two items, so it takes two rows.
  • Volume per package is length × width × height ÷ 1,728, which gives cubic feet when the size is in inches. Carton 1 is 24 × 18 × 14 = 6,048 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 3.50 ft³. The crate is 40 × 30 × 28 = 33,600 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 19.44 ft³.
  • Net weight is 86.4 + 86.4 + 52.0 + 6.0 + 210.0 = 440.8 lb. Gross weight is 92.0 + 92.0 + 57.5 + 248.0 = 489.5 lb. The gasket kit rides in carton 3, so it has no gross weight of its own.
  • Total volume is 3.50 + 3.50 + 2.22 + 19.44 = 28.7 ft³.
  • The order was for 60 pump housings and 48 shipped (24 + 24), so 12 are on back order and the list says so.

The receiver can check four packages against one page, the carrier gets one gross weight and one volume, and the 12 missing housings are written down instead of discovered on arrival.

Common mistakes

  • Writing it from the order, not from the boxes

    A list built from the order says what should be there. Fill it in from what is in each package.

  • No package numbers on the boxes

    If the packages are not marked 1 of 4, 2 of 4, a missing one cannot be named.

  • Counting the packing in the net weight

    Net weight is the goods alone. The carton, pallet and wrap belong in the gross weight.

  • Leaving out the back order

    A receiver who does not know something was left off will assume it is lost in transit.

Download the template

Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

Run this template in LeanSuite

In LeanSuite you build quality checks in Lean Creator and schedule them with Daily Standard Work, digital checklists can require number limits, photos and signatures, and a failed check can raise a tag or start a CAPA.

See it in a 45-minute demo

FAQ

Packing list template: common questions

  1. A document that goes with a shipment and lists what is in each package: the items, the quantities, and usually the weight and size of each package. The receiver uses it to check the delivery.

  2. The shipper and the ship-to name and address, your order number and the customer's PO number, a unique packing list number, the date, the carrier, and for each package its number and type, the items and quantities, the net and gross weight and the dimensions. Note anything on back order.

  3. A packing list says what is in each package and does not need prices. A commercial invoice states what the goods are worth and what is owed. International shipments are usually asked for both; your customs broker or freight forwarder will say what the destination needs.

  4. Net weight is the goods alone. Gross weight is the goods plus the carton, pallet, crate and wrap. Carriers generally charge on gross weight and on size.

  5. Multiply length by width by height. In inches, divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet. In centimetres, divide by 1,000,000 to get cubic metres. The Excel file does this for each package.

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