Free template
Pre-shipment inspection checklist
A pre-shipment inspection is the last check of an order before it leaves the building: the right part and revision, the right quantity, lots that have passed inspection, labels in the customer's format, packaging as specified, complete paperwork and photos of what was shipped. Most customer complaints that are not about the part itself, such as wrong quantities, mixed lots, missing certificates and unreadable labels, can be caught here. Page 1 of this template has the order details and 20 checks in five groups (part and quantity, labels, packaging, paperwork, photos and release), each marked OK, Not OK or N/A with space for notes. Page 2 records what is in the shipment pallet by pallet, the photo record, problems found and fixed before release, and the release with signature and seal number. It is a printable PDF.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
When to use it
When to use a pre-shipment inspection checklist
- For every shipment to customers with strict labeling or packaging requirements.
- After a customer complaint about a wrong quantity, label, mixed lot or missing paperwork.
- For export shipments, where paperwork errors hold goods at the border.
- When new people are packing or shipping.
How to fill it in
- 1
Have the requirements in hand
The order, the packing list and the customer's packaging and labeling requirements.
- 2
Check part and quantity
Part number and revision, quantity counted, lot numbers recorded, and no lot on hold or rejected.
- 3
Check labels and packaging
Customer label on every carton, barcodes that scan, packing as specified, a stable pallet within limits.
- 4
Check the paperwork
Packing list, certificates, bill of lading and any export documents, matched to what is on the pallet.
- 5
Take the photos
Labels, packed parts, the finished pallet and the loaded truck. They settle most disputes later.
- 6
Release
An authorized person releases the shipment and records the seal number. Anything Not OK stops it until fixed.
What's on the checklist
The 20 checks on the pre-shipment inspection checklist
From the part and quantity to the release. On the sheet each check is marked OK, Not OK or N/A; anything Not OK stops the shipment until it is fixed.
Part and quantity
Right part, right amount
- 1Part number and revision match the order and the drawing
- 2Quantity counted and matches the order and the packing list
- 3Lot, batch or serial numbers recorded and match the paperwork
- 4No parts from a lot on hold, in quarantine or rejected
- 5Final inspection passed and signed off for every lot in the shipment
Labels
On every carton and pallet
- 6Customer label on every carton, in the customer's format
- 7Barcodes scan and match the label text
- 8Handling, orientation or hazard labels applied where needed
- 9Mixed-lot cartons avoided, or marked as the customer requires
Packaging
So the parts arrive as they left
- 10Packed as specified: container, dividers, layers and quantity per box
- 11Parts protected against damage, rust and contamination
- 12Pallet stable and wrapped, within the height and weight limits
- 13Returnable containers clean and of the right type
Paperwork
What travels with the shipment
- 14Packing list matches the pallets and cartons
- 15Certificates (CoC, CoA, test reports) included where required
- 16Bill of lading or shipping documents complete and signed
- 17Export or customs documents complete, if shipping abroad
Photos and release
Proof, then sign-off
- 18Photos taken of the labels, the packed parts and the finished pallet
- 19Truck or container clean, dry and undamaged before loading
- 20Shipment released by an authorized person
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example: a shipment of three pallets to an automotive customer (illustrative).
- Quantity and part number OK on all three pallets; lots recorded and matched to the final inspection records.
- One carton label had last week's lot number: reprinted and replaced before release.
- The certificate of analysis for one lot was missing from the packet: printed and added.
- Photos taken of the labels, the parts in a carton, each pallet and the loaded trailer.
The shipment left 40 minutes later than planned but complete. The label problem was traced to a template not updated at a lot change, and the packer's checklist was changed to check the lot number on the label.
Common mistakes
Checking the paperwork, not the pallet
Open a carton and count. The paperwork says what should be there, not what is.
Shipping held lots
A lot on hold or in quarantine must not reach the dock. Check the status of every lot.
No photos
Without photos it is your word against the customer's when a pallet arrives damaged or mislabeled.
Releasing under time pressure
A truck waiting is not a reason to skip a check. A wrong shipment costs more than a late one.
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.
In the lean glossary
Free tools
FAQ
Pre-shipment inspection checklist: common questions
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