International and complex domestic shipments require more documentation than a simple parcel delivery. When goods move across borders, through multiple carriers, or under freight forwarding arrangements, the parties involved—shippers, carriers, customs brokers, freight forwarders, and consignees—need accurate, standardized information about the cargo to ensure it is handled correctly, cleared through customs, and delivered to the right place.
The shipping note is the foundational logistics document that provides this information. While a delivery note confirms that goods were handed from a seller to a buyer, and a packing slip itemizes what is inside a package, a shipping note describes how the goods will move through the logistics chain—from origin to destination, via which carriers, under what routing instructions, and subject to which trade terms.
Our free shipping note template is designed for businesses engaged in domestic freight shipping and international trade that need a professional, comprehensive shipping document.
When Is a Shipping Note Required?
A shipping note is typically required in the following scenarios:
International Freight Shipments
For exports from or imports into most countries, customs authorities require detailed information about the goods being shipped. While this information is often captured on a commercial invoice, a shipping note serves as the carrier-side document that transmits the same information to freight forwarders, shipping lines, and airlines for booking and handling purposes.
Multi-Leg Domestic Freight
When a shipment involves multiple carriers (e.g., a parcel shipped via UPS to a regional hub, then transferred to a local carrier for final delivery), the shipping note documents the handoff between carriers and provides each carrier with the information they need to handle the shipment correctly.
Freight Forwarder Arrangements
When a business uses a freight forwarder to manage their logistics, the forwarder typically requires a shipping note from the shipper that provides all the details needed to book space, complete export documentation, and coordinate the onward transport. This information is then used to generate the house bill of lading or other forwarding documents.
High-Value or High-Risk Shipments
For shipments of high-value goods, hazardous materials, or goods subject to specific regulations (such as food, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals), the shipping note provides the detailed cargo information that carriers and authorities require for compliance and risk management.
Key Elements of a Shipping Note
Shipper and Consignee Information
The shipping note must clearly identify both the origin (shipper) and destination (consignee) parties:
Shipper: Business name, address, phone, email, and tax ID (EIN for U.S. exports). For exports, the shipper's EIN or DUNS number is typically required by customs.
Consignee: The party who will receive the goods at the destination. Must include full name, address, phone, and email for customs clearance purposes.
Notify Party: In international shipping, the "notify party" is the individual or company who should be notified when the shipment arrives at the destination port or airport. This may be the same as the consignee (for direct shipments) or a freight forwarder or customs broker acting on the consignee's behalf.
Cargo Description and Classification
The cargo description section must include:
- A detailed description of the goods in plain language (not just product codes or part numbers)
- The HS (Harmonized System) code for each item category, at the precision required by the destination country
- Country of origin for each item or category
- The declared value for customs and the currency in which it is expressed
- The statistical unit (pieces, kilograms, liters) used for trade reporting
For hazardous goods, the shipping note must include the UN number, hazard class, packing group, and any special handling information required by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code or IATA dangerous goods regulations.
Packaging and Quantity
For each type of packaging in the shipment:
- Number of packages by type (boxes, pallets, crates, drums, containers)
- The specific dimensions and weight per package type
- The total gross weight (total weight of goods plus packaging)
- The total measurement (cubic volume, particularly for ocean freight where space is charged by volume)
Transport and Routing Information
The shipping note should specify:
- The mode of transport (air, ocean, rail, road, or multimodal)
- The carrier name and booking or reference number
- The port or terminal of loading and discharge
- Routing instructions (any specific routing requirements or restrictions)
- The incoterm governing the commercial transaction (FOB, CIF, DDP, etc.)
Special Handling and Regulatory Information
Any special requirements should be clearly noted:
- Temperature-controlled or refrigerated shipment (reefer) requirements
- Fragile or sensitive cargo handling instructions
- Regulatory certifications or licenses (phytosanitary certificate, FDA prior notice, etc.)
- Import or export restrictions applicable to the goods
Sample Shipping Note Scenario
Background: "Northwest Specialty Foods," a Washington state organic food producer, exports a shipment of premium apple cider vinegar to a distributor in Seoul, South Korea. The shipment consists of 200 cases of 12-bottle cases (2,400 bottles total), packed on 10 wooden pallets. The shipment travels by truck to the Port of Seattle, then by ocean vessel to the Port of Busan.
Shipping Note #SN-2026-0448:
- Shipper: Northwest Specialty Foods, 1200 Orchard Ave, Yakima, WA 98901
- Consignee: Seoul Fresh Foods Co., 45 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
- Notify: Kim Logistics (freight forwarder), Seoul
- Goods: Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, 6% Acidity — 200 cases (12 × 500ml bottles)
- HS Code: 2209.00 (Vinegar; vinegar substitutes prepared from acetic acid)
- Country of Origin: USA
- Packaging: 10 wooden pallets, 20 cases per pallet
- Gross Weight: 1,840 kg
- Volume: 5.2 CBM
- Incoterm: CIF Busan
- Carrier: Maersk Line, Booking #MAEU-2026483948
- Export License: Not required (no license required for this HS code)
This shipping note provides Maersk with the cargo details needed to issue a bill of lading, the Korean customs broker with the information needed to clear the goods, and the consignee with confirmation of what is being shipped.
Related Templates
- Delivery Note Template — General delivery documentation for seller-side shipments
- Packing Slip — Itemized package contents for recipient verification
- Goods Received Note — Buyer-side receipt documentation
- Delivery Slip — Driver proof-of-delivery slip
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Legal Requirements for a Shipping Note
A shipping note is the simplified shipping-instruction document that accompanies less-formal shipments — sub-pallet quantities, intra-company transfers, or domestic-only consignments that do not require a full bill of lading. While less legally complex than a BOL, the shipping note is still admissible evidence of dispatch and is governed by general contract law plus any industry-specific carrier rules. Always check current state and federal carrier regulations for the specific shipment type.
Industry Use Cases
Domestic LTL (less-than-truckload) freight uses the shipping note for shipments below pallet quantity. Inter-warehouse transfers within a single company use the shipping note to document the transfer of inventory between locations without involving an external carrier. Sub-pallet ecommerce shipments to fulfillment centers use the shipping note as the inbound-receiving reference.
Digital vs Paper Shipping Notes
Most shipping notes are now generated digitally through the shipper TMS (transportation management system) or WMS (warehouse management system) and transmitted as PDF to the carrier and the destination warehouse. Paper shipping notes remain common at smaller operations and during system outages.
How to Handle Shipping Note Disputes
The most common disputes are partial-delivery claims and item-condition claims at receiving. Resolve partial-delivery by matching the shipping note against the carrier weight ticket and the destination warehouse scan log. Resolve item-condition by photographing the damage at receiving and noting the damage on the shipping note before signing the carrier acknowledgment.