It can seem like a really scary proposition to send in shipping pallets to Amazon, but it doesn’t have to be.
If you’ve scaled your business up to a bulk operation or are just curious as to what the next steps are to prepare LTL shipping pallets to Amazon then this is the article for you.
Let’s get started.
In preparing for this article we reached out to one of AccelerList’s customers and Amazon FBA seller, Eric Chan.
Eric hasn’t even been selling on Amazon FBA for that long but he jumped right into efficiency and started sending LTL pallet shipments almost immediately.
He learned to attack his entrepreneurial endeavours head on from numerous mentors and books like the New York Times bestseller, Failing Forward
Step 1: Finding product sources
Eric is a bulk book seller on Amazon but your product may be different. The first step for him however was to find a wholesale or bulk source in his local state of Georgia that would send him gaylords of boxes.
Once he found a solid connection he started out by having his source send him 20 gaylords of boxes to his home which he set inside of his garage, on the driveway and around the property.
You can’t send in shipping pallets of product if you don’t have enough product to send in. So find the product source that works for you.
Step 2: List your products
Next, Eric starts listing his books into AccelerList one at a time from the gaylords. This is the one of the most time consuming parts of the entire process but he’s able to do it quickly with our software.
He also hired a friend who is his main “lister” and lists all of his books for him. In Eric’s case, she is a friend that he knew needed work and she was happy to dive in and help him.
In order to keep her motivated and working fast he pays her roughly $.25 cents a listing. That doesn’t seem like a lot but after each shipping pallet is listed she walking away with $250-$275. Remember, he has 20 pallets to process. $5,500 to her. 💰
After she lists all of the books then Eric pops over to FBABoxContent.com and scans all the books to satisfy Amazon’s box content rules. You can do FBA Box Content inside of AccelerList or at FBABoxContent.com.
Inside of this process, Eric is able to list 250-300 books a day and do the box content. He’s a new seller but he’s already sent in 14 shipping pallets to Amazon FBA. Pay attention.
What is a shipping pallet?
Shipping pallets are nothing more than a bunch of smaller boxes stacked on top of each other affixed to a bottom platform that is usually made of wood.
Each shipping pallet should have a max weight of 1,500lbs and 3 rows of 27 boxes. You can stack more on a 4th row but it can get a little “shifty”. LOL
Eric gets his 12 x 16 x 12 heavy duty shipping boxes from his local Home Depot but there are other places online you can get them as well.
When wrapping the shipping pallet be sure to double or triple wrap the first row of boxes to the pallet and then each subsequent row as you add them.
You’ll want the 4 shipping labels affixed to the sides of the completed pallet along with the 2D barcodes on each box. The individual box shipping labels is not required but Eric throws it on there just in case a pallet gets damaged and a box falls off.
Step 3: Seller Central
Inside of AccelerList you can let us help you create your shipment after previewing the box warehouse destinations and then it’s time to swing over to Amazon Seller Central.
Once inside your account head over to Inventory > Manage FBA Shipments and select the large shipment that your boxes are a part of.
Then select Less than truckload (LTL) and Amazon-Partnered Carrier. This usually ends up being UPS Freight for the partner carrier.
Next you will select 2D barcodes as your box content solution and print the individuals box labels. (remember, not needed but advised to print and affix).
From here you will tell Amazon about the actual pallet you are sending in. It’s dimensions, it’s weight and how many you are looking to send in.
What is nice about this step in the process is that Amazon provides this really nice graphic so sellers don’t make mistakes. Sending in shipping pallets can be nerve racking at first so little touches like this from Amazon make it less stressful.
One of the final steps before you print the actual shipping labels is to declare the value (be accurate and aim a little higher), the freight class and pick the date you feel the pallet will be out on the street or driveway ready to be picked up.
What is freight class?
Freight classes are designed to help you get common standardized freight pricing for your shipments when working with different carriers or brokers. Freight classes are defined and set by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA).
If you are sending books in then the correct freight class is 65. It will be different for other products however.
Final tips?
Make sure your pallet is out on the street or your driveway with plenty of access for the UPS driver to pick it up and always call the morning of your pickup or the day before and request that the driver brings a lift gate or the truck is outfitted with one.
Once you complete the LTL shipment in Seller Central you will be emailed a copy of the Bill of Lading. This will also be accessible in Seller Central as well.
Ensure that you retain your signed copy of the Bill of Lading from the driver so you have proof he or she picked it up that day. Now it’s time to keep an eye on your account and make sure your pallet was received into Amazon’s warehouse and they start processing it.
