ShipTop’s Receiving Guidelines is a roadmap to optimize the heart of your fulfillment operations. Effective inventory management begins with a well-executed receiving process, influencing everything from storage to shipping. This guide encompasses ShipTop’s protocols, best practices, and strategic insights to ensure your receiving operations are top-notch.
Please note that every inbound shipment must be entered in as a Purchase Order ahead of inventory arrival - failure to do so will lead to longer receiving times. See our article here on how to create a Purchase Order.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us to keep operations running smoothly.
Non-compliant inbound shipments will be subject to longer wait times and extra charges.
Charges may apply per unit or hour for products that must be counted and verified.
We reserve the right to refuse inventory that violates our receiving guidelines.
If you don't have a ShipTop-approved receiving appointment, we reserve the right not to receive any inventory. ShipTop will not be liable for rejecting delivery (not receiving inventory).
ShipTop will incur no additional liability for inventory not received within these frames.
ShipTop can only accept your inventory during receiving hours.
Non-Compliant inbound shipments:
Missing or inaccurate Purchase Order (Inbound Shipping Plan).
Absent SKU/Barcodes.
Inaccurate packing slips.
Unspecified mixed SKUs.
No scheduled appointment for LTL/FTL shipments.
Appointments
For any delivery appointments, please email receiving@shiptop.com.
LTL shipments need to be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
FTL and containers need to be scheduled 72 hours in advance.
We only receive inventory on weekdays, Mondays to Fridays, between 8am - 4pm warehouse local time.
All unscheduled LTL/FTL and container deliveries will incur a fee of up $500 and may be turned away if no dock is available.
All inbound shipments must have an associated Purchase Order (PO) within your dedicated Client Portal.
Receiving Fees
Refer to your Fulfillment Agreement for pricing information on receiving. Generally, shipments that arrive on pallets incur receiving fees per-pallet, while floor-loaded shipments or small parcel shipments incur receiving charges per-carton.
Note: Pallets or cartons with mixed SKUs may incur additional charges per unit or case.
Shipping Requirements for Small Parcel/Freight
Avoid mixing different SKUs within the same carton. In the case where >1 SKU is placed in the same carton, units must be clearly separated within the box for boxes to remain compliant, i.e., separated by dividers or polybags.
Mixed pallets and cartons must include a clear tag/note, Mixed SKUs (list the SKUs in each pallet or carton).
Boxes with mixed SKUs on a pallet must be clearly separated within the box to remain compliant, i.e., separated by dividers or polys.
Inbound pallet height restriction = Less than 72" in height and no double-stacked skids.
The final pallet loaded on the truck must have a printout of the
associated PO and a packing list for identification.
All individual units must be barcoded.
Quality Assurance
Spot checks are conducted on inbound shipments to verify SKU and quantity accuracy.
If discrepancies are identified, a full count may be required and billed at standard rates.
Receiving Timelines for Compliant Shipments
The arrival day is considered Day Zero for all inbound shipments. Please
note that for inbound shipments arriving during peak season (November 10 -
December 31), receiving may take an additional 1-2 business days.
Less than 10 pallets (small parcel shipments included): up to 3 (three) full business days from arrival.
Half a truckload*, up to a full truckload (palletized): up to 3 (three) full business days from arrival.
Half a container, up to a full container (floor-loaded): up to 3 (three) full business days (applies to 20' and 40' containers).
* Half a truckload is considered 11-13 pallets. A truckload is considered 24-26 pallets.
For more information about our SLAs, please see our article on SLAs and Turnaround Times.
For any questions about our receiving guidelines, please email your dedicated account manager or receiving@shiptop.com.