How To
How to Create a Packing List for International Shipping
This guide is for the operational side of the shipment. If someone needs to know what items are being sent and what quantities the receiving side should see, this is the build order to follow.
Short answer
Build the packing list from the physical shipment: confirm the parties, document reference, item descriptions, quantities, and any carrier-specific extras outside the simple PDF draft.
Best for
- Users building a packing list from shipment details they already have
- Teams checking item descriptions and quantities before export
- People matching the packing list against the commercial invoice
1. Start with the parties and document reference
Before you list the items, make sure the packing list points to the right shipment. That means the shipper, consignee, and the document reference or date should already be clear.
2. Add the item descriptions and quantities
Add the goods descriptions and quantities. Keep the wording practical and easy to match against your commercial invoice if both documents will travel together.
3. Confirm carrier-specific extras separately
Some workflows also need package identifiers, gross weight, net weight, or dimensions. This simple generator focuses on item descriptions and quantities, so confirm those extra shipment details separately if your carrier or warehouse expects them.
4. Compare the packing list against the commercial invoice
If the shipment also needs a commercial invoice, compare the descriptions, quantities, and references across both documents before download. Use the consistency checklist if you want a one-pass comparison.
What this guide helps with and what it does not
This guide helps you build a usable packing list draft from the shipment as it is actually packed. It does not decide carrier-specific dimensional rules or lane-specific shipping requirements for you.