What an Advance Shipping Notice Does

An advance shipping notice, often called an ASN, tells a receiver what is coming before the truck arrives. It lists the items, quantities, packaging and shipment details, usually sent electronically. With it, the receiving dock can plan labor and check freight quickly on arrival.

Many retailers and warehouses require one for every inbound shipment.

Typical Contents

• Shipment and purchase order numbers
• Carrier and tracking or pro number
• Ship date and expected delivery date
• Item numbers and quantities
• Packaging, such as pallets and cartons per pallet
• Carton or pallet label identifiers
• Lot or expiration data where tracked

However, the exact format depends on the receiver. Retailers often specify fields in their routing guides.

How Docks Use an Advance Shipping Notice

Before the truck arrives, the dock reviews the notice to plan doors, labor and storage. At arrival, staff scan carton or pallet labels and compare them with the notice. Matches clear quickly, while differences show up as exceptions.

That speed matters most at cross docks and busy distribution centers. The article on cross docking suitability explains why data comes first in that setting.

Advance Shipping Notice Versus Bill of Lading

The bill of lading is the carrier’s document. It records what the carrier received and the terms of carriage. Federal rules list what it must include in the receipts and bills regulation.

The advance shipping notice, by contrast, is a data message from shipper to receiver. It usually carries far more item detail than the bill of lading does.

Common Problems

For example, late notices arrive after the truck, and wrong quantities trigger false exceptions. Likewise, labels that do not match the notice force manual checks.

Retailers may charge suppliers for missing or inaccurate notices under their vendor agreements. The guide on retail compliance covers those rules.

Getting It Right

To avoid these problems, send the notice when the truck leaves, not before the freight is final. Build it from scanned labels rather than from the order, so it reflects what actually shipped.

For example, a hypothetical snack supplier might generate its notice from pallet scans at the dock door. That way the notice matches the freight, even when a last minute change removes a carton.

When the Notice and Freight Differ

If a shipment changes after the notice goes out, send a corrected version before the truck arrives. Then tell the receiver which notice is current. A dock working from an old advance shipping notice will flag every difference as an error, which slows receiving for everyone.