An identification label which is dispatched on a container or a package to enlist the contents of the shipment or parcel is called a shipping label. The main purpose of a shipping label is to include the inside items of the parcel without opening it so that if it reaches on a wrong address or something is missing in the list of contents, it can safely return to the vendor. In international logistics, some countries need to check for the FDA approval for the inside contents of a shipment by putting a stamp on the shipment label that tells that the authorities have checked the insides and they have cleared it for the further processes.

Shipping Label Format Guidelines

This label can also serve as the address carrier that provides the address and contact number of the person who is also called an end user. Now companies use special type of laminated labels which remain safe in bad conditions like wet weather or dampness and clearly show all the written information as compared to a glued label.

A shipping label usually contains:

• Vendor’s name, street address and contact number
• Local postal code along with city’s zip code
• Purchase order number and sales invoice number
• Package’s serial number
• Receiver’s name, address and contact number
• Quantity of the items in the shipment
• Price the receiver has to pay in case it’s a COD
• Information about the later coming parcels if there are any
• Barcode  that can be scanned by a scanner or barcode reader
• Special instructions if necessary

Free Shipping Label Template

Here is preview of this Free Sample Shipping Label Template created using MS Word,

Shipping labels also serve as a slip which tells the cargo company about the address of the receiver and his or her contact numbers in case the delivery staff couldn’t find it. Some companies also use the shipping label as a COD label in order to save the cost of an extra slip where some companies also use it as a delivery slip which needs to be signed by the receiver and the delivery person has to return it to the vendor’s company.

Here is download link for this Shipping Label Template,

There are many websites that offer to create a shipping label for your company but if you don’t want to do that or like to create a unique or customized label, you can do that by your own. You just have to follow some simple guidelines such as:

Shipping Label Guidelines:

• First of all you have to make sure that the label is going to be waterproof as the package will go through a lot of worse situations like rain or dampness.
• You can use the label to advertise your company by putting your name and logo on it and this way it also serves as a returning address label.
• Start by including your name and logo on the top and below that include all the necessary details such as:
  • Serial number of the package and shipment number
  • Date of shipment and expected duration when it will arrive at the receiver’s doorstep
  • Receiver’s name, address, postal and zip code and contact numbers
  • The details of the inside items i.e. quantity, price of each item and gross weight of the box
  • The amount that the receiver owes to the company if he is satisfied with the delivery
  • If there are any particular instructions for the carrier or the receiver, you can include them at the end.