Guide · Marks, codes and layout
Shipping marks and carton numbers: ranges, restarts per PO and duplicates
Shipping marks identify a consignment on the carton; carton numbers identify each carton within it. A packing list writes them as ranges, so 1-25 is 25 cartons. Numbering often restarts for each PO or mark, which is fine until two rows share numbers inside the same scope.
Marks, numbers and ranges
A shipping mark is the identifying text on the outside of a carton: usually a buyer or consignee code, the destination, a PO number and a carton number such as 7/120. It lets people match physical cartons to documents at the factory, the port and the warehouse. The carton number is the running number the packer assigns.
A packing list compresses the numbers into ranges. "CTN 1-25" is 25 cartons with the same contents, and the next row might start at 26. The count is last minus first plus one, however the range is written. Numbers may restart for each PO or mark, so 1-25 can legitimately appear twice on one list, once per PO. All row counts together must equal the total cartons.
General information, not customs or legal advice. Marking rules come from the buyer, the carrier and the importing country, which may also require origin marking on goods or cartons. Confirm yours before packing.
Number and mark a shipment in six steps
Get the mark from the buyer
The PO or shipping instructions normally give the main mark and the carton-numbering format. Copy them exactly, including spacing and punctuation.
Choose the numbering scope
Decide whether numbers run across the whole shipment or restart for each PO or mark. Write the rule on the list and use it on the cartons. FBA boxes follow their own labels; see packing list for Amazon FBA shipments.
Write each row as a range
1-25 for 25 cartons with the same SKU and packing. A new SKU, carton size or PO starts a new row.
Print “of N” on the carton
7/120 tells a receiver how many to expect. N should equal the total for that numbering scope.
Check for overlaps and gaps
No number appears in two rows inside the same scope, and no number in the sequence is missing without a reason.
Total and compare
Add the range counts and compare with the declared cartons total, the booking and the bill of lading. Suppliers who ship together need a consolidated list with the supplier on every row.
Range notations and carton counts
How common ways of writing carton numbers are counted.
| As written | Cartons | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1-25 | 25 | Last minus first plus one |
| 1~25 or 1 to 25 | 25 | Same count; the separator differs |
| A1-A25 | 25 | Prefix kept, numeric part counted |
| 7 | 1 | A single carton |
| 1-5 and 8-10 on two rows | 5 + 3 = 8 | Gap at 6-7: confirm it is intended |
| 1-25 for PO A, 1-25 for PO B | 25 + 25 = 50 | A restart per PO; fine when the PO is on each row |
| 1-25 and 20-30 in one scope | Overlap | 20-25 used twice; the list is wrong |
What goes wrong
- Overlapping ranges. 1-25 and 20-30 in one scope use six numbers twice, so the carton count is inflated by six.
- A repeated range. The same range copied onto a second row, often across a page break, which doubles that row.
- Restarts with no scope. Numbers restart at 1 for each PO but the PO is not on the row. The rows look like duplicates and the receiver cannot tell the cartons apart.
- A count that disagrees with the range. A row states 20 cartons against the range 1-25. One of the two is wrong, and the total depends on which.
- Marks that differ between documents. The list, the cartons and the bill of lading read differently, which is one of the mismatches in packing list errors that cause customs holds.
How CargoSheet helps
CargoSheet counts cartons from the ranges (1-25 is 25; 1~25, 1 to 25 and A1-A25 read the same way), checks numbering inside each marks and PO scope, and flags a range that overlaps another, repeats, cannot be read, or whose count differs from the range. It does not see the physical cartons or labels. Try the packing list to Excel converter. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
Questions
- What are shipping marks?
- The identifying text on a carton, typically a buyer or consignee code, destination, PO number and carton number. They let cartons be matched to the packing list and the transport document.
- How do I count cartons from a range like 1-25?
- Subtract the first number from the last and add one: 25 - 1 + 1 = 25. The same applies to 1~25, 1 to 25 or A1-A25. A single number such as 7 is one carton.
- Should carton numbers restart for each PO?
- They can, and many buyers ask for it, but then each PO is its own numbering scope and the PO must appear on the row. If the buyer wants one sequence for the shipment, do not restart.
- Why would two rows show the same carton numbers?
- Either the numbers restart per PO or mark, which is acceptable, or a row was copied by mistake. Check whether the PO or mark differs between the two rows.
- What does “7 of 120” on a carton mean?
- It is the seventh of 120 cartons in that numbering scope. The 120 should match the packing list total for the same scope.
- Do shipping marks have to be on the packing list?
- Customs and carriers usually expect them, and they should read the same on the list, the cartons and the bill of lading. Some buyers specify the format, so follow the purchase order.
Check a packing list against its own totals
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