Packing list template
Packing list template for Excel and CSV, with a totals row that adds up
Thirteen columns: marks, carton range, SKU, PO, description, HS code, quantity, unit, quantity per carton, N.W., G.W., carton size and CBM, then a TOTAL row. The .xlsx has the sums as formulas. The CSV opens anywhere. Free, no account.
The .xlsx button loads a spreadsheet library from cdnjs when you click it. The CSV is a plain file.
What a packing list template is for
A packing list template fixes the columns in which a shipment is described, so every list you write, or ask a supplier to write, has the same fields in the same places. This one is built for goods shipped in cartons: one row per carton range and SKU, weights and volume for the whole row, and a TOTAL row that states the cartons, quantity, N.W., G.W. and CBM of the shipment.
The two example rows below show how it is filled. Replace them with your own and keep the TOTAL row last. The column names are ones CargoSheet recognises, and its tie-out reads the TOTAL row as the declared totals.
| Marks & Nos. | Carton No. | Item No. | PO No. | Description | HS Code | Qty | Unit | Qty per Carton | N.W. (kg) | G.W. (kg) | Carton Size (cm) | CBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACME / PO 1001 | 1-20 | A-100 | 1001 | Cotton T-shirt, knitted | 6109.10 | 2400 | PCS | 120 | 240.00 | 270.00 | 60x40x30 | 1.440 |
| 21-30 | A-200 | 1001 | Cotton shorts, knitted | 6103.42 | 1000 | PCS | 100 | 90.00 | 105.00 | 50x40x30 | 0.600 | |
| TOTAL | 30 | 3400 | 330.00 | 375.00 | 2.040 |
How to fill it in
One row per carton range and SKU
A range of cartons that hold the same SKU is one row. A different SKU, or a different carton size, starts a new row.
Write cartons as a range
1-20, then 21-30. The range is how cartons are counted, so keep the numbering continuous. Restart at 1 only for a new PO.
Weights are for the whole row, in kg
N.W. and G.W. are the totals of every carton in the range, not per carton. Gross is never below net.
Give the carton size, then CBM
Size in cm as 60x40x30. CBM for the row is length x width x height in metres, times the cartons: 0.6 x 0.4 x 0.3 x 20 = 1.440.
Second SKU in the same carton
Repeat the carton range and leave both weights blank. The carton is counted once and the quantity of both lines is added.
Finish with a TOTAL row
Write TOTAL, the carton count, quantity, N.W., G.W. and CBM. In the .xlsx the sums are formulas; the carton count is typed, because ranges cannot be summed.
Opening the CSV in Excel
Double-clicking a CSV makes Excel guess each cell: 6109.10 becomes 6109.1 and 1-20 becomes a date. The .xlsx download stores both as text. For the CSV, use Data > From Text/CSV and set the HS Code and Carton No. columns to Text before loading.
Three ways to get a list in this layout
| Typing into the template | Asking suppliers to use it | Converting their PDF with CargoSheet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effort per shipment | Retype every line | One request; depends on the supplier agreeing | Upload the PDF the supplier already sent |
| Where mistakes come from | Your keying | The supplier's keying | The supplier's numbers, shown as variances |
| Totals check | Your own SUM against the declared totals | Same | Computed and compared automatically |
| Carton ranges | Counted by you | Counted by the supplier | Counted, overlaps and repeats flagged |
| Output | The template | The template | Seven-column customs sheet and a full-detail sheet |
Suppliers usually keep their own format. To get the same columns from the PDF they already send, convert it here. What the broker needs on the sheet is on customs packing list format.
Packing list template: questions
- What columns should a packing list template have?
- Marks and numbers, carton numbers, item or SKU, PO, description, HS code, quantity, unit, quantity per carton, net weight, gross weight, carton size and CBM, then a total row. This template has exactly those 13 columns. Remove the ones you do not use; the order is not important.
- How do I write carton numbers?
- As a range per row: 1-20 means cartons 1 to 20, which is 20 cartons. Keep the numbering continuous across the shipment, or restart at 1 for each PO and put the PO in the PO column. A single carton is written as one number.
- Are the weights per carton or per row?
- Per row: the total for every carton in the range. A 20-carton row with 12 kg net per carton shows 240.00. If your own system holds per-carton weights, multiply by the cartons before filling the template.
- How is CBM calculated?
- Length x width x height of one carton, in metres, times the number of cartons on the row. A 60x40x30 cm carton is 0.072 CBM; 20 of them are 1.440. If a row has no carton size, type the CBM from the supplier's figure.
- Can I use the template in Google Sheets, Numbers or LibreOffice?
- Yes. The .xlsx opens in all of them, and the CSV imports in all of them. In Excel, import the CSV with Data > From Text/CSV rather than double-clicking it, or Excel will turn 6109.10 into 6109.1 and 1-20 into a date.
- Why does the .xlsx button load something from cdnjs?
- The workbook is built in your browser with the SheetJS library, which is fetched from cdnjs only when you click Download .xlsx. The CSV link is a plain file and loads nothing.
- Does customs accept this template?
- There is no single mandatory packing list form. Customs authorities and brokers care about the content and about the totals agreeing with the other documents, and some have their own requirements. Check with your broker. See customs packing list format.
- What if my supplier will not use a template?
- Most will not change their format. That is the case CargoSheet is for: upload the PDF they already send and get the same columns back, with the totals checked. See packing list to Excel.
- How are the TOTAL row and the declared totals used?
- A row labelled TOTAL is read as the declared totals: cartons, quantity, N.W., G.W. and CBM. When a packing list in this layout goes through CargoSheet, those declared figures are compared with the sum of the lines above. Subtotal rows are ignored.
- Is the template free?
- Yes. Both downloads are free, with no account and no email address.
Have the supplier's PDF instead of a filled template?
Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. The same columns come back with the totals checked.