Have you ever been in a situation when you had to print a shipping label and attach it to your parcel? Probably yes. The importance of shipping labels for consignors and businesses, logistics service providers, and even recipients is obvious. Thus, we will explain in which cases customers need to print a label and attach it to a parcel when booking shipping services via Eurosender platform.
Labelling a parcel when shipping with Eurosender
Our clients ask us whether shipping labels for B2B parcel delivery are different from ordinary ones, whether printing a shipping label is obligatory, whether it expires and what is encoded in it. So, let’s clarify these and other important issues related to labelling a parcel when shipping with Eurosender.
Is printing a shipping label obligatory for a customer?
Courier companies are usually responsible for providing shipping labels to their customers. As any rule has exceptions, customers sometimes have to print and attach shipping labels on their parcels. This is because booking the “First possible pick-up time” service and standard shipping services with Eurosender in some countries require taking care of shipping labels.
When do you need to print a label for standard shipping services?
You will have to take care of a shipping label in the cases below. In any case, you will be informed about that via a confirmation e-mail.
- Shipping abroad from Sweden When the system has chosen GLS logistics provider for international shipping, you will get an e-mail from DB Schenker with a shipping label attached and a request to print it.
- Shipping abroad from Romania. When your pick-up address is in Romania and your order is operated by DPD, then you will have to take care of labelling by yourself.
- Shipping abroad from Poland. When your pick-up address is in Poland and your shipment is operated by DPD, you will get a confirmation e-mail with a shipping label to be printed.
- Shipping abroad from Spain. When your courier provider is SEUR and your parcel is collected in Spain, you will have to print out your shipping label yourself and attach it on the parcel.
- Domestic shipping in Italy with Nexive. If our platform has chosen Nexive courier company for Italy-Italy shipping of packages under 20 kg, you will get an e-mail with a shipping label from Eurosender.
- If you choose to ship globally with Eurosender (i.e. outside Europe), you will most probably have to take care of printing out a label that will be sent to you by email.
It should be noted that apart from standard orders, Eurosender also offers a flexible booking service or flexible orders. The difference between standard and flexible orders is that in case of the latter you can modify the details in your order free of charge and you can do it any time before the pick-up. It means that you can change the pick-up/delivery address or the weight/number of your packages to be shipped without any additional fees charged on you. You can purchase such an option when booking a transportation service with us.
Printing a label is obligatory for “First possible pick-up time” service
If you want to use “First possible pick-up day” service, be aware that it is available for business and private users who ship from Romania, Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia. In this case, you will also have to print a label and attach it to your shipment. For that purpose, you will need to be logged into your own account on our website. Create your private account on our website and you will get multiple benefits.
Is a shipping label necessary for freight shipping, van delivery, and relocation and removal services?
If you book a freight transport service, dedicated van delivery or relocation and removal service with Eurosender, our experts will inform you whether you need to print out a shipping label by yourself. They will also ask you to collect all the needed documents required by the CMR convention applicable to international freight shipping.
What information does a shipping label contain?
Shipping labels for B2B parcel delivery, for C2C and other types of shipping services usually have barcodes, address lines, and often codes that are not clear to senders. Nevertheless, they are extremely helpful for logistics company workers to sort shipments and forward them to the right destination address. In particular, any shipping label displays the following:
- Names and addresses of the sender and of the recipient.
- Shipment details (size, total weight, number of packages, etc.).
- Type of a chosen service.
- Description of the content.
- Tracking number.
- Barcodes that enable correct handling of the shipment by courier services.
It is worth noting that each logistics service provider usually has its own shipping label template, which helps to optimise the delivery process. One could even say that shipping labels are a cornerstone of successful delivery.
What is an AWB and what do I need it for?
The abbreviation AWB stands for air waybill or air consignment note. This document carries out the same functions as a shipping label with the only exception that it is used in air freight transportation only. It serves as a receipt for cargo accepted for transportation, a contract between a shipper and a carrier, and a factsheet with information about the shipment and its content, its consignor, as well as about departure and destination airports.
How to attach a shipping label to your shipment?
Many customers ask us about the correct way to attach a shipping label to a package, pallet, or freight shipment. Therefore, we have prepared for you a list of recommendations as to how to attach a shipping label properly in order to avoid any cases of lost or misdelivered packages.
Remove any old labels from your shipment
After you get your packages or pallets packed properly, you will need to verify whether there are any old shipping labels attached to the box. It is necessary to remove those from every package because they might create confusion when scanned in the terminal or warehouse of the selected service provider.
Clean the surface before attaching a shipping label
Whether you are sending a package or a pallet, you need to make sure that a shipping label can be properly affixed to it. Check whether a label can be stuck firmly to the surface of the parcel. For cargo shipments, a self-adhesive clear pouch/pocket or window film might be a good idea in some cases.
Label your shipment correctly
There are many questions on how to attach a shipping label to a parcel or pallet. The main thing you need to consider is to make a label visible and clear. Put it on the side of the box, so your parcel can be easily scanned in the terminal. For smaller packages attach a label in the way that the barcode is on one side and the address information is on the adjacent side.
Protect a label
After attaching a shipping label, make sure you additionally cover it with adhesive tape to ensure it is in top condition even when it reaches the point of destination.
Labelling multiple packages
Even if you are going to send several parcels at the same address, it is necessary to put a shipping label on each of them. This is crucial because otherwise your parcels might be transported in different vans even if they are shipped at the same address.
Labelling pallets and cargo shipments
If you send a pallet and if you receive a message that you need to print out and attach a label on it , you should stick a label on each side and on top of the pallet. Furthermore, you need to label each piece of palletised or non-palletised freight in advance.
Do shipping labels expire?
When you receive a shipping label to print out and attach on a parcel that you are about to send, the label will have a pick-up date marked on it. Given this, it is worth noting that such a pick-up date on a shipping label is, in fact, its expiration date. So, in case the shipment of your parcel is delayed or postponed, the existing label on it will normally be deemed expired within 24 hours from the indicated pick-up date. To avoid this, you will need to print out a new shipping label that the courier company will send you. Since these practices may differ from one courier company to another, it may be that the courier does not send you a new label. In such a case, send them an email or call them to confirm as to whether you need or not a new shipping label.
Why is it important to label every single parcel?
First of all, a shipping label usually serves as a coded message attached to your shipment. It saves time to all those who operate your packages or cargo when it passes through various terminals, warehouses, and depots. It provides the quintessence of your shipment details to each party involved in the delivery process. Overall, a shipping label with correct information ensures successful delivery to the point of destination.
Furthermore, the right labelling is crucial because it helps to prevent the cases of failed delivery attempts. Follow the pieces of advice above to minimize the risk of any unwanted issues and recognize the importance of shipping labels for consignors and businesses and other parties involved.
We hope that all the information given on this page is useful for you and will help you to minimize the risk of any unwanted issues related to the shipment of your parcels with Eurosender. We care about our clients and their awareness in the field of logistics, as we want them to truly benefit from high-quality, reliable and affordable logistics services that we offer. Eurosender is always at your service.