Logistics and Transportation Checklist

The production planner exports open sales orders, finished WOs scheduled to close, and customer-required ship dates from NetSuite or Epicor. Cross-check against the master production schedule so freight is planned around actual close dates, not optimistic ones.

Sort shipments into parcel, LTL, FTL, expedite, or international. Use customer routing guides where required — automotive and aerospace customers will charge back the freight if you ignore their carrier.

Pull the rolling 90-day scorecard: on-time pickup, on-time delivery, claims rate, and invoice accuracy. Drop carriers below 95% OTD from the primary lane until they recover; route critical shipments to the next-best carrier on that lane.

Tender through your TMS (Project44, MercuryGate, or broker portal). Capture PRO numbers and BOL numbers back into the ERP shipment record so customer service can answer status calls without chasing the warehouse.

Buyer pulls the open PO report and pings suppliers whose promise dates put critical raw material at risk of stockout. Flag any past-due POs feeding work centers on this week's schedule for expedite.

Slot inbound trucks against dock door capacity and labor on shift. Avoid stacking 6 trucks at 8 a.m. — receiving misses inspection windows and detention charges accrue.

Receiving clerk matches part number, qty, lot/heat number, and CofC against the PO before signing the BOL. Note shortages, overages, or visible damage on the BOL — once it's signed clean, the carrier claim is dead.

Segregate the affected lot in the hold area with a red tag. Open the NCR in the QMS, notify the buyer for chargeback, and disposition before the material drifts back into the stockroom.

Print BOL with NMFC freight class, weight, and piece count matching the actual pallets — not what the system thinks. Class disputes and reweighs are the most common LTL invoice exception.

Per 49 CFR Subchapter C: proper shipping name, UN number, hazard class, packing group, and emergency contact on the shipping paper. Verify the shipper signing is current on hazmat training (172.700, every 3 years). Apply correct labels and placards before the carrier arrives — a wrong placard means refused load.

Filing in AES, ECCN classification under EAR (or USML category if ITAR-controlled), HTS code, country of origin, and USMCA certificate of origin where applicable. Customs brokers won't clear without the EEI ITN — get it before the truck rolls.

BOLs, hazmat papers, export filings, and proofs of delivery retained 5 years (DOT) or 7 years (export). Store in document control linked to the shipment record so audits don't turn into archaeology.

Carrier liability under Carmack is often $0.10–$2.00/lb — well below replacement cost on machined parts or electronics. For shipments above the cargo policy deductible, declare value and confirm shipper's interest coverage is in force.

Numbered bolt seal applied at the dock; seal number recorded on the BOL and matched at consignee. C-TPAT customers will require ISO 17712 high-security seals on cross-border loads.

Identify backup carriers per lane, alternate ports for ocean freight, and air-freight conversion thresholds for past-due automotive or medical-device shipments. Document who can authorize the cost premium without waiting for week-end review.

Track on-time delivery, on-time-in-full (OTIF), damage rate, and customer chargebacks by carrier and lane. Walmart, Target, and most automotive Tier-1 customers issue OTIF chargebacks at 1-3% of invoice — visibility before the chargeback hits is the goal.

Reweigh disputes, accessorial creep (lift gate, residential, detention), and class corrections drive 3-7% of LTL spend if unaudited. Dispute exceptions within the carrier's contract window — usually 180 days.

Pull POD comments, customer portal scorecards (SupplyOn, Covisint, customer-specific), and any complaints routed through CS. Tag the signal — late, damaged, wrong qty, paperwork — so the next CAR has data behind it.

Operations manager, supply chain manager, and warehouse lead review the scorecard. Open a CAR for any carrier or lane below threshold; close out last week's actions with effectiveness evidence, not just status updates.