Factory pickup is the most underestimated step in international shipping. Done right, it sets up the entire shipment for success. Done wrong, it creates problems that compound through every later step. Here are the 8 checks every smart importer should require from their forwarder.
Why Pickup Matters More Than You Think
A botched pickup creates issues that often don't surface until customs clearance or even after delivery: wrong weight on the airway bill, missing labels, damaged cartons from rough handling, missing units from incomplete loading, or cargo loaded in the wrong order causing accidents during transit. By the time you find out, the cargo is already at the destination port and you have limited options.
The 8 Pickup Checks
1. Photo verification at supplier loading
Your forwarder should photograph every pallet/carton as it leaves the supplier's warehouse. We send a 6-photo set to every client before dispatch: external view of cartons, top view of pallet, side view showing strap and shrink-wrap, label close-up, supplier worker handover, truck loading complete.
This is your insurance policy. If anything is missing or damaged at destination, you have proof of condition at origin.
2. Weight verification at warehouse
Supplier-quoted weights are notoriously inaccurate. We weigh every pallet on calibrated scales at our consolidation warehouse before booking the carrier. If actual weight is 8% above quote, we tell you before booking — better than a surprise at carrier weigh-in (which causes booking changes, weight surcharges, and delays).
3. Carton count verification
Compare actual carton count to packing list. Discrepancies are common — supplier shorts you 2 cartons, customs counts at destination, finds shortage, flags the shipment for inspection. Catch the shortage at pickup, get supplier to send the missing units before booking.
4. Carton spec audit
For FBA shipments specifically: every carton must be under 50lb / 25kg, under 18 inches on any side (Amazon small-medium tier). For air freight: any carton over 120cm on the longest side triggers overlength surcharge (30% of chargeable weight on that carton). Catch these at pickup so suppliers can re-pack.
5. Label placement audit
FNSKU labels on side of carton (not top — Amazon's auto-scanner can't see top labels). Shipping labels on opposite side. Country-of-origin "Made in China" label on every carton. Verify before truck leaves supplier.
6. Pallet strap and wrap quality
Cheap pallet wrap fails during sea transit. We require 4-way strapping with 50mm+ polyester straps, full pallet wrap (not just corner wrap), and corner protectors for any pallet with edge-fragile contents. Photo evidence in our 6-photo set.
7. Truck loading sequence verification
If you're shipping multi-supplier consolidations, the loading sequence matters. Heaviest pallets on bottom. Fragile cargo away from doors. Container weight distribution balanced (within 1.5 tons end-to-end variation). We supervise loading at our warehouse and document.
8. Pre-shipment HS code & commercial invoice review
While the cargo is sitting at our warehouse, our customs team reviews the commercial invoice and HS codes. We catch FTA opportunities (ChAFTA for AU, EU GSP for Europe), correct mis-classifications, and verify all required documents are in order. Before the cargo moves another inch.
What a Bad Pickup Looks Like
From a client we onboarded last year (their previous forwarder did the original pickup):
- Supplier quoted 2,400 units, actual: 2,287 (shortage detected only at FBA receipt — 14 days later)
- Cartons over 25kg (FBA non-sortable surcharge triggered = hundreds per month extra in FBA fees, forever)
- FNSKU labels on top of cartons (Amazon held inventory in "researching" status for 12 days)
- No origin photos (when 23 units showed up damaged, no recourse against supplier or carrier)
Total cost of the bad pickup: thousands in direct losses + ongoing monthly FBA non-sortable fees.
What to Require From Your Forwarder
If your current forwarder doesn't proactively offer these, ask for them. Most will agree at no extra charge — the cost to them is minimal, the value to you is significant.
- 6-photo documentation set before dispatch
- Independent weight verification
- Carton count match against packing list
- FBA spec audit (for FBA shipments)
- Label placement verification
- HS code and commercial invoice review
- Same-day notification of any discrepancies
Our pickup workflow takes our team about 45 minutes per shipment. It saves the average client meaningful costs in avoided downstream problems. Best ROI of any single operational step.