A shipping plan tells Amazon what you are sending, how much, and how it is packed. **Nothing reaches FBA without one**, and most receiving problems are created here rather than in transit.

**The errors are all preventable**, and they all cost the same thing: delay, at the exact moment you were trying to avoid a stockout.

[Watch the walkthrough](https://kb.trackiq.com/kb-assets/kbvideo-shippingplan-explainer-c32f3cbe.mp4)

*Prefer to watch? One hundred and eighty-four seconds on the settings that decide your freight cost, choosing a mode against your remaining cover, and the details that cause check-in failures.*

## **Creating it**

**Inventory → Shipments** (under Fulfilment by Amazon) **→ Send to Amazon.**

## **Step 1: shipping details**

**Ship-from address** — your supplier, your 3PL, or your own warehouse.

**This is not administrative.** The origin influences which Amazon warehouses your stock is assigned to, and therefore what the freight costs.

**Marketplace destination** — check it matches where you intend to sell.

**Then one checkbox that catches people out.** Do not tick *"I want to ship with Amazon or an Amazon-partnered carrier"* unless you actually are. **Using your own freight forwarder means leaving it unchecked.**

## **Step 2: products and packing**

**Select the SKUs, then per SKU:**

**Units per box.**

**Box dimensions.**

**Box weight.**

**Use case packs** — one box, multiple units of the same product. It is faster to check in and far less error-prone than mixed boxes.

**Then enter the number of boxes**, and Amazon calculates the total units.

## **Step 3: confirm — where the errors surface**

**Amazon checks the shipment against your storage capacity limits.** Over the limit and you cannot proceed — see [**Requesting FBA Capacity**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/requesting-fba-capacity).

**It also flags hazmat requirements and missing compliance or certification.**

**Fix everything shown before continuing.** These do not resolve themselves later.

## **Step 4: ship date, mode, and carrier**

**Ship date** is when you hand the goods to the carrier, not when they arrive.

### **Small Parcel Delivery or pallets**

| | **Small Parcel (SPD)** | **Pallets** |
|---|---|---|
| **Format** | boxes only | palletised |
| **Best for** | small shipments, a few cartons | bulk volume |
| **Cost per unit** | **higher** | **lower** |
| **Check-in speed** | **fast — days** | **slow — up to two weeks** |
| **Freight** | parcel carrier, partnered or your own | LTL/FTL, usually a forwarder |

**Rule of thumb: a few boxes → SPD. Bulk inventory → pallets.**

**And use SPD deliberately as a stockout tool.** When a product is days from going dark, a small parcel shipment checked in within days can bridge the gap that a pallet shipment cannot — see [**Going Out of Stock**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/going-out-of-stock).

**Amazon then assigns the fulfilment centres**, and may split your shipment across several. That is normal, and it changes your cost.

**If you use an Amazon-partnered carrier, the shipping fees are charged to your Amazon account balance** once you proceed. **Review the estimated fees before confirming**, not after.

## **Step 5: labels**

**Print box labels. Every box must carry the correct label for its SKU.**

**Have your supplier apply them before shipping.** It is cheaper and faster than having a 3PL do it on arrival.

**Missing or wrong labels is the most common cause of check-in problems**, and it is entirely avoidable.

## **Step 6: pallets, if applicable**

**Enter the pallet count and print pallet labels.**

**Palletise in the destination country**, through your forwarder or 3PL.

**Palletising at origin wastes container space and raises your freight cost** — you are shipping air.

## **Step 7: tracking**

**Add a tracking ID for parcel shipments, or a BOL / freight reference for pallets.**

**Some marketplaces also want customs or import references** once the goods land.

**Amazon needs this to receive the shipment properly**, so accuracy matters more than it appears.

## **Seven things that cost people money here**

**Created shipments count against your capacity immediately.** **Cancel anything you are not going to send**, or it is consuming space you may need.

**Shipments expire after about 90 days.** Ship and deliver inside that window.

**Send exactly what you declared.** Mismatched units, box counts, dimensions or weights cause delays, extra fees, or refusal.

**Labels are mandatory and must be correct.**

**Monitor until check-in.** A stuck shipment is only expensive if nobody notices.

**Expect split shipments**, and factor the cost.

**Consider AWD for bulk**, where it is often cheaper than sending everything straight to FBA — see [**Is AWD Cheaper?**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/is-awd-cheaper) and [**AWD Shipping and Replenishment**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/awd-shipping-and-replenishment).

![Cover per product, and how long the inbound has](/kb-assets/shot-prod-table-6c206b.png)

**Which mode you choose is really a question about how many days of cover you have left, and that has to be current per product** — see [**Monitoring Inventory Against Sales**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/monitoring-inventory-against-sales). A pallet shipment against three weeks of cover is a stockout you have already scheduled.

## **Common mistakes**

**Ticking the partnered-carrier box** while using your own forwarder.

**Creating shipments you do not send**, and eating your own capacity.

**Sending different quantities from those declared.**

**Labelling at the 3PL** rather than at the supplier.

**Palletising at origin**, and paying to ship empty space.

**Choosing pallets when cover is short**, and going out of stock during check-in.

**Not tracking through to check-in**, so a stuck shipment surfaces weeks late.

## **Related**

- [**Requesting FBA Capacity**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/requesting-fba-capacity) — the limit this shipment is checked against.
- [**AWD Shipping and Replenishment**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/awd-shipping-and-replenishment) — the alternative route for bulk inventory.
- [**Inventory Forecasting and Purchase Orders**](https://kb.trackiq.com/hc/knowledge-base/articles/inventory-forecasting) — deciding what to send and when.