Fillable shipping document
Free Container Packing List Template
Allocate packages and cargo rows to container and seal numbers with gross weight and CBM totals.
A container-level packing list for FCL or multi-container shipments and loading-plan reconciliation.
Authority and use
Container, seal, package, weight and VGM details must agree with the physical stuffing record, shipping instructions and carrier documents.
Container Allocation and Cargo
Add one row per item, package group or container as appropriate.
Calculated row amount: 0 · calculated CBM: 0
Short answer
What a container packing list adds
A container packing list allocates every package and cargo line to a specific container and seal number, with gross weight and CBM totalled per container as well as per shipment. It is what makes a multi-container shipment auditable: without the allocation, a customs examination of one container cannot be reconciled and a shortage cannot be attributed.
- Every package tied to a container and seal
- Gross weight and CBM per container
- Supports VGM and payload verification
- Essential for multi-container consignments
How to Prepare a Container Packing List
- 1
Fill the shipment, party and reference details.
- 2
Add cargo lines; relevant totals and CBM update automatically.
- 3
Review required fields and download PDF, XLSX or DOCX.
Why allocation matters more than totals
On a single-container shipment, a standard packing list is sufficient — everything is in the one box. The moment cargo spans two or more containers, shipment totals stop being useful, because every operational question is about a specific container.
Customs examines one container, not a shipment. A terminal weighs one container. A shortage is discovered when one container is unstuffed. A damage claim relates to the cargo in one container. A packing list that cannot say what was in which unit turns each of those into an investigation.
- A customs examination on container two needs to know what container two holds
- A VGM declaration is made per container and must reconcile with that container's cargo weight
- A payload check needs the weight loaded into each specific unit
- A short-landed or damaged container needs its own contents record for a claim
- Partial deliveries frequently move container by container
- Devanning at destination is planned from the per-container manifest
Building the allocation
The structure is a standard packing list with a container and seal column added, and totals struck at two levels. The discipline is that every row must belong to exactly one container, and that the per-container subtotals must sum to the shipment totals.
- 1Record the container number, size and type, and seal number for each unit before allocating any cargo.
- 2Validate every container number's ISO 6346 check digit — a transposed digit here disconnects the container from its own contents record.
- 3Allocate each package group to exactly one container, splitting a group across rows if it spans units rather than assigning it to both.
- 4Enter contents, quantity, net and gross weight and dimensions per row as on a standard packing list.
- 5Strike a subtotal per container for packages, gross weight and CBM.
- 6Check each container's gross weight against its payload capacity, and against the tare stencilled on the door.
- 7Confirm the container subtotals sum to the shipment totals, and that those match the commercial invoice quantities.
- 8Reconcile the per-container gross weights against the VGM figures once weighing is complete.
Seal numbers are evidence, not decoration
The seal number recorded at stuffing is what proves the container was not opened in transit. It must match the physical seal, appear on the Bill of Lading, and be checked at delivery. A seal number recorded incorrectly, or recorded from the seal bag rather than the fitted seal, destroys the evidential chain exactly when you need it — after a loss.
Checking weight against capacity
A container packing list is the first place a weight problem becomes visible, and catching it here is enormously cheaper than catching it at the terminal weighbridge or, worse, at a road weight check.
Two limits apply and both are hard. Payload is the container's maximum gross weight minus its actual tare, and it is stencilled on the door. Road weight limits apply on the land legs at both ends and are frequently lower than the container's own rating, particularly in jurisdictions with strict axle-weight enforcement.
| Equipment | Typical tare | Typical payload | Weight-limited above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft general purpose | ≈ 2,200 kg | ≈ 28,200 kg | ≈ 850 kg per CBM |
| 40ft general purpose | ≈ 3,800 kg | ≈ 26,600 kg | ≈ 395 kg per CBM |
| 40ft high cube | ≈ 3,900 kg | ≈ 26,400 kg | ≈ 345 kg per CBM |
| 45ft high cube | ≈ 4,800 kg | ≈ 27,700 kg | ≈ 320 kg per CBM |
Take the tare and maximum gross weight from the specific container's door markings rather than from any table. Road weight limits at origin and destination may be materially lower.
The container packing list and Verified Gross Mass
VGM is a separate legal declaration made per container, and it must be obtained by weighing rather than calculating from a specification. But the container packing list is the cross-check: your declared cargo weight plus the stencilled tare should approximate the weighed VGM closely.
When they diverge materially, something is wrong and it is worth finding out what before the container ships. Common causes are dunnage and packaging omitted from the packing list, a generic tare figure used instead of the actual one, cargo loaded that was not on the list, or — occasionally — cargo missing that was.
Reconciling with the Bill of Lading
The Bill of Lading repeats the container and seal numbers, the packages and the gross weight per container. Those figures come from your shipping instructions, which come from this list. A mismatch between the B/L and the packing list is a discrepancy customs will find and a documentary credit will reject.
- Every container on the B/L appears on the packing list, and no more
- Seal numbers match exactly, character for character
- Package counts per container agree
- Gross weight per container agrees within any tolerance the carrier applies
- The shipment totals on both documents agree
- Container size and type codes are consistent
- Marks and numbers correspond to what is on the cargo
Container Packing List FAQ
What shippers, forwarders and brokers most often ask when preparing a container packing list.
What is a container packing list?
A packing list that allocates every package and cargo line to a specific container and seal number, with gross weight and CBM totalled per container as well as for the shipment. It is the format needed whenever cargo spans more than one container, because every operational and customs question relates to a specific unit rather than to the shipment as a whole.
When do I need a container packing list rather than a standard one?
Whenever the shipment moves in more than one container. A standard packing list is fine for a single unit. From two upward, a document that cannot say what is in which container cannot support a customs examination, a shortage claim, a VGM reconciliation or a partial delivery.
Why does the seal number matter so much?
It is the evidence that the container was not opened between stuffing and delivery. It must match the physical seal, appear on the Bill of Lading, and be verified at delivery. If the seal at destination does not match the number recorded at stuffing, that is a cargo security event and it is the first thing a claims adjuster will look at.
Is a container packing list the same as a stuffing report?
They overlap heavily. A stuffing report is the warehouse's record of what was physically loaded, often with photographs and the seal fitted. A container packing list is the shipping document derived from it. Where the two exist separately, the packing list should be produced from the stuffing report rather than from the order, so it describes what was loaded rather than what was meant to be.
How do I check whether a container is overweight?
Compare the cargo gross weight allocated to that container against its payload — the maximum gross weight stencilled on the door minus that container's actual tare, also stencilled. Then check road weight limits at both origin and destination, which are frequently lower than the container's own rating and are enforced with fines and offloading rather than warnings.
Does the container packing list replace the VGM declaration?
No. VGM is a separate legal declaration under SOLAS, made per container and obtained by weighing rather than calculation. The packing list is the cross-check: cargo weight plus stencilled tare should approximate the weighed VGM closely. A material divergence means something was loaded, omitted or mis-weighed, and it is worth resolving before the container ships.
Can one package group span two containers?
Yes, but split it across rows rather than assigning the group to both. A row that says '80 cartons in containers A and B' cannot support an examination of either. Split it into '48 cartons in container A' and '32 cartons in container B', with the weights and volumes divided accordingly.
What should the container numbers be checked against?
Their own ISO 6346 check digits first, which catches transcription errors immediately, then against the equipment interchange receipt and the carrier's booking. A container number wrong on the packing list disconnects that unit's cargo record from every downstream system, and the error typically surfaces at destination when it is most expensive.
Do container packing lists need dimensions per package?
Where practical, yes — they support volume verification and devanning planning. On uniform cargo, group-level dimensions are sufficient. What matters more is that the CBM allocated to each container is stated, so the load can be sanity-checked against that container's capacity.
What if the Bill of Lading shows a different weight per container?
Resolve it before the document is finalised. The B/L figures come from your shipping instructions, which should come from this list, so a difference means one of the three was edited independently. Customs compares the documents, and a documentary credit will reject a set that disagrees with itself.
Should I record the container tare on the packing list?
It is good practice. Recording the stencilled tare alongside the cargo weight makes the payload check visible on the document, gives you the figure needed for a VGM cross-check, and creates a record of which specific container was used — tares vary between boxes of the same nominal size by several hundred kilograms.
Can GainingDocx reconcile a container packing list against the B/L?
Yes. Extracting both documents for the same shipment lets the workspace compare container numbers with their check digits recomputed, seal numbers, package counts and gross weights per container, and report any unit that appears on one document but not the other, or whose figures disagree.
Which formats can I download for this Container Packing List?
You can complete the browser form and download a generated PDF. Editable XLSX and DOCX starter files are also available for offline work.
Are the details I enter uploaded?
The template form is designed to keep entries in the browser while you prepare the document. Review the finished file before sharing it with a carrier, customer, broker or authority.
Does this template replace carrier, customs or legal advice?
No. Container, seal, package, weight and VGM details must agree with the physical stuffing record, shipping instructions and carrier documents.
Related tools, templates and guides
- Export packing list templateThe case-level format this document extends with container allocation.
- Container number checkValidate every container number before it reaches a shipping document.
- Container load calculatorCheck the load against volume and payload before allocating cargo.
- Bill of Lading parserExtract the container, seal and weight detail the B/L repeats.