Resources
Shipping Note
A shipping note for sending flexo plates, inks, sleeves, or press items to South African packaging sites without mix-ups in transit.
How Shipping Note works in a dispatch week
Use this shipping note when sending plates, inks, sleeves, or press items to packaging sites in South Africa. It helps reduce transit mix-ups by recording the job reference, contents, packing method, and delivery details.
Use the Shipping Note to identify exactly what is leaving your despatch area and where it must land. Plate cylinders, mounted sleeves, ink tins, anilox parts and doctor blades need different packing details, especially when consignments move between Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. A proper note reduces mix-ups when several packaging jobs are collected on the same vehicle.
Write the note before shrink-wrap goes on the pallet or carton. Include the job reference, item count, outer packaging type and any visible condition issues such as dented tins, chipped sleeves or soft corners on a plate case. Dispatch staff can then match the paperwork to the load without opening every package again.
Despatch details that matter
A useful Shipping Note records who packed the goods, who checked them, and which site must receive them. It should also state whether the load is urgent press stock, replacement tooling or routine supply. That distinction helps the receiving team book the consignment into the right area instead of leaving it at stores with unrelated items.
Cross-check the Shipping Note against the purchase order, job card and courier waybill before handover. List any special handling needs such as keep dry, do not stack, or deliver upright if sleeves or liquid inks are inside. Name your press and the job on it, and we will put together the consumables for the run.
- Job reference and delivery site matched
- Package condition noted before collection
- Courier, driver, and waybill recorded
Checks for South African dispatch
South African consignments often move through shared depots before reaching packaging plants, so labels must stay readable after dust, tape and handling. Include suburb names and gate instructions where needed, particularly for industrial areas around Elandsfontein, Prospecton and Montague Gardens. A vague destination line can send urgent plate work to the wrong receiving bay.
Summer heat affects how inks and adhesive-backed materials travel in closed vehicles. Coastal moisture can soften cartons and inland dust can hide small label text, so outer wrapping and marker choice matter. During load-shedding periods, make sure the note is printed or written clearly enough to be checked without relying on warehouse systems alone.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
What to capture on the note
Use the Shipping Note with pallet photos, collection timing, and any packing issues already found. Keep the subject line clear about the consignment or route.
Record the sender, receiver, collection date, number of packages and a plain description of contents. Add batch numbers for inks, plate identifiers where relevant, and any shortage or damage seen before dispatch. Keep one copy with despatch records so the shipment can be traced if the receiving plant queries the load later.