Delivering to Amazon … the Lotus Terminals Solution!
Is there anyone who has not heard of Amazon? As of 2023, Amazon has become the world’s largest online retailer and marketplace, smart speaker provider, cloud computing service, live-streaming service, and Internet company. In fact, in 2021, it surpassed Walmart as the world’s largest retailer outside of China. More people around the globe order goods and services through Amazon than any other company. Amazon has become a global business force that cannot be ignored.
As we all know, Amazon produces few actual goods themselves but uses Amazon.com as an e-commerce platform to link a diverse set of merchants with buyers. Logistical challenges arise from the need to connect such disparate merchants with the global customer base.
To deal with this, Amazon has created an extensive supply chain consisting of cross-dock centres, fulfillment centres, sortation centres and delivery stations. These all serve a specific purpose, but it is likely the fulfillment centres that serve the most important one. Fulfillment centres, offering a service called Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), move products. A fulfillment centre does have shelves for storing goods, but the purpose of a fulfillment centre is shipping orders, not storage. Fulfillment centres worker’s process inbound inventory, pick products to fill orders, pack and label packages, and ship orders to customers. They serve as a supply chain link between manufacturing and the end consumer.
Amazon fulfillment centres have a somewhat unique delivery system to deal with the volume of goods arriving on a near constant basis. Normally, delivering to a standard warehouse or fulfillment centre simply requires contacting the receiver and making a delivery appointment that works for both the receiver and the carrier. It is a much more complicated process to do the same with an Amazon Warehouse.
As is the norm, carriers do need to make sure [we] have an accurate actual address for delivery. However, it is important to note that Amazon fulfillment centres are defined by a location code. For example, the code for the Amazon fulfillment centre in Nisku, Alberta is YEG1 and YVR1 for the centre in Delta, BC. Once you have established the Amazon fulfillment centre where the delivery needs to occur, a delivery appointment must be made. All Amazon delivery appointments must be made through Amazon Carrier Central. To make an appointment, you will need the Destination FC (e.g., YEG1), freight type (truck load or less than truck load), load type (floor loaded or palletized), if the freight is clampable, the carrier trailer number, requested deliver date, pro number (which is the FBA #), vendor (original customer), pallet count and carton and unit count. Once you have completed this, Amazon will confirm the order has been entered correctly.
It is important to note that even though an appointment has been booked, it is NOT confirmed. An Amazon fulfillment centre delivery appointment is not confirmed until an automatically generated email is received. While it is possible the email will confirm the exact delivery you requested, it is unlikely. The email will likely be for an appointment as close as possible to the one requested.
For this reason, ideally carriers book themselves. With our experience delivering to Amazon, we can assist and support merchant vendors, third-party sellers and freight forwarders and carriers with making their delivery appointment assuring the freight arrives on time, reducing costs and increasing profits. Lotus Terminals is your solution to your Amazon problems!
Ready to talk to us about your Amazon freight needs? Contact us today at [email protected] and let’s get moving!
