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Packing slip generator
A packing slip is the list that travels with a shipment: who it is from, who it is for, the order and PO numbers, and what is in the boxes. Fill in the addresses and the lines, and the preview shows the slip with quantity ordered, shipped and backordered worked out for you. Download it as a PDF, Word or Excel file, or print a blank packing slip template to fill in by hand. Morsa builds the slip from the order and, at the receiving end, turns a photo of it into an ERP receipt.
Updated November 3, 2026
What is a packing slip?
A packing slip (some shops call it a packing list or delivery slip) is the document packed with an order that lists the items in it. The shipper fills it in from the sales order; the receiver uses it to check that what arrived matches what was sent. It usually carries no prices, so anyone at the dock can open it.
It is also the first record of a partial shipment. When only part of an order ships, the slip shows what shipped and what is backordered, so the customer knows the rest is coming and does not report it as a shortage.
What to include on a packing slip
These are the fields the generator above prints, in the order a receiving clerk reads them.
| Field | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ship from and ship to | Who sent it and where it goes, with a dock or door | Sample plant, Dock 2; customer, door 6 |
| Order number | How your team finds the order | SO-30915 |
| Customer PO number | How the receiver finds their purchase order | 4500-1182 |
| Packing slip number and dates | One slip per shipment when an order ships in parts | PS-24-0611, shipped Nov 2 |
| SKU or part number and description | What each line is, in words a receiver checks | CVB-200, check valve body, Rev C |
| Quantity ordered, shipped, backordered | What arrived and what is still coming | 250 ordered, 200 shipped, 50 backordered |
| Ship via and tracking or PRO number | Who carried it, to trace a missing carton | Regional LTL carrier, PRO 7741-2209 |
| Cartons, pallets and weight | What the receiver counts before signing | 12 cartons, 2 pallets, 1,180 lb |
| Notes | Backorder dates, handling, return instructions | Backorder ships next week |
| Received by, date, shortages, signature | Closes the loop at the receiving dock | Signed at door 6 |
Packing slip, packing list, bill of lading and invoice
| Document | Who it is for | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Packing slip | The customer’s receiving dock | Items and quantities shipped and backordered, no prices |
| Packing list | The carrier and, on exports, customs | Contents per carton with weights and dimensions |
| Bill of lading | The carrier | The contract of carriage: shipper, consignee, freight class, pieces, weight |
| Commercial invoice | The buyer’s accounts payable and customs | Prices, terms and what is owed |
Export shipments often carry all four. The packing slip is the one the receiver signs against.
How to fill out a packing slip
Enter ship from and ship to. Add the dock or door number, so the carrier and the receiver both find it.
Add the order number and the customer’s PO number. Receiving matches the slip to their PO, so the PO number matters most to them.
List each line with quantity ordered and shipped. Paste lines from your order or Excel: each line becomes a row and backordered is worked out.
Add the carrier, tracking number, cartons and pallets. The carton count is the first thing the receiver checks.
Note anything the receiver needs, such as when the backorder ships.
Print it and put it in a pouch on the lead carton or pallet. Keep a copy with the order.
Backorders on a packing slip
A partial shipment is where packing slips go wrong. If the slip shows only what shipped, the customer cannot tell a backorder from a shortage and calls; if it shows only what was ordered, the receiver signs for units that are not there. Print all three numbers on every line: ordered, shipped and backordered. The generator works out backordered as ordered minus shipped and never below zero, and flags a line where more shipped than was ordered.
Packing slip example
The example in the tool comes from a sample machine shop. It ships part of sales order SO-30915 against customer PO 4500-1182: 200 of 250 check valve bodies, all 120 pump shafts, 36 of 40 pump housings and 40 gasket kits, on 12 cartons and 2 pallets by regional LTL. The slip shows 54 units backordered and a note that they ship next week. Press “Start from this example” to load it and change it into your own.
Paper, spreadsheet, ERP or Morsa
A printed slip or a spreadsheet works when a few orders ship a day. The trouble is at both ends: someone retypes the order onto the slip, and at the customer someone retypes the slip into their ERP as a receipt. An ERP prints the slip from the order, but the receiving side still keys it in.
An AI system like Morsa can do both ends. Morsa builds the slip from the order in your ERP, sends it with the shipment and emails it to the customer with the tracking number. At the receiving dock, a phone photo of a supplier’s packing slip becomes the ERP receipt: Morsa reads the lines, matches them to the open PO, flags a short or wrong line and asks before it guesses. It works in WhatsApp, Teams, email or whatever your plant already runs on.
Mistakes that cause receiving disputes
No customer PO number. The receiver cannot find their order and the shipment waits on the dock.
No carton count. A lost carton is found weeks later, if ever.
Prices on the slip. They belong on the invoice, not in a box anyone can open.
One slip for several shipments. A second shipment on the same order gets its own slip, or the receiver signs for the wrong quantities.
Not signed at receiving. Without a signature and a shortage note, a later claim against the carrier is hard to prove.
Frequently asked questions
Does a packing slip show prices?
Usually not. A packing slip lists what is in the box so the receiver can count it; the prices are on the invoice, which goes to accounts payable. Leaving prices off also keeps them away from whoever opens the carton at the dock.
Is a packing slip the same as a packing list?
In everyday use, often yes. Strictly, a packing slip is the customer-facing list of items in a shipment, and a packing list is the shipping document that also gives cartons, weights and dimensions for the carrier and, on exports, for customs. This generator prints both kinds of detail: items with quantities, plus cartons, pallets and weight.
Where does the packing slip go?
Inside the shipment or in a clear pouch on the outside of the lead carton or pallet, so receiving can find it without opening every box. On a multi-pallet shipment put a copy on each pallet and write “1 of 2”, “2 of 2”.
What does backordered mean on a packing slip?
It is the quantity ordered that did not ship this time and will follow later on the same order. The generator works it out as ordered minus shipped, so the slip tells the receiver not to report the missing units as a shortage.
Who checks the packing slip at the other end?
Receiving. They count the cartons against the slip, check the items and quantities, note any shortage or damage and sign. The signed slip is what the receipt in the ERP and the match against the PO and invoice are based on.
Do imports need a packing list?
For goods entering the United States, 19 CFR 141.86(e) says each invoice must state in adequate detail what merchandise is contained in each individual package. A packing list per carton is the usual way to meet it; check with your customs broker for your shipment.
Can I make a packing slip in Excel?
Yes. The Excel download keeps the quantities as numbers, works out backordered with a formula and totals each column, so you can add lines or reuse the sheet for the next order. A blank slip also comes as Excel.
Related tools
WHERE MORSA FITS
Stop retyping packing slips at both ends.
Morsa builds the packing slip from the order, sends it with the shipment and turns the supplier’s slip into an ERP receipt from a phone photo. It works in WhatsApp, Teams, email or whatever your plant already runs on, next to your ERP.
