An advance shipping notice, or ASN, tells a receiver what a supplier expects to send before the goods arrive. It connects the purchase order with the planned delivery: products, quantities, handling units and arrival information. An ASN is a notice, not proof that every listed item has arrived or passed inspection.
By WTM Logistics · Practical explanation with primary-source references and clearly labelled examples
Illustrative ASN example. Addresses, quantities and identifiers shown are not actual WTM shipment details. Click the image to enlarge.
Why send information before the truck?
Receiving can prepare a location, people and equipment when it knows what is approaching. The benefit is particularly clear when several orders arrive together and their cartons look similar.
GS1 US guidance describes using a Serial Shipping Container Code with a logistics label and an advance ship notice. The connection lets a receiving business relate a physical unit to electronic information. That framework is different from assuming every delivery needs a particular electronic integration.
A small-business ASN worksheet
The following is an illustrative notice for a fictional order, not a WTM shipment record or mandatory industry message format.
Field
Example
Notice reference and version
ASN-208, version 2
Buyer purchase order
PO-481
Supplier and receiving location
Supplier A; buyer’s north receiving bay
Expected goods
60 cases of Product A; 20 cases of Product B
Physical load
Two pallets; 80 cases total
Package identifiers
Pallet A and Pallet B, or agreed logistics identifiers
Include dimensions and weight when they matter to receiving capacity. Add lot or expiry information when the buyer’s process requires it. Use an agreed format: a structured message may suit an integrated warehouse; a clear spreadsheet or email may suit a simpler operation.
Explain changes, not just the original plan
Suppose the supplier can only release 55 of the 60 Product A cases. A receiver using the original notice would expect 80 cases, while the vehicle carries 75. A revised notice should identify the changed quantity, the new total and which version supersedes the earlier one.
Do not silently change one spreadsheet while another team uses a saved copy. Preserve the notice reference, add the revision time, and send the change to the people preparing the receipt. Keep the remaining five cases associated with their backorder rather than describing them as lost in transport.
Keep four records distinct
The purchase order describes what was requested. The ASN describes the expected dispatch. The transport record follows the shipment. The goods-received record describes what the buyer actually received.
These records can agree, but agreement should be checked rather than presumed. An ASN with two pallets does not demonstrate the carrier collected two, and a two-pallet POD does not independently verify every case inside the wrapping.
Does an ASN replace a delivery appointment?
No. Describing an expected delivery is different from the receiver accepting a date, time and unloading arrangement. Connect the two explicitly.
Does WTM automatically send an ASN into every customer’s warehouse system?
This guide does not represent that integration as a standard portal feature. WTM’s Customer Portal supports shipment requests, quote decisions, tracking and available documents. Share any separate receiving-message requirement when arranging transport.
Use the WTM Customer Portal to request a shipment, review and approve the quote, pay online and follow real-time GPS tracking. Find issued BOLs, PODs, invoices and shipment history in your account. For a new invitation, email admin@wtmlogistics.com.
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