PSSC- Inventory Specifications

September, 2005

To the Publishers we serve:

Every so often we like to remind publishers about adequate preparation and identification of products being shipped into inventory at PSSC. Please pass these specifications and suggestions along to your production department and then on to your suppliers.

All books should be cartoned. If you expect to have us ship carton-sized orders of a title via USPS, UPS, FedEx etc. the cartons need be 275 test or 44 ECT single wall at a minimum. Boxes of only 200 test or 32 ECT are not strong enough.
All boxes should be packed solidly either full of books or filled-up with firm packing material so that the boxes on the bottom of a pallet do not sag or collapse under the weight of those above. Books should never be packed “on end” in cartons. Particular care needs to be taken with publications with protrusions such as tabs or wiro/GBC binding. We find frequent instances of damage when such publications are boxed standing on end.
The weight of cartons should in general not exceed 40 pounds. However printers must use common sense on the weight limits. E.G: A full carton holds 8 books but it weighs 45 pounds. DO NOT just put 7 books in the carton to get it under 40 pounds – resulting in a poorly filled carton and a weird number for calculations. The heavier carton in this situation is generally a better solution unless you frequently re-ship to foreign or domestic distributors with 40 pound limits.
All cartons must be clearly marked on at least 2 contiguous sides in letters at least ½ inch high (the bigger the better) with the following absolutely essential information (see Example 1):

Name of publisher

Title and code of publication

ISBN in both print and barcode (code 39) please leave hyphens out of the ISBN barcode

Quantity in carton in both print and barcode (code 39)

Gross weight of carton and contents

Also include, if significant,

Type of binding

Edition and/or printing

The use of barcodes with the ISBN, Quantity and Weight on the carton labels is very important to all parts of the supply chain.

Example 1

We suggest that publishers with any appreciable sales to major vendors such as Ingram Books, Barnes & Noble Dist. Center and Baker & Taylor should use the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) suggested carton labeling specifications (Appendix C, Figure C-1, )http://www.bisg.org/docs/Shipping_Label_Guidelines_04-2004.pdf . The barcodes all incorporate field identifiers that help the vendors in their automation processes. These vendors threaten non-compliance charge backs ranging from punitive to outrageous if these specifications are not used.

Example 2

Do not leave the selection of wording or numbers for the title and code up to the manufacturer. Publishers should specify on their manufacturing orders exactly the description that must be imprinted. Choose the same words and numbers that you plan to use on invoices. Manufacturers, left to their own imaginations, are endlessly inventive and frequently bizarre.

Cartons should be securely fastened to pallets (not skids) that are 48” long by 40” wide and no more than 55” high overall. All titles with multiple pallets should stack layers as close to the 55:” limit as possible, thus keeping the number of total pallets as small as possible. A high quality hardwood 4 way entry pallet is required with full sides and not EURO type corner blocks. Too many printers ship on flimsy pallets that collapse during transport or are not strong enough to suspend in warehouse racks
Extra hourly charges will be applied to shipments that come in bedloaded or that have to be stripped and re-stacked due to excess height or poor stacking from the manufacturer.
Extra charges will also be added when products come in lacking key information on the carton, such as no book code/ISBN code. The cartons will all have to be re-marked and handled to include this information.
Please be sure that all shipments are prepaid that come into PSSC. PSSC cannot accept collect freight unless specific previous arrangements have been made well in advance of receipt.