By Bernardo Campelo — Forbes Business Council E-Commerce Leader, Amazon SPN Certified provider, Amazon SP-API authorized partner, and Founder of PrepVia.
The most common message I get from a seller mid-freight is some version of three words. Where is it. Their pallets left the dock days ago, the tracking has not moved, and Seller Central is a blank wall. Freight is not parcel. It does not get scanned every hundred miles, and that silence is where the panic lives.
I have talked enough sellers off this ledge to know the problem is almost never a lost shipment. It is a misunderstanding of how LTL freight reports, plus not knowing where to look. So let me show you exactly how to track an LTL shipment into Amazon, where the real number lives, and why the silence is normal.
The 60-second version
LTL freight is tracked by the carrier, not by Seller Central, and the number you need is the PRO number on your bill of lading. Track it on the carrier’s site, and watch the FC delivery appointment, which is usually the real source of delay. Unlike parcel, LTL is not scanned constantly, so long stretches of ‘In Transit’ with no update are normal, not a sign your pallets are gone.
How to track an LTL shipment to Amazon
- Open Inventory → Shipments and select the LTL shipment.
- Find the PRO number on your bill of lading or in the shipment’s carrier details. It is the carrier’s freight tracking ID.
- Track on the carrier’s site with the PRO number. LTL status lives with the carrier, not Seller Central.
- Watch the delivery appointment. LTL freight needs a scheduled appointment at the FC, which is often the real source of delay.
Where to find the PRO number on your BOL
The PRO number is printed on the bill of lading, usually top-right, labeled PRO or Tracking. It is different from the Amazon shipment ID and from any reference number. When you call a carrier about a stuck load, the PRO number is what they need to find it.
Why your LTL shows ‘In Transit’ and never says ‘Delivered’
Parcel gets scanned constantly. LTL freight does not. A pallet shipment can sit at ‘In Transit’ for days with no update and then jump straight to received. That is normal for freight, not a lost shipment. If you are on Amazon Freight, the carrier code such as AMZX tracks on Amazon’s side; a third-party LTL carrier tracks on its own. The cure for the anxiety is not refreshing Seller Central. It is having the PRO number and the appointment status. For visibility on the leg before the FC, see FBA inbound shipment tracking, one of the thirteen tools every Amazon seller should expect from a prep center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the PRO number on my Amazon FBA bill of lading?
The PRO number is the carrier’s freight tracking ID, printed on the bill of lading, commonly top-right and labeled PRO or Tracking. It is separate from the Amazon FBA shipment ID. Use it to track on the carrier’s site and to reference the load when you call them.
Why does my LTL shipment to Amazon never show ‘Delivered’?
LTL freight is not scanned at every stop like parcel, so it can show ‘In Transit’ for days and then update straight to received. That is normal for pallet freight. Track the carrier directly with the PRO number and check the FC delivery-appointment status rather than waiting on Seller Central.
How is tracking LTL different from tracking a small-parcel FBA shipment?
Small parcel is scanned frequently and updates often; LTL freight is handed off in bulk and scanned rarely, so updates are sparse. LTL also requires a delivery appointment at the fulfillment center, which parcel does not, and that appointment is often where the real delay sits.
What do I do if my LTL freight is stuck with no updates?
Call the carrier with the PRO number from your bill of lading and ask for the current status and the FC delivery appointment. Most ‘stuck’ LTL shipments are simply between scans or waiting on an appointment, not lost, but the carrier, not Seller Central, is who can tell you.
