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
The live freight detail lives with the carrier, and the numbers you need are on the bill of lading: the carrier PRO number for tracking and, on a partnered carrier load, the Amazon reference number. Seller Central still carries the shipment side, with updated pickup dates in the Shipping Queue and carrier events in the Track shipment and Shipment events tabs. Track the PRO number 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, which you print from the Track shipment tab or receive by email. It is the carrier’s freight tracking ID, and the assigned carrier also shows in the Tracking details step of Send to Amazon.
- Track on the carrier’s site with the PRO number. The live freight status lives with the carrier, while Seller Central shows the shipment events and the updated pickup date.
- 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 FBA shipment ID, and different again from the Amazon reference number printed on the bill of lading, which Amazon tells you to quote for pickup and delivery requests on partnered carrier loads. When you call a carrier about a stuck load, have the PRO number and, on a partnered load, that Amazon reference number.
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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 on a partnered carrier load quote the Amazon reference number from the bill of lading too, since that is the one Amazon requires for pickup and delivery requests.
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 and, on a partnered carrier load, the Amazon reference 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. The carrier has the live freight status, and Seller Central still carries the shipment side: updated pickup dates in the Shipping Queue, the Shipment events tab, and the missed pickup request if a partnered pickup never happened.
