Pallet Label Generator

What Is a Pallet Label?

A pallet label — sometimes called a logistics label or license-plate label — is the placard fixed to a finished pallet so it can be identified and tracked through shipping and receiving. The 4×6″ size is the de-facto standard because it matches common thermal label stock and zebra-style printers. The most important element is the SSCC barcode, which gives the pallet a single unique identity that ties to an advance ship notice (ASN), a warehouse system, and the carrier’s tracking.

What Is an SSCC?

The Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) is an 18-digit GS1 identifier for a logistics unit. It is built from a single extension digit, your GS1 company prefix, a serial reference you assign, and a mod-10 check digit. Because the serial reference is unique per shipping unit, no two pallets ever share an SSCC — that uniqueness is what lets a receiver scan one barcode and pull up everything on the pallet. This tool calculates the check digit automatically, so a valid serial reference always produces a valid SSCC.

GS1-128 and the (00) Application Identifier

The SSCC is encoded as a GS1-128 barcode prefixed with application identifier (00), which tells any scanner the digits that follow are an SSCC. That is the format retail and grocery distribution centers expect on inbound pallets, and the same identifier appears in the EDI 856 ASN. If you build ASNs, the SSCC on the label and the SSCC in the 856 advance ship notice must match. To inspect any GS1 barcode’s application identifiers, use the GS1 Application Identifier Parser; to generate or scan other barcode symbologies, see the Barcode Explorer.

Batch Printing and Automation

Add pallets one at a time with auto-incrementing serial numbers, or paste a CSV to label a whole shipment at once, then print every label at 4×6. This tool handles ad-hoc label runs against numbers you enter. The next step — the one that removes manual keying and the chargeback risk that comes with it — is pulling pallet contents straight from your WMS or order system, assigning SSCCs from a managed serial pool, printing to the dock’s thermal printers, and emitting the matching 856 ASN in one flow. I build that loop for grocery and distribution operations. See grocery and retail services or explore system integration. Companion tools: the Pallet Pattern Generator for how cases stack on the pallet, the Bill of Lading Generator for the outbound paperwork, and the Multi-Vendor Receiving Dock Scheduler at the other end of the lane.