Disclaimer: The LPN (License Plate Number) functionality described in this article is primarily designed and most relevant for wholesale operations. The ShipHero product team is tirelessly working to make LPNs available throughout the platform in the upcoming months.
License Plate Numbers (LPNs) can be helpful for warehouse management in ShipHero. By assigning unique identifiers to your physical inventory containers (boxes, pallets, etc.), you can potentially streamline some warehouse's operations like wholesale, by providing a more organized, accurate, and efficient way to manage large volumes of inventory. This guide will walk you through some of the basics of LPNs.
This article covers:
Please Note: Users must have License Plate Numbers permissions to access this page.
Creating New LPNs
To create a new LPN, there are only a few key steps:
ShipHero auto generates the LPN label names in chronological order; you cannot create a customer naming convention for LPNs or generate them via CSV. The naming format is "LPN-(type)##". For example, a box LPN's name is formatted LPN-BO15 and a pallet LPN's name is formatted LPN-PA15.
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Go to the LPN page. To navigate to this page manually, go to shipping.shiphero.com, open the Inventory & Locations menu and select LPNs from the options.
1a. Manual Naviation to LPN page pt1. 1b. Manual Naviation to LPN page pt1. -
If this is the first time you are creating LPNs Select the Create LPN inthe center of the page. If you already have some LPNs created the Create LPN button is located in the top right-hand corner of the page.
2a. Initial Creation of LPNs 2b. Creating Additional LPNs - In the pop-up window:
- Select the Type (Box or Pallet).
- Enter the Quantity of LPNs to create.
- Optional: Check "Print LPN labels" to generate a PDF of the labels upon creation.
- Click Create.
Bulk Managing LPNs
ShipHero WMS offers a convenient way to perform actions on multiple LPNs at once the available bulk actions include:
- Print Label: Generate a PDF of LPN labels to replace ones that have been destroyed or print them for their initial use.
- Delete: Bulk delete unused LPNs; this action cannot be undone.
To bulk manage LPNs:
- Check the box located next to each LPN. (To select all LPNs on the list check the box on the very top of the list.)
- Select the desired action.
- When deleting LPNs, you will need to confirm the Delete action or have the option to Cancel. Bulk printing LPNs automatically generates the PDF when Print Label is selected.
LPN Statuses
LPN statuses auto-update in them system based on the inventory associated with them. There are three LPN statuses available:
- Unused: no inventory and no previous history
- In-Use: has inventory currently associated
- Used: had inventory previously associated with it but none currently
Navigating the LPN Page
The LPN page is your central command center for managing all License Plate Numbers in your ShipHero account. It gives you a complete overview and control over your containerized inventory.
Here, you can:
- View all LPNs, including their location, status, and contained inventory.
- Filter and search for specific LPNs using criteria like LPN code, warehouse location, or order ID.
- Perform actions like creating new LPNs, printing new labels, or deleting unused LPNs, both individually and in bulk.
| Column | Description |
| LPN | The unique identifier code assigned to each container. This is the actual "License Plate Number." |
| Warehouse | The physical warehouse location where the LPN is stored. |
| Type | Specifies the type of container the LPN represents (e.g., "Box," "Pallet"). |
| Job | The specific operation or process that the LPN is currently linked to (e.g., "Wholesale"). |
| Order ID | A direct link to the corresponding order (if applicable), making it easy to track which orders are associated with specific containers (ie. Wholesale Orders). |
| Location | The detailed location within the warehouse (e.g., "Staging Area," "Receiving Dock"). |
| Status | Indicates the current state of the LPN (e.g., "In Use," "Used," "Unused"). |
| Inventory Units | The number of individual inventory items currently residing within the container. |
| Last Activity | The date and time of the last activity associated with the LPN, providing a timeline of its movement. |
| Print Label | The print label option gives you the opportunity to print a new label in case one needs replaced. (Option only visible when hovering over LPN line item or when multiple LPNs are selected) |
| Delete | This will fully remove the LPN from the system. Only LPNs with an Unused status can be deleted, LPNs with a Used or In-Use status cannot be deleted. (Option only visible when hovering over LPN line item or when multiple LPNs are selected) |
Viewing LPN Details
Clicking on any LPN in the list takes you to its dedicated LPN Details Page, which acts as a comprehensive file for the container, showing you everything from its current contents to its complete history within the warehouse.
The details page provides the following four key areas of information:
- Items: Displays an inventory of all the individual items currently contained within the LPN, if there are any, as well as the original location the inventory was pulled from and relevant lot information.
- Nested LPNs: Lists any smaller containers (child LPNs) that are stored inside this LPN (the parent) along with the general information of each, (name, type, original location, status, last activity, units, and if that nested LPN has other nested LPNs within it.)
- Timeline: Provides a full chronological log of activity associated with this LPN, such as when an item was added or when the LPN was moved.
- LPN Details: Offers core data points like the LPN's type, its assigned warehouse, the associated job, and any parent LPN.