DDC Routing & Shipping Guide

5.0 Receive-Ready Trailers

5.1 Trailer Requirements – Truckload (TL) and Less‐than‐Truckload (LTL)
Questions about this section? Contact Dist_Ops_Support@bestbuy.com.
 
  • Applicable to Truckload and LTL.
    • Truckload (TL) = A loaded, over-the-road (or intermodal) trailer that retains an intact shipper-applied seal all the way through arrival inspection at the Best Buy Guard House.
    • Less-than-truckload (LTL) = Mode of transport that runs on a “hub and spoke” operational network of interconnected of terminals (as well as long-and-short haul trailers) meant to transport small freight.
  • Only Best Buy compliant trailers will be accepted. Trailers must be either Dry Vans or Containers of standard length. Refrigerated, Lowboy, Flatbed, Conestoga, Lift-Gate, or any other trailer types are not compliant and will be refused.
  • For both TL and LTL, trailers must meet the following qualifications:
    • Swing doors or Rollup doors (No lift-gates)
    • ICC Bumper Bar
    • Trailer cannot contain a pintle hook (also known as a tow or pintle hitch), or anything that will obstruct dock locks from appropriately engaging the ICC bumper.
    • Inside trailer height must be at least 100 inches
    • Trailer bed floor must be:
      • Between 46-to-52 inches high (from the ground).
      • Free of debris, damage, and no protruding nails.
  • Other than product classified as ORM-D, no hazardous material should be on a delivering trailer.
5.2 "Receive-Ready" Trailer-Loading
  • Do not ship loose floor-loaded product.
  • Shipping configuration must be either palletized or approved bundles. [Reference 4.0]
5.2.1 Product Order
  • At the tail-end of the trailer, destination (and if multi-stop delivery order) specific product must be immediately accessible for unload. If other product breaks up the continuous (destination-specific) product order, any nonaccessible product (discontinuous in order, or non-like destination top-stacking) is present, Best Buy may consider the remainder of the trailer’s contents unfit for receiving, potentially resulting in documented shortage.
  • Avoid stacking non-like-PO product on top of each other.
  • From the tail-end and up through the nose-end of the trailer, product adjacencies need to be in-order grouped:
    • First by Like-Logistical Unit (Pallets vs. Floor-loaded Bundles). If trailer is to be loaded with a mix of logistical units, load palletized product in the nose-end of the trailer and afterwards load floor-loaded bundles.
    • Next by Like-PO (Purchase Order) Number.
    • Lastly by Like-Model/UPC.
  • The two trailer-loading examples below have proper product adjacencies.

5.2.2 On-Trailer Location of Documents
  • When building Truckload trailers, and if packing slips are not at the pallet-level, Packing Slips (and applicable
    documentation) must be immediately visible at the tail-end of the trailer, with the following trailer-loading
    methodology:

  • When shipping via LTL, vendors/shippers should position all Packing Slips, at least one of the Shipping Labels, and any applicable “Mixed Pallet” placards along one of the short (40”) sides of each pallet.
  • When building LTL trailers, the (pallet-level) Packing Slips side of each pallet should face towards the tail-end of the
    trailer, with the following trailer-loading methodology:

5.2.3 Product Orientation & Spacing
  • On each pallet (or individual floor-loaded logistical unit), at least one shipping label must face towards the tail-end.
  • For floor-loaded and/or bundled product:
    • Immediate no-touch/quick-clamp product orientation needs to exist all throughout the trailer.
    • Wall-to-wall (left-to-right, and through the entire length of the trailer) loaded product must have a minimum of 3 inches of space. Without required space, undue risk of product damage and excessive labor/detention can result.
  • For palletized product:
    • Without need of repositioning, pallet-orientation must allow immediate forklift access for ease of offloading.
    • Without this, safety risk to BBY employees (manual repositioning) and undue risk of product damage is incurred.
  • Shipments may not be separated vertically by dividers.
  • Securement (such as load straps, airbags, etc.) should be made with considerations to mode of transit, navigating high-altitudes (ex: appropriateness of airbags), and specific product handling requirements. Nailing securement into the floor of a trailer is not permitted. Of note, Best Buy is not liable to return trailer securement back to vendors.
  • Required vertical trailer clearance between the product and the top of the trailer:
    • Swing Door Trailers = At least 4 inches of clearance. TVs shipments require 8 inches of clearance.
    • Roll Door Trailers = At least 10 inches of clearance.
5.2.4 Prone versus Pistol Loading
  • “Prone” loading is reserved only for refrigerators and should take place only when attempting to maximize trailer cube by top-stacking units. When doing so, proneloaded units must rest on the unit’s BACK-side and be perpendicular to the (long) length of the trailer (ex: BLUE units).
  • “Pistol” loading, where units are parallel to the (long) length of the trailer is not allowed under any circumstance (ex: ORANGE units).
  • Units resting directly on the surface of the trailer must remain upright and on the unit’s intended base.

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