LPN Labels for Pallets and Containers
An LPN (license plate number) label is a unique barcode placed on a pallet, carton or tote so a warehouse management system can track everything on it with one scan. Country Innovation & Supply supplies both blank LPN labels for printing on site and preprinted sequential LPN labels, shipped nationwide.
Email keaton@innovationandsupply.com or call 770-561-5285 with your number format and quantity.
What is an LPN label?
An LPN is an ID your warehouse assigns to a unit of inventory, such as a pallet, carton, tote or container. The barcode is the key, and the record in your warehouse management system (WMS) holds what is on the unit: items, quantities, lot numbers and dates. Teams also call it an LPN tag, an LPN barcode, an LPN number, a license plate label or a pallet ID label.
The label goes on at receiving. It is scanned at putaway, scanned again whenever the unit is moved or counted, and scanned at picking and shipping. One scan stands in for scanning every item on the pallet.
LPN labels vs location labels
Location labels on racks, shelves and floors mark where inventory lives, and they stay put. LPN labels mark what the inventory is, and they move with it. Most WMS putaway steps scan both: the LPN, then the location. For fixed locations, see our rack labels.
Blank LPN labels or preprinted sequential LPN labels
| Attribute | Blank LPN labels | Preprinted sequential LPN labels |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | You print the barcode on site with a thermal printer when the pallet arrives | CIS supplies rolls already printed with barcodes in number order |
| Good fit when | Your WMS generates the LPN at receiving, or you need extra data on the label | You want ready-to-apply labels and no printer step at the dock |
| What you manage | Printers, ribbons (for thermal transfer) and the number range in your software | Telling us your number format and starting number for each order |
| CIS also supplies | Thermal printers, ribbons and printer repair | Standard and custom sizes |
Many sites use both: preprinted rolls for routine receiving and blank stock for exceptions.
How to avoid duplicate LPN numbers
- Give every source of LPNs its own range or prefix: each building, each printer station and each preprinted order.
- Record the start and end number of every preprinted order, and start the next order where the last one ended.
- Do not reset the counter in label software after a reinstall or printer swap. Check the last number used first.
- Make the human-readable number match the barcode exactly, so a damaged barcode can be keyed in.
- Retire voided or spoiled labels in the WMS instead of reprinting the same number.
When CIS prints sequential LPN rolls, you give us the format and starting number for each order. Related: pre-printed serialization.
LPN vs SSCC
- An LPN is usually internal. Your warehouse picks the format, and it only has to be unique inside your system.
- An SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an 18-digit GS1 standard ID used on logistics units that move between trading partners, and retail customers often require it on shipping labels.
- Some operations use the SSCC as the LPN. Others keep an internal LPN and add an SSCC at shipping.
Materials, freezer use and placement
Materials: standard white polyolefin, permanent polyester, aggressive-adhesive polyester, and a cold temp polyolefin for freezers. Polyester prints thermal transfer with a resin ribbon, and paper stock pairs with a wax ribbon. Direct thermal stock is also available for short-term LPNs, with no ribbon needed. See blank thermal transfer labels, direct thermal labels, thermal transfer ribbons, thermal printers and printer repair.
Freezer: Freezer-grade LPN labels apply as low as -10F and hold to -65F service temperature. Freezer-grade magnets and PVC placards are available for reusable containers.
Placement: Label at least one side of the pallet. Many sites label two adjacent sides, or use a label that wraps a pallet corner so it can be scanned from either face. Keep the barcode at a consistent height. Sizes: standard and custom sizes.
What we need to quote your LPN labels
- Blank, preprinted, or both
- Label size and material, or the surface and conditions (dry, cold, freezer, outdoor yard)
- For preprinted: number format, prefix, starting number, barcode type (for example Code 128), and whether you want a human-readable line or a logo
- For blank: your printer model, print method (thermal transfer or direct thermal), core size, roll outside diameter and wind direction
- Rough quantity per order
Email keaton@innovationandsupply.com or call 770-561-5285 with your number format and quantity.
Frequently asked questions
Related: warehouse labeling, RFID labels, Contact.