Most of what a reseller sells to the government never passes through the reseller's own hands. It ships from a manufacturer's or distributor's warehouse straight to the agency. That is efficient, and it is also where deliveries go wrong, because the warehouse that packs the box has never heard of the order and the dock that receives it has never heard of the warehouse.
This guide covers what the box, the paperwork and the delivery appointment need to carry. Buyers can use it to tell receiving staff what to expect. Manufacturers and distributors can use it as a checklist for their warehouse when a government order comes in through a reseller.
Why drop-shipped boxes get refused
A federal receiving office matches an incoming delivery to an order. If it cannot make that match, the safe answer is to refuse or hold it. The usual causes:
- The packing slip shows the manufacturer's part numbers and a retail-style order number, with no government order number or line numbers.
- The box is addressed to the contracting office's mailing address or to "Accounts Payable" instead of the delivery point.
- Nobody told the facility to expect a delivery, and the site does not accept unannounced trucks.
- The shipment is one of several, and nothing on it says so.
- The order required specific marking or documentation and the warehouse did not know.
Every one of these is fixed before the box is packed. That is why a supplier's instructions to the warehouse matter as much as the order itself.
The packing slip
Receiving staff look at the slip first. For a government order, it should show:
- The government order number, exactly as it appears on the order. If the order has a contract number and a delivery or task order number, include both.
- The line numbers from the order, not just the manufacturer's part numbers. The order's line numbering is what the receiving report and the invoice will use.
- A description and quantity for each line in this box.
- The ship-to name and, if the order names one, the recipient.
- Partial shipment marking if more is coming (see partial shipments on government orders).
- A contact for questions that can be answered on the dock.
Manufacturers: your warehouse system probably prints its own slip with its own order number. That is fine, as long as the government order number and line numbers appear in a field the slip prints, such as the customer purchase order or a reference line. The reseller should tell you which values to use before the order releases. The slip also should not show what the reseller paid you.
Ship-to address versus mailing address
Federal orders usually carry more than one address. The mailing address is where the contracting office sits and where paperwork goes. The ship-to or delivery address is where the goods go. They are often different buildings, different cities, sometimes different states.
Use the delivery address in the order, exactly. Read it for building, room or dock, a suite number, and any "attention" line. If the order lists only one address, or the addresses look inconsistent, confirm before you ship. We read the delivery address back to the buyer in the order acknowledgment for this reason. It is cheaper to be corrected before shipping than after.
Delivery restrictions at secured facilities
Many federal buildings and installations do not take a delivery just because a carrier shows up. Common requirements:
- Appointments. A delivery window booked in advance, sometimes with a short lead time requirement.
- A named recipient. A person who will be there to sign, and whose name must be on the label.
- Dock hours. Receiving may run only on certain days and hours, and a truck that arrives at 4:30 may wait until tomorrow.
- Vehicle and driver screening. Some sites inspect vehicles and require driver identification at a gate before anything reaches the dock.
- Carrier limits. Some sites only accept certain delivery types, and a freight shipment may need a different appointment than a parcel.
None of this appears in a solicitation reliably. The practical answer is to ask. We raise delivery restrictions at acknowledgment: who receives, when, and what the site needs from the carrier. Then we pass those instructions to the warehouse and the carrier in writing. Buyers can speed this up by giving the supplier a receiving contact at the start.
Tracking for every shipment
Send tracking per shipment, on the day it ships. Each tracking number should be tied to the order lines in that shipment, so the buyer can see what is in transit and what is still on the way. An order that ships in three boxes from two warehouses has three tracking numbers, and the buyer should receive all three with the lines they contain.
For freight, include the carrier's appointment details if one was made. When the carrier calls the receiving office to schedule, the office should already know the call is coming.
Who bears the risk in transit
Most supply orders are delivered "F.o.b. destination," under FAR 52.247-34. Under that clause the contractor prepares the shipment, delivers it in good order to the delivery point named in the contract, is responsible for loss or damage before the consignee receives it there, and pays all charges to that point. Where the carrier is a motor carrier, delivery is to the truck tailgate at the consignee's unloading platform, with an exception for heavy or bulky freight, where the consignee unloads with help from the driver if the driver is asked. FAR 47.303-6 carries the same explanation of the delivery term. Some orders instead specify delivery inside the consignee's premises, under FAR 52.247-35, which goes further: the goods are laid down inside the doors, including to specific rooms if the order says so.
For the reseller, this means a box damaged on the truck is the reseller's problem to fix, not the agency's. For the manufacturer's warehouse, it means packing that survives the carrier, because a replacement costs more than good packaging. For the buyer, it means you should not have to chase a carrier. We cover what receiving staff should do about damage in FOB destination for receiving staff.
Marking and shipment documents the order may require
FAR 52.247-34 says the contractor packs and marks the shipment to comply with contract specifications, or, with no specifications, in line with carrier requirements. So read the order for marking. Some orders call for specific labels, bar codes, unit packaging, palletization, or a government-furnished shipping label or bill of lading. If the order asks for it, it goes on the shipment. If you are unsure whether a requirement applies, ask the contracting officer.
Department of Defense orders can be a step further. They may require specific shipment documentation and labels, and the documents may be produced through the department's own systems. The rule is simple: follow the order. Read what it asks for, and ask the contracting officer or the receiving activity if anything is unclear. Do not substitute your commercial label for a required one.
A checklist for the manufacturer's warehouse
If a reseller sends you a government order to drop ship, confirm these before you release it:
- Ship-to address, recipient name and phone, taken from the order and not from the reseller's billing record.
- The government order number and line numbers in a printed field.
- Appointment or delivery window, and who made it.
- Shipments split by line, with a separate tracking number each.
- Packing that suits the carrier and the distance.
- Any required marking, labels or documents named in the order.
- A tracking email to the reseller the day it ships.
How Lunula Supply handles it
We confirm every order line in writing, then give the shipping warehouse exact instructions: what to print on the slip, where to ship, who receives, and how to label partials. We raise dock hours and appointments with the buyer at acknowledgment, send tracking for each shipment, and keep a running order report on every award. If a delivery is refused or damaged, we fix it, because under F.o.b. destination the risk is ours.
If you need goods delivered to a federal facility, send us the requirement or see what we supply. For the full post-award checklist, read what to expect from a government supplier. Manufacturers who want to sell through a reseller can start with selling to the government through a reseller.
Frequently asked questions
What should a packing slip show for a federal drop shipment?
The government order number, the order's line numbers, a description and quantity for each line, the ship-to name, and a partial marking if more is coming. Manufacturer part numbers alone are not enough for receiving staff to match the box to the order.
Is the ship-to address the same as the mailing address on a federal order?
Often not. The mailing address is usually where the contracting office is and where paperwork goes. The ship-to or delivery address in the order is where the goods must go. Ship to that one, exactly as written.
Who pays if a drop-shipped item is damaged in transit?
Under an F.o.b. destination order, the contractor bears loss or damage before the consignee receives the goods at the delivery point, and pays the transportation charges to that point. The agency should not have to bear the cost, but check your order's terms.
Do Department of Defense orders have special shipping requirements?
They can. A DoD order may require specific shipment documentation and labels, sometimes processed through the department's own systems. Follow what the order asks for and confirm with the contracting officer if anything is unclear.
General information, not legal advice. Clause references were checked against acquisition.gov (FAC 2026-01) on the publish date. Your order's terms control, including any marking and shipment documentation it requires.