Shipping Procedure

Approval Date: December 20, 2004

Published Procedures of the Parent Policy

Parent Policy: Supply of Goods and Services Policy


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This procedure is governed by its parent policy. Questions regarding this procedure should be addressed to the Office of Administrative Responsibility.

Shipping Procedure

Office of Administrative Responsibility:	Supply Management Services
Approver:	Director, Supply Management Services
Scope:	Compliance with University procedure extends to all members of the University community.

Overview

Distribution Operations ships in excess of 20,000 shipments each year to Canadian, American and International destinations. Central shipping uses all major courier companies and processes these shipments continuously each day as they arrive from campus. This service is available to all faculties and departments within the University and is provided on a first come first served basis. Distribution Operations retain staff with expertise in the shipping of dangerous goods, perishable items, and international shipments. They are also available to assist in providing rates, best method of shipping and work diligently to ensure that costs are kept at a minimum.

Purpose

To provide a central shipping solution that allows shipments to be expedited from campus to Canadian, U.S. and International destinations.

To reduce traffic and congestion on campus resulting from courier companies picking up shipments from departments and faculties.

To ensure that Customs regulations are followed and the University of Alberta is compliant with the AMPS Program (Administrative Monetary Penalty System Program).

To provide the ability to track and trace shipments leaving campus.

To assist the campus community with their distribution and logistics requirements. I.e. Shipping -irregular shaped items, dangerous goods, perishable items, time sensitive shipments; while ensuring cost and time concerns are met.

To ensure that the University of Alberta is compliant with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations.

To provide expertise in all aspects of shipping items to worldwide destinations.

PROCEDURE

1. COURIER/FREIGHT

The cut-off time for same day processing of courier items arriving from the departments is 1:30 P.M. (This does not include shipments requiring special handling, e.g. Customs or dangerous goods paperwork.) After that, shipments are processed in the order that they are received.

Courier pick-up times: Loomis, Purolator, DHL, FedEx and UPS pick up daily between 2:00 and 4:00 P.M. Other couriers/carriers are called in as necessary. While every effort will be made to send the shipments out, these other carriers may not be available for same day pick-up.

Awareness of these cut-off times is extremely important to allow preparation of necessary shipping documents by Shipping and to meet courier pick-up times and courier departure connections.

2. PACKAGE REQUIREMENTS

Please ensure that each package in your shipment is securely packed and labeled with both a return and recipient’s address.

3. PACKAGE PICK-UP ARRANGEMENTS

To facilitate the handling of outbound courier items and to ensure shipment is made the same day, we suggest the following procedures:

- Ensure that your item is properly packaged and that a completed shipping form (including speed code or recipient’s account number) accompanies your shipment.

- Make the item available to Shipping as early in the day as possible.

- Use the morning mail service. Mail collected in the morning arrives in the Materials Management Building between 11:30 and 11:45 A.M., which allows time to process the item the same day.

- If items miss the morning mail pick-up, call Dispatch at (780) 492-4122 for a special pick-up, up to the 1:30 P.M. cut-off time.

- Bulk shipments require prior notification to be guaranteed same-day processing.

- One shipping form can be used for bulk shipments. Address the shipping form to “various.” Have a recipient’s address list accompany the shipping form addressed to “various” for bulk shipments other than envelopes.

If you are completing you own courier waybill please ensure that your speed code appears under “sender’s references” and that a commercial invoice (for Customs) accompanies all shipments leaving Canada that are not printed documents. For tracking purposes, retain the “Shipper’s copy” of the waybill in your office.

If the outgoing shipment has special requirements, please contact the Shipping office at (780) 492-4121.

4. DANGEROUS GOODS

Shipments containing goods regulated by the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act must be handled in accordance with the Act. Specifically, a shipper’s declaration for dangerous goods listing the contents, United Nations number, class number, packing group and quantity must accompany each shipment.

Packages containing dangerous goods must be properly addressed, correctly labeled and their contents fully documented on the shipper’s declaration prior to pick-up by Dispatch drivers. The shipping form must also be completed and accompany the dangerous goods package.

Incorrect content labels or inapplicable labels must be removed from reused cartons.

Dangerous goods shipments must not be integrated with the mail delivery system and may not be consigned via Provincial Courier. For more information call (780) 492-4121.

5. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT COURIER

The University has access to the Provincial Government Courier system, which provides a rapid delivery service to all Provincial Government departments within Edmonton, Calgary and most other Alberta centers. Mail and parcels are delivered free of charge by this service. University departments wishing to utilize this service should bundle items separately and identify these items by a label marked 'Government Courier'. The Distribution clerks will pick up the mail on their regular runs.