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Free Caterpillar SP20 shipping label generator for every pack type.
Each label gives a Caterpillar shipping pack a unique bar-coded number linking it to your advance ship notice (ASN). Open the Single Pack template and print it free.
How to print a Caterpillar SP20 label
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01
Match the template to the pack
Pick Single, Master or Mixed Pack, horizontal or portrait; version 2013 unless your site scans the 2012 PDF417.
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02
Enter order data and package IDs
Enter Caterpillar's part and P.O. numbers and your supplier code. Give each pack a new package ID; your ASN lists the top-level ones.
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03
Print at 4 × 6 in, actual size
Export the PDF at the template's size and print it at 100% to keep the 0.339 mm narrow bar.
What is a Caterpillar SP20 label?
A Caterpillar SP20 label is a shipping label bar-coded under Caterpillar Standard Practice 20 for finished material. Caterpillar's ASN guide names three kinds: for one pack, for subpacks of one part number and for mixed items. TEC-IT offers 15 templates, including three for Caterpillar Power Generation Systems.
What the 2013 Single Pack label shows
Four bands divide the label: addresses, DT code, up to four customer references, lot number and SLED date on top; then part number, quantity and country of origin; then supplier code, P.O. and EC numbers; the package ID across the bottom.
Five fields print as Code 128, 13 mm high, each led by its data identifier (DI): P, Q, V, K and 3S. Values also print in 18-point type; the caption shows the DI, as in SPLR CODE (V). The template checks none of your entries.
Why Caterpillar receiving scans the label
Per the ASN guide, each label's unique number makes the pack traceable, and Caterpillar receiving scans it to find your matching ASN data. Only high-level labels are scanned, so subpack serials under a master or mixed label should not be sent.
Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, has its own 2021 packaging manual: it requires Code 128 labels, shows a 4 × 3 in part identification label and accepts 4 × 6 in address labels. Check which document your receiving site follows.
Labels for a whole Caterpillar shipment
One label needs no account: fill in the form, set Copies and download the PDF. For a shipment, sign in for free and use a data sheet, one row per pack; a numbered sequence with your prefix fills the package IDs.
For daily deliveries, TFORMer Server takes print requests from SAP or Oracle; TFORMer Workstation prints from Excel or CSV. TEC-IT added SP20 V4.2 layouts to TFORMer in 2013; TFORMer Designer edits them, for example to add a 2D symbol.
Caterpillar SP20 at a glance
- Issuer
- Caterpillar Inc., Standard Practice 20 (finished material)
- Based on
- AIAG B-3, per Caterpillar's ASN guide
- Package ID
- 3S single, 4S master, 5S mixed (TEC-IT's templates)
- Barcodes
- Code 128; PDF417 in the 2012 and Power Generation Systems templates
- Size
- 4 × 6 in (152.4 × 101.6 mm) in TEC-IT's label-printer templates
Which label each pack needs
| Pack (Caterpillar's ASN guide) | Label | Package ID |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping pack, one part number | Shipping/part identification (Single Pack) | 3S |
| Multiple pack: subpacks of one part number | Master label, with the total quantity | 4S |
| Mixed item pack: different part numbers | Mixed load label, naming the supplier | 5S |
The guide's sketches use 4S and 5S but plain S on single packs; TEC-IT's templates print 3S there. Confirm with your Caterpillar contact.
Before the first Caterpillar shipment
- Package ID length. The 3S barcode takes 23 characters, the ASN's label serial field only 21: keep package IDs to 21.
- 2012 P.O. numbers. If a P.O. number is not 9 characters long, the 2012 templates rebuild it from its first three and last five characters. The 2013 templates print it as entered.
- Mixed packs. The horizontal Mixed Pack forms also ask for part number and quantity, which those templates do not print.
Caterpillar SP20 next to related labels
Per Caterpillar, SP20 builds on AIAG B-3; TEC-IT's AIAG B-10 templates print Code 39 with 4S and 5S serials.
TEC-IT's GM templates identify the load by a Code 128 license plate plus a 2D symbol.
TEC-IT's Ford GTL templates print mostly on A5, with a PDF417 and M for master loads.
Identifies a pallet or case by its 18-digit SSCC in GS1-128, using GS1 Application Identifiers.
What to enter in each Single Pack field
TEC-IT's template prints no field numbers; 1–13 follow the markers on the image above, band by band. Original quotes the printed caption or, for fields printed without one, the online form's name. Max. gives the characters that fit each barcode at 0.339 mm, digits only in brackets; longer values print an error box instead of bars.
| No. | Field | Caption on the label | Content | Barcode | Max. length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ship from | FROM | Your company name, street, city and ZIP code, in three lines. | — | — |
| 2 | Ship to | TO | The receiving Caterpillar facility: company, street, city and ZIP code. | — | — |
| 3 | DT code | Delivery DT Code | Printed in 16-point type under the ship-to address. The 2012 templates also put it in their PDF417, with DI 1L. | — | — |
| 4 | Customer references | Customer Reference (1) | Up to four lines at the top right, without a caption; the 2012 PDF417 adds them with DIs Z, 1Z, 2Z and 4Z. | — | — |
| 5 | Supplier lot | LOT # SPLR | Your lot or batch number; the 2012 PDF417 carries it with DI 1T, the supplier's traceability number. | — | — |
| 6 | SLED | SLED: | A date printed after SLED:, 04JAN11 in the sample; the 2012 PDF417 adds it with DI 9D. | — | — |
| 7 | Part number | PART # CUST (P) | Caterpillar's part number for the item. | Code 128 (DI P) | 13 (24) |
| 8 | Quantity | QUANTITY (Q) | Parts in the pack; on a master label, the total of its subpacks. | Code 128 (DI Q) | 6 (10) |
| 9 | Country of origin | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | Two-letter ISO 3166 country code, in 36-point type. | — | — |
| 10 | Supplier code | SPLR CODE (V) | The code Caterpillar assigned you; with the shipment ID it forms your ASN control number. | Code 128 (DI V) | 10 (18) |
| 11 | P.O. number | P.O. # (K) | Caterpillar's purchase order number. | Code 128 (DI K) | 10 (18) |
| 12 | EC number | EC # | The part's engineering change number; the 2012 PDF417 encodes it with DI 2P. | — | — |
| 13 | Package ID | PKG ID-UNIT (3S) | The pack's unique number, sent in your ASN too. Master templates print it with 4S, mixed ones with 5S. | Code 128 (DI 3S) | 23 |
Which Caterpillar template to open
The 2013 templates (SP20 V4.2) print Code 128 only; the 2012 ones (V4.0) add a PDF417 that repeats the data with their DIs. All are 4 × 6 in except the three A4 laser layouts, which the label service does not offer yet.
| Template | Size | Use | Open in the generator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat - Single Pack Label SP20 V4.2 - 2013 | 4x6in, landscape | 2013, horizontal: one pack of one part number, with five Code 128 barcodes and package ID 3S. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Master Pack Label SP20 V4.2 - 2013 | 4x6in, landscape | 2013, horizontal: master pack over subpacks of one part number; package ID 4S and MASTER LABEL. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Mixed Pack Label SP20 V4.2 - 2013 | 4x6in, landscape | 2013, horizontal: pack of different part numbers; prints only addresses, supplier code (V), package ID (5S) and MIXED LOAD. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Single Pack Label SP20 V4.2 - 2013 Portrait | 4x6in, portrait | 2013 single pack in portrait; adds G.I. date, PSA and a small Kanban ID barcode without a DI. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Master Pack Label SP20 V4.2 - 2013 Portrait | 4x6in, portrait | 2013 master pack in portrait (4S); lot number and SLED print only when filled in. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Mixed Pack Label SP20 V4.2 - 2013 Portrait | 4x6in, portrait | 2013 mixed pack in portrait: addresses, supplier code (V), package ID (5S) and MIXED LOAD. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Single Pack Label SP20 - 2012 | 4x6in, landscape | 2012 single pack: Code 128 at 0.254 mm plus a PDF417 with lot, SLED and customer references. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Master Pack Label SP20 - 2012 | 4x6in, landscape | 2012 master pack (4S) with Code 128 at 0.254 mm and a PDF417. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Mixed Pack Label SP20 - 2012 | 4x6in, landscape | 2012 mixed pack (5S); its PDF417 holds only DT code, supplier code and package ID. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Single Pack Label SP20 - 2012 Laser | A4, portrait | 2012 single pack on A4 for laser printers; not yet available in the online generator. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Master Pack Label SP20 - 2012 Laser | A4, portrait | 2012 master pack on A4 for laser printers; not yet available in the online generator. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat - Mixed Pack Label SP20 - 2012 Laser | A4, portrait | 2012 mixed pack on A4 for laser printers; not yet available in the online generator. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat Power Generation Systems - Single Pack Label | 4x6in, landscape | Power Generation Systems single pack: project number, PTSC, serial number, description, packing code, package ID 3S, PDF417. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat Power Generation Systems - Master Pack Label | 4x6in, landscape | Power Generation Systems master pack: PTSC, quantity, packing code, P.O., package ID 4S; project number only in the PDF417. | Open in the generator › |
| Cat Power Generation Systems - Mixed Load Label | 4x6in, landscape | Power Generation Systems mixed load: P.O. and package ID 5S in Code 128; the project number only in the PDF417. | Open in the generator › |
Frequently asked questions
Learn more about Caterpillar.
What does SP20 mean on a Caterpillar label?
How does a Caterpillar label connect to the ASN?
Does a Caterpillar SP20 label need a PDF417?
What is the Caterpillar Power Generation Systems label?
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