What Is Shipper Load and Count? Complete Guide for Shippers

A Bill of Lading marked Shipper Load and Count (SLC) means the carrier did not verify the shipment quantity. This shifts the burden of proof to the supplier. You can still win disputes, but you need warehouse pick records, carton-level images, and PO-level reconciliation instead of relying on the BOL alone.

What Is Shipper Load and Count?

Shipper Load and Count (SLC) is a notation on the Bill of Lading indicating that the shipper loaded the trailer, the shipper counted the cartons or units, and the carrier did not independently verify the shipment contents.

When shortages arise later, the question changes from "Did the carrier lose inventory?" to "Can the supplier prove it shipped the full quantity?" That is a harder question to answer.

Why SLC Weakens Your Bill of Lading

Usually, the BOL is one of the most trusted documents when disputing deductions until SLC comes into play. AR teams that rely on invoices, BOLs, and Proof of Delivery often find themselves unable to prove that the shortage claim is invalid.

How Retailers Use SLC To Shift Liability

SLC does not automatically make the supplier liable for shortages. It only means the carrier did not verify the shipment. The retailer still must prove that the inventory was actually missing, that the deduction amount is accurate, and that the inventory was not received under another PO, at another fulfillment center, or misallocated internally.

Many shortage deductions originate from receiving discrepancies rather than actual shipment loss.

Three Questions Every SLC Dispute Must Answer

Can you prove what entered the trailer?

This is the most important question. Evidence includes pick and pack records, carton-level scans, labels, pallet photographs, and loading videos. The more granular the evidence, the stronger the dispute.

Did the retailer receive the shipment correctly?

Shortages are not always shipment losses. Inventory can be received against the wrong PO, scanned twice, or received under the wrong pack size. Review overages on the relevant POs, inventory adjustments, and ASN receiving history before accepting a shortage deduction.

Is the shortage consistent across the entire shipment?

A shortage rarely exists in isolation. If one facility reports a shortage of 20 units and another reports an overage of 20 units, the inventory was not lost. It was received incorrectly. Review the entire PO and shipment history rather than treating deductions as independent events.

Documentation That Wins SLC Disputes

The strongest SLC disputes rely on evidence created before the truck leaves the dock. The table below outlines some strong pieces of evidence for SLC dispute resolution.

Automate Shortage Claims With iNymbus

If your team is spending hours gathering shipment records, reconciling shortage claims, and piecing together evidence across retailers, a solution that automates this process and streamlines your workflow into one tool can significantly improve recovery rates while reducing the operational burden.

Schedule a call with us to see how we help teams manage shortage claims, with or without SLC, and recover more of what they're owed.