What a FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment consists of...

A FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® (IPD) shipments consists of two or more international packages destined to the same import country (same FedEx Customs Clearance facility) and same Importer of Record for final distribution to different locations within that country or to different countries within the European Union. Multi-piece shipments within an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment are not allowed (you can process more than one package to the same recipient in the same FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment, but each package is processed individually with its own tracking number and shipping label).

At the FedEx Customs Clearance facility in the destination country, the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment is processed and cleared as one shipment (all of the packages in the shipment are included on one International Air Waybill, Consolidated Commercial Invoice, and Customs Packing List). Following Customs clearance, FedEx breaks down the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment and distributes the packages to the different locations in that country. If the packages are all destined to European Union countries, they can be included in the same FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment.

Each FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment is identified by a Master Air Waybill (MAWB) tracking number. This nine-character alphanumeric ID appears on each child package label in the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment.

Freight Service

FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® has a freight option which is used when a child package exceeds 150 pounds (68 kg) - these must be skidded and shipped via FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Freight service. The rules for FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® and FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Freight shipments and the way you process them are the same unless noted otherwise.

Overnight Letter Option

If your FedEx account representative entered a FedEx Non Revenue account number in your FedEx Ship Manager® Server, you can include an Overnight Letter package with the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment. After you confirm an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment (after adding all packages to be included in the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment throughout the day), a duplicate label for each package in the shipment is printed along with the required reports for the shipment. Also, a label for the Overnight Letter package is printed. The duplicate package labels and the reports go inside the Overnight Letter package and the Overnight Letter shipping label is affixed outside of it. You give the Overnight Letter package to the FedEx driver when he or she arrives to pick up the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment. This Overnight Letter option ensures that Customs officials receive the necessary clearance information about the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment before it arrives at the Customs Clearance facility.

Destination of Child Packages

The child packages within an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment must all be destined to the same country unless they are all destined to European Union countries. See below for details...

Because of this rule, it makes sense to group child packages which are destined to countries within the European Union together into one FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment.

See this link for a listing of the countries in Europe and which are and are not part of the European Union: Countries in Europe

Processing FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipments in Parcel - Overview

When you select the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipping service to process an international shipment, you simply enter the Importer of Record code (the IOR code is linked with a Customs Clearance facility address) from your FedEx . (all IORs and corresponding Customs Clearance facility addresses must be entered into the FedEx Ship Manager® Server for use with FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipments) and supply all shipment-level detail for the shipment (Reason for Export, Term of Sale, billing account number, etc..). Each package that you process with the same IOR code is grouped into the same FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment.

Beginning a new FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment is known as opening the Master Air Waybill. The FedEx Ship Manager® Server assigns a Master Air Waybill tracking number at this point. You also supply all of the information for the first child package in the shipment when you begin a new FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment. For each child package that you process, the FedEx Ship Manager® Server assigns a unique child reference tracking number to it and prints it on the shipping label for it.

Until you confirm FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipments, you can continue to add child packages to them. After you confirm FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipments, you can no longer add child shipments to them or void child shipments from them. Before you confirm an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment, you can void individual child packages from it or you can void the entire shipment.

You can process an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment up to ten days prior to the actual shipping date (this is known as future shipping).

Close FedEx at the end of each shipping day. You should confirm or delete any open FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipments before closing FedEx at the end of the shipping day. If you do not confirm or delete open FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipments before closing FedEx at the end of the day, you will be prompted to do so during the closing process. You will not be prompted to confirm or delete open future pickup date FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipments until their pickup dates.

For step-by-step instructions, see FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution - Processing a Shipment.

Reports and Labels

When you confirm an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment, the application automatically prints all of the required reports for the shipment. The required reports include the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Consolidated Commercial Invoice, FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Packing List, FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Child Reference Number report, and FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Visa Manifest which contain the information about all of the child packages in the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment. These same reports also exist for freight-only (FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Freight service) shipments.

When you confirm an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment, the application also prints the Master Air Waybill (MAWB) label. The MAWB label displays all of the information necessary to tender the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment at the FedEx Customs Clearance facility including the total package count in the shipment. The address on the MAWB label is the address of the FedEx Customs Clearance facility. You affix the MAWB label to the master package in the shipment.

If you have the Overnight Letter option configured in your FedEx Ship Manager® Server, the duplicate child package labels and Overnight Letter label also print when you confirm an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment. You affix the Overnight Letter label to the outside of the Overnight Letter envelope.

If you are using the Overnight Letter option, all of the reports except for the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Visa Manifest go inside the Overnight Letter envelope along with the duplicate child package labels. Whether you are using the Overnight Letter option or not, you must hand the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Visa Manifest to the FedEx driver when they arrive to pick up the FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment. In both cases, the information from all the reports is uploaded to FedEx when you close FedEx at the end of the shipping day (you must close FedEx before the FedEx driver arrives to pick up shipments).

The .txt format cannot be used for FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® reports. Your FedEx account representative should make sure that TXT is not the default output format in your FedEx Ship Manager® Server. You can use either 8½ x 11 inch or A4 paper for the reports. The paper size is configured in the FedEx Ship Manager® Server.

Labels can be produced is the following formats: plain paper using a label printer, 4x6 inch thermal printer labels, or Portable Network Graphic (.png) electronic format. All FedEx labels are printed from the FedEx Ship Manager® Server.

Rules

•A FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment can have a maximum of 999 child packages

•The maximum weight of an individual child package is 150 pounds (68 kg). Packages weighing more than 150 pounds must be skidded and ship via FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Freight service (Parcel does not currently support FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Freight service). Total FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment weight is unlimited. Maximum weight per child reference number is 2,200 pounds.

•All child packages within the same FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment must have the same Master Air Waybill (MAWB) ID, Importer of Record, FedEx Customs Clearance facility, exporter, ship date, billing option (Shipper or Third Party only), currency type, and weight type (LBS or KGS).

•All child packages must be non-document packages and contain commodity information.

•The same dimension restrictions that apply to International Priority packages apply to child packages in an FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® shipment: max length 108 inches, max height 70 inches, and max length plus girth of 130 inches). Dimensional weight rating applies only at the shipment-level, not to individual child packages.

•Each child package is rated individually (each is zoned from its origin to its destination).

Accessorials allowed with FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® and FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® Freight shipments

•Alternate Return Address (applies at the shipment-level and is printed on every child package label)

•Bill Shipper

•Bill Third Party

•Inaccessible Dangerous Goods and Perishables

•Saturday Delivery (only if Saturday is a regular business day in the importing country)

•Saturday Pickup (only if Saturday is a regular business day in the exporting country)

 
Allowed only with International Priority DirectDistribution® non-freight shipments

•Dry Ice weight of 150 pounds (68 kg) or less per package

•Hold at Location