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Northern Illinois University
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Materials Management
Shipments Off Campus
Procedure No. 20-4
Issued 7/2001
  1. Any item ordered by or owned by the university which is being sent off campus via U.P.S. or contract common carrier must be accompanied by a blue shipping ticket prepared by the university's Procurement Services Department.

    2. This requirement pertains to shipments being sent for reasons which include but are not limited to the following:

    1. Items requiring repair or replacement
    2. Duplicate orders
    3. Items not ordered
    4. Items which do not meet specifications
    5. Items being exchanged
    6. Items being sent elsewhere for research, modification, or educational reasons
    7. Damaged items

  2. Shipping Tickets

    3. In order to initiate a shipping ticket, a university department must furnish the Procurement Services Department with information required. Procurement then prepares the required shipping ticket and distributes copies by e-mail as follows:

    1. One copy to the requesting department
    2. Four copies to the Stores/Receiving area.

    When the four copies are received, a pick-up authorization is given to one of the Route Drivers who will pick the item up only if both he/she and the requesting department have received copies of the shipping ticket. Route Drivers will not pick up an item to be shipped off campus unless they have a copy of the shipping ticket, nor will an item be shipped from our Central Receiving without the same ticket attached.

    It is permissible for the requesting department to deliver an item to be shipped in person to the Central Receiving area in the Dorland Building, providing that the requesting department's copy of the required shipping ticket is attached to the item to be shipped.

    Items to be shipped off campus are dispatched by either U.P.S. or contract common carrier, as soon as possible, after receipt at the Dorland Building and proper packaging and labeling.

  3. Packaging Requirements
Both U.P.S. and contract common carriers have specific requirements for packaging items before they will accept them for shipment.

Departments are asked to contact the Central Receiving Office (753-6281) before attempting to package an item to be shipped off campus. Items which are fragile, heavy, and/or bulky may require wood crating by the university Physical Plant carpenters. Arrangements for this may be made directly by the requesting department, or will be made as needed by the Receiving Office with the cost of the service charged directly back to the requesting department by the Physical Plant.