PRO number
A PRO number is the tracking and freight-bill number a carrier assigns to a shipment, mainly in LTL, printed as a barcode label on the bill of lading and on the freight itself.
What is PRO number?
An LTL shipment passes through several terminals and trucks before it is delivered, alongside freight from many other shippers. The PRO number is how the carrier keeps it identified the whole way: every scan at pickup, cross-dock, linehaul and delivery is recorded against it, and the carrier’s freight bill (invoice) is issued under it. Shippers and consignees use it to track the shipment on the carrier’s website and to reference it in any claim.
Usually the carrier supplies PRO labels to regular shippers in advance, or the driver applies one at pickup. One label goes on the bill of lading and matching labels go on each handling unit. On the standard GS1/VICS bill of lading, the PRO number is a required field for LTL shipments.
A PRO number is only unique within one carrier, so it is normally used together with the carrier’s SCAC: the Standard Carrier Alpha Code, a two-to-four-letter identifier assigned by NMFTA and used in EDI messages. Together they identify a shipment across systems, which is how shipment status reaches a shipper’s or broker’s TMS through EDI or an API. Transportial stores carrier references like these on the order and keeps them available for track and trace.
The free bill of lading generator has a PRO number field, so the carrier’s label number goes straight onto the BOL.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PRO number the same as the bill of lading number?
No. The BOL number is assigned by the shipper (on the GS1 standard BOL it is a 17-digit number); the PRO number is assigned by the carrier. The GS1 guideline says the BOL number must not be the same as the PRO number.
Where do I find the PRO number?
On the barcode label attached to the bill of lading and to the freight, on the carrier’s freight bill, and usually in the pickup or shipment confirmation from the carrier or broker.
Do full truckload shipments have a PRO number?
Many truckload carriers also assign a PRO or load number for billing and tracking, but the term is most associated with LTL, where the number follows the shipment through the carrier’s terminal network. On a truckload BOL, the trailer and seal numbers carry more weight.
What is a SCAC code?
The Standard Carrier Alpha Code: a unique two-to-four-letter code NMFTA assigns to a transportation company. It appears on bills of lading and in EDI messages, and together with the PRO number it identifies a shipment and its carrier.
See PRO number in a real TMS
Transportial puts these concepts to work in one operational platform — planning, tracking, documents, and finance.