Business-to-business (B2B) shipping refers to moving goods between businesses rather than directly to consumers. Because it often involves larger orders, scheduled deliveries, and more coordination than direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping, accuracy and planning are essential.
For denim brand Still Here, shipping orders to retail partners meant following detailed requirements before its jeans and other apparel ever reached the sales floor.
“When you’re dealing with major retailers, there’s a 70-page vendor guide that you have to go through,” cofounder Maurice Mosseri says on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast. “There are so many regulations and guidelines that you have to follow.”
Read on to learn about B2B shipping, including common freight methods and best practices for shipping wholesale orders.
What is B2B shipping?
Business-to-business (B2B) shipping is the part of the fulfillment process focused on transporting goods from one business to another. Common examples include manufacturers sending raw materials or finished products to corporate customers, brands selling wholesale to retailers, or distributors supplying other businesses.
Unlike direct-to-consumer shipping, which delivers products directly to individual customers, B2B shipping typically involves bulk orders and more stakeholders. It has longer planning cycles and transit times and stricter delivery requirements.
Common B2B shipping methods
B2B shipments are typically transported via freight shipping—moving goods by truck, rail, sea, or air. The B2B shipping method you choose depends on factors such as shipment size, distance, delivery timelines, and whether you’re shipping domestically or internationally.
Common shipping options include:
-
Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. Multiple shippers share space on a truck, making it a cost-effective option for smaller shipments.
-
Full truckload (FTL) shipping. A truck carries a shipment from a single business, making it ideal for large or time-sensitive orders.
-
Air freight. This involves sending goods by aircraft for faster long-distance or international deliveries.
-
Ocean freight. Goods are sent by cargo vessel, which can be cost-effective for large or heavy international shipments when delivery speed isn’t the top priority.
Some businesses choose to work with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to manage warehousing, fulfillment, and shipping. This can be useful if your business lacks the capability to handle larger complex shipments in-house.
How B2B shipping works
- Receiving and reviewing the order
- Preparing the shipment
- Meeting compliance requirements
- Arranging freight transportation
- Delivering the shipment
- Processing returns
B2B shipping requires balancing speed, accuracy, compliance, and cost. Here’s an overview of the process businesses follow when shipping orders to other businesses:
1. Receiving and reviewing the order
Once a business receives a purchase order, it confirms inventory availability, reviews the purchaser’s shipping requirements, and begins planning the shipment. Many businesses use electronic data interchange (EDI) to exchange purchase orders, invoices, advance shipping notices (ASNs), and other shipping documents. ASNs notify buyers about incoming shipments before they arrive.
Businesses using Shopify B2B can manage wholesale customers, catalogs, custom pricing, and payment terms via Shopify admin while selling through the same online store they use for D2C sales.
2. Preparing the shipment
Once an order is reviewed and confirmed, it’s time to prepare it for shipment by picking items from inventory, matching SKUs to the order, and verifying products before packing. In B2B shipments, you’re typically dealing with orders too large or heavy to move manually. Large shipments are often stacked on pallets—flat platforms that allow forklifts or pallet jacks to move goods efficiently. Pallet sizes must match the shipment’s dimensions and weight, while meeting the receiving customer’s requirements.
Maurice from Still Here recalls underestimating the scale of the company’s first major B2B order. After building a pallet of clothing in his cofounder’s parents’ garage, planning the route, and loading the truck for shipment, he understood how demanding large wholesale orders can be. As order volume grows, businesses may have a dedicated team managing these tasks in-house or partner with a 3PL provider.
3. Meeting compliance requirements
Many wholesale customers provide routing guides and vendor requirements that specify how shipments must be prepared and delivered. These guidelines can include EDI documentation, delivery windows, labeling rules, packaging specifications, and chargeback policies (which outline extra fees for failing to meet shipping standards).
Following these requirements carefully helps reduce failed deliveries by avoiding delays, rejected shipments, and financial penalties.
Some products come with extra shipping rules. Food, beverages, hazardous materials, and temperature-sensitive goods may need to meet carrier restrictions or industry regulations for packaging, labeling, and transport.
4. Arranging freight transportation
Once a shipment is packed and labeled, businesses arrange transportation by selecting a freight carrier or logistics provider, scheduling pickup, and confirming delivery appointments. Depending on the shipment’s size, destination, timeline, and budget, you may choose less-than-truckload, full truckload, air freight, or sea freight. Selecting the right freight option can reduce shipping costs while helping you meet customer delivery expectations.
Ecommerce platforms like Shopify can allow you to coordinate deliveries from a single platform. For example, you can use Shopify Shipping to compare carrier services, purchase shipping labels, and view real-time tracking updates. You can also access discounted shipping rates, which can lead to cost savings for you and your customers.
5. Delivering the shipment
Tracking and communication become the priority once the order is in transit. Sharing shipment updates and confirming delivery appointments helps ensure that the receiving business is prepared to accept the order. This is important when wholesale customers are coordinating deliveries from multiple carriers.
Missing delivery deadlines can have consequences in B2B shipping, particularly when shipments support events such as store openings or product launches. Hedley & Bennett founder Ellen Bennett recalls missing the shipping deadline for 150 aprons for a restaurant’s opening. To make things right, the company provided the entire order at no charge.
“We didn’t have the money for that, but I did it because I wanted them to know that we were taking responsibility for the mistake that we made,” she says on an episode of Shopify Masters.
6. Processing returns
Returns can be more complex in B2B shipping because they often involve multiple units, pallets, or entire wholesale orders rather than individual products. When a returned shipment arrives, inspect the inventory for damage or discrepancies before updating stock records or issuing credits or replacements.
Establish a clear returns process outlining how customers should request returns, who is responsible for return shipping, and how returned inventory will be handled. Beyond making returns easier to manage, a thoughtful returns policy also strengthens wholesale relationships. It can also help improve customer satisfaction and the customer experience, and creates a competitive advantage by reducing retailers’ risk.
For example, in an interview for the Shopify Masters podcast, Morgan Cros, founder of umbrella brand Original Duckhead, says that her company allows some retail partners to return unsold inventory through consignment agreements. This makes it less risky for them to stock the brand’s products.
B2B shipping FAQ
What makes B2B shipping different?
B2B shipping differs from direct-to-consumer shipping because it typically involves larger order volumes, more stakeholders, stricter customer requirements, and more complex logistics. Businesses often need to coordinate freight transportation, meet compliance standards, and manage detailed documentation before shipments are delivered.
What is B2B standard shipping?
B2B standard shipping generally refers to the transportation of products or goods from one business to another. Depending on the shipment’s size, destination, and delivery timeline, businesses may use full truckload (FTL) or less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, air freight, or sea freight. Some businesses outsource B2B shipping to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.
What does B2B mean in logistics?
In logistics, B2B stands for “business to business” and refers to the movement of goods between businesses rather than directly to consumers. Examples include manufacturers shipping products to retailers, wholesalers supplying distributors, or businesses fulfilling wholesale orders for commercial customers.
