In an effort to provide more clarity into Flexport's receiving times, we are updating how we display estimated receiving times. Estimated receiving times for forwarding plans are now broken out into two categories:
- The time it takes to receive ~20%¹ of your inventory;
- The time it takes to receive the remaining ~80% of inventory
¹ Depending on your current inventory allocation, Flexport may receive more or less than 20% in the first receive.
These estimates do not account for macro disruptions, and apply only to shipments that arrive compliantly. Non-compliance will cause forwarding and receiving delays, as it requires corrective action. Check out our What is non-compliance? article for more information!
Merchants must provide a four-week rolling forecast with at least one week locked in.
All SLAs below only apply to volumes within 15% of your forecast. For volumes exceeding
15% of forecast, a custom timeline will be mutually agreed upon between Merchants and Flexport.
Dock to Stock Forwarding Plans:
- The first ~20%¹ of inventory on the shipping plan is estimated to be received between 3-4 calendar days from arrival at our crossdock
- The remaining ~80% of inventory on the shipping plan is estimated to be received between 4-11 calendar days from arrival at our crossdock.
Direct Inbound Plans:
- Inventory is estimated to be received between 1-3 calendar days from arrival at the fulfillment center
Prep:
- Prep Services will be completed within 72 business hours of arrival.
- While we accept Small Parcel Prep Inbounds for select services, we strongly advise utilizing freight for prep shipments. Due to the complexities of processing small parcel deliveries within our facilities, using a Small Parcel Carrier may result in prep delays.
- Flexport will not be liable for any prep delays that arise as a result of using small parcel carriers for prep inbounds.
Reserve (B2B) Inbound Plans:
Once the inbound shipment arrives at Flexport replenishment facilities, the following inbound SLAs apply for palletized inbounds:
- Received within 2 calendar days if they arrive prior to 12 PM (local time of site)
- Received within 3 calendar days if they arrive later than 12 PM (local time of site)
Once the inbound shipment arrives at Flexport replenishment facilities, the following inbound SLAs apply for floor loaded containers:
- Received within 3 calendar days if they arrive prior to 12 PM (local time of site)
- Received within 4 calendar days if they arrive later than 12 PM (local time of site)
Note
- If inbound shipments arrive early, ahead of their appointment schedule, the SLA will start from the appointment time. For example: If the shipment is scheduled at 1 PM but arrives at 11 AM, the SLA would start from 1 PM.
- If inbound shipments arrive later than the scheduled appointment, they will be considered a "work in" and received at the Fulfillment Center's next available appointment slot
- Containers may remain on site for up to 4 calendar days, from the time the container is dropped to empty container pickup.
Learn more in our Inbounds Help Center article
Reserve Storage to Ecomm Transfers:
- We will have your order or transfer ready to ship from our warehouse within 3 business days of the request being received as long as it is submitted by 12 pm in the timezone of the site
- For reserve storage to ecomm transfers that also require prep services, outbound processing out of reserve storage will take up to 3 days, and prep will take up to 3 additional days prior to forwarding timeline.
2025 holidays
The following list contains all holidays for our Replenishment sites. If your order or inbound is around these dates, please add an additional day to our ready to ship guarantee.
| Date | Reason |
| January 1, 2025 | New Years Day |
| May 26, 2025 | Memorial Day |
| July 4, 2025 | Independence Day |
| September 1, 2025 | Labor Day |
| November 27, 2025 | Thanksgiving |
| November 28, 2025 | Day after Thanksgiving |
| December 25, 2025 | Christmas |
Exclusions and limitations
Flexport will do its best to maintain our delivery service level; however, we may be unable to do so should there be unplanned spikes in shipping volume due to:
- “Peak Season” dates
- Warehouse holidays
- Unforeseen technical errors
- General carrier disruptions outside of Flexports control
Note: Please wait until at least 15 calendar days have passed after delivery before inquiring about your shipment with Support. SLAs only apply to volumes within 15% of your forecast.