SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code)

The SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an 18-digit identifier defined by the GS1 standard that assigns a unique license plate to each logistic unit: a built pallet, a master case or any grouping of products that moves as a single piece through the supply chain.

Unlike the code that identifies the product (the GTIN), the SSCC does not say "what" is inside but "which" specific unit it is. It works like a car's license plate: two pallets with the same goods have different SSCCs. By scanning that plate, each link (warehouse, carrier, customer) retrieves from a system the full contents and origin of that unit without opening it again, which makes it the foundation of the logistics traceability that Trazzo orchestrates.

The SSCC travels printed on the pallet's GS1 logistic label (in a GS1-128 barcode) and is communicated in advance in the electronic despatch advice, so the receiver knows which units to expect before the truck arrives.

How the SSCC is structured

The SSCC has a fixed structure of 18 digits and is identified on the logistic label by Application Identifier (AI) 00. Its parts are:

• Extension digit (1 digit): a value the company defines to expand its numbering capacity, with no external meaning.
• GS1 Company Prefix (7 to 10 digits): globally identifies the company that builds the logistic unit, assigned by GS1.
• Serial reference (the remaining digits): the sequential number the company assigns to each unit, guaranteeing that none is repeated.
• Check digit (1 digit): calculated with the GS1 modulo 10 algorithm, it detects scanning or typing errors.

The golden rule is uniqueness: once an SSCC has been used for a unit, it must not be reused for at least one year (in regulated chains, such as pharmaceuticals, the period is much longer). That way, scanning the plate never returns ambiguous information.

Why it matters in practice

The SSCC solves a concrete warehouse problem: moving and controlling packages without having to detail their contents every time. Instead of reading 40 cases when receiving a pallet, the operator scans a single SSCC and the system marks the whole unit as received with its declared contents. This speeds up receiving, reduces counting errors and enables automatic matching between what was shipped and what arrived.

It is also the backbone of the despatch advice (in EDI, the DESADV or ASN message): the supplier sends in advance the list of SSCCs traveling on the truck and what each one contains. When the unit arrives, the receiver only confirms plates. Large retail chains in Argentina and the region (supermarkets, wholesalers) require this flow from their suppliers precisely to speed up unloading and reconciliation.

A concrete example (Latin America)

A consumer goods company in Buenos Aires builds a pallet with 48 cases of a single SKU to ship to a distribution center. Its WMS generates an SSCC, prints it on the pallet's logistic label and records which cases (with their lot and expiration date) were linked to that plate. The truck leaves and the system triggers the despatch advice with that SSCC. At the customer's DC, the receiver scans the label once: the system recognizes the complete pallet, adds it to stock and, if there is a product recall later on, it is enough to know which SSCC a lot belonged to in order to locate exactly which pallets were shipped and to whom.

SSCC versus GTIN: do not confuse them

This is the most common mistake. The GTIN identifies the product type (every 1.5 L soda bottle shares the same GTIN); the SSCC identifies a specific, unique logistic unit. They complement each other, they do not compete.

Common implementation mistakes

• Reusing the number too soon: it produces ambiguous reads and breaks traceability. The sequence must respect the non-reuse period.
• Printing the label without AI (00): without the application identifier, the scanner does not interpret the 18 digits as an SSCC.
• Calculating the check digit incorrectly: it invalidates the read; it must always be generated with the GS1 algorithm.
• Not linking the SSCC to its contents in the system: an "orphan" SSCC, with no associated data, adds nothing; the value lies in the database behind it.

All in all, the SSCC is the piece that connects the physical world of the pallet with the data world of the supply chain: a simple license plate that, well managed, makes logistics fast, auditable and error-proof.