In this article, learn about:

Essential shipping and freight planning tools for CPG suppliers

Product identification, barcoding, and sourcing resources

Retailer compliance guides and professional development platforms

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As a supplier, we know you stay busy, and there’s never enough time in the day. That’s why we’ve put together a list of free resources to help optimize your workflow. No sales gimmicks, no catches—just resources we think you might find helpful.

Essential Supply Chain Tools & Resources

To make these resources easier to navigate, we’ve organized them into common FAQs. Each section breaks down frequently asked questions and free resources to help answer them.

Note: For full transparency, we share some of our own resources throughout this list. Anything from SupplierWiki or SPS Commerce is created and offered by our team to provide reliable guides, templates, and tools specifically for CPG suppliers.

Shipping & Freight FAQs

How do I find a freight carrier?

StartupCPG maintains a comprehensive Freight Carrier database to help you find the best fit for your company. You can filter by a variety of services, such as LTL, FTL, cross-border, shipping specialty, and more.

StartupCPG has a variety of supply chain partner lists. Also check out:

StartupCPG Warehouses & 3PL Fulfillment List

StartupCPG Brokers List

StartupCPG Distributors List

How do I track my freight shipment?

Most major carriers have tracking tools on their websites:

Track J.B Hunt Shipments

Track Old Dominion Shipments

Track FedEx Shipments

Track UPS Shipments

How do I optimize my master carton size to reduce shipping costs?

The SoStocked Master Carton Calculator is a free tool designed to help Amazon suppliers determine the optimal number of units per master carton and pallet. By inputting product dimensions, carton specifications, and shipping costs, you can identify packaging configurations that minimize storage and freight expenses.

How do I know what tariffs to expect?

Project44 has a Tariff Simulator to help you calculate import costs. Simply enter your Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code, country of origin, date of entry, and shipment value to calculate the tariff to plan for.

How do I plan for cross-border shipping requirements?

Averitt offers free checklists for cross-border shipments to or from Mexico and Canada. These checklists can help you ensure your shipments meet all compliance and documentation requirements.

Where can I learn about the basics of freight shipping?

If you want a clear overview of carriers, shipping terms, and logistics best practices, SupplierWiki offers several free guides tailored for CPG suppliers:

A Supplier’s Guide to Freight, Carriers, and Logistics

Working with Distributors: Onboarding, Compliance, and Disputing Chargebacks

The Basics of Supply Chain Logistics

Product FAQs

How can I find manufacturers or suppliers for my products?

ThomasNet is a free directory of 500,000+ industrial suppliers. Whether you’re looking for parts or services, it can help you search for potential industry partners that fit your needs.

How many barcodes do I need?

The GS1 US Barcode Estimator estimates how many barcodes you’ll need based on your product variations, such as size, color, or style. This can help you plan for your current SKUs and forecast future barcode needs.

How do I calculate a check digit for a barcode?

⁠Use the GS1 Check Digit Calculator to generate a check digit for a GTIN. A check digit is calculated based on the other numbers in the barcode and ensures the integrity of the barcode.

How do I find my trading partners’ Global Location Number (GLN)?

The GS1 Global Location Number (GLN) Lookup lets you search and verify GLNs for facilities and trading partners. This ensures accurate identifiers in shipping documentation and EDI transactions.

How do I know if a product needs a new Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)?

If a product has changes, it may require a new GTIN. The GS1 GTIN Management Decision-Support Tool provides guidance on when to assign new GTINs. This helps maintain compliance and avoid disruptions in retailer systems.

Retailer FAQs

How do I find a retail buyer?

BuyerConnect, created by SupplierWiki, lists hundreds of retail buyers across Walmart, Target, and Home Depot. You can search by category, department, or title to find the buyer you’re looking for.

How do I find my retailer’s fiscal calendar?

SupplierWiki maintains retail fiscal calendars for Walmart, Target, and Kroger, so that you can plan production, promotions, and shipments around important fiscal dates and deadlines.

How do I find my retailer’s vendor guide?

SupplierWiki has an ever-growing list of Retailer Vendor Guides, covering major retailers from Amazon and Whole Foods to KeHE and Hy-Vee. These guides, created by the retailers themselves, provide onboarding instructions, compliance requirements, and operational standards to help suppliers work effectively and stay compliant.

How can I stay compliant with my retailers?

SupplierWiki offers free articles, cheat sheets, and webinars covering compliance topics, operational requirements, and deduction management across dozens of major retailers.

Supply Chain Education and Training

Continuous learning is the key to staying competitive in the CPG industry. From building expertise in retail operations to mastering compliance and logistics, these free platforms provide practical guidance and professional development opportunities for suppliers at any stage of their career.

CMKG Free Retail & CPG Skills Assessments

Online self-assessment tools for evaluating knowledge in retail and CPG operations can help you identify skill gaps and target learning in areas like category management, space management, and sales.

SBA Learning

A library of free tutorials and training modules from the U.S. Small Business Administration includes lessons on marketing, financial strategy, business partnerships, and more.

SBA Thrive

Free executive-level training program from the U.S. Small Business Administration offers mentoring, coaching, and courses for small business leaders to accelerate their growth.

SupplierWiki

Free articles, eBooks, webinars, and cheat sheets covering supply chain, retailer compliance, and deductions to help suppliers learn how to navigate retailer compliance requirements and optimize their revenue recovery.

CPG Resources Quick Reference

Resource	Category
StartupCPG Freight Carrier List	Shipping & Freight
StartupCPG Warehouses & 3PL Fulfillment List	Shipping & Freight
StartupCPG Brokers List	Shipping & Freight
StartupCPG Distributors List	Shipping & Freight
Old Dominion Freight Tracking	Shipping & Freight
J.B. Hunt Freight Tracking	Shipping & Freight
FedEx Shipment Tracking	Shipping & Freight
UPS Shipment Tracking	Shipping & Freight
SoStocked Master Carton Calculator	Shipping & Freight
Project44 Tariff Simulator	Shipping & Freight
Averitt Cross-Border Shipping Checklists	Shipping & Freight
GS1 US Barcode Estimator	Product
GS1 Check Digit Calculator	Product
GS1 Global Location Number (GLN) Lookup	Product
GS1 GTIN Management Decision-Support Tool	Product
ThomasNet Supplier Directory	Product
BuyerConnect	Retailer Resources
SupplierWiki Retail Fiscal Calendars	Retailer Resources
SupplierWiki Vendor Guides	Retailer Resources
SupplierWiki Compliance Articles	Retailer Resources
CMKG Skills Assessments	Education & Training
SBA Learning	Education & Training
SBA Thrive	Education & Training
SupplierWiki Articles, eBooks, Webinars	Education & Training

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