As a contractor or business owner, it’s important to stay organized and keep all the parts of your process running smoothly. One of the most essential parts of running a metal roofing business is getting the right materials. First, you need to find a reliable supplier. From there, you have to make sure you’re ordering what you need and, even more importantly, receiving the correct products.
Sheffield Metals International (SMI) is a leading distributor of bare metal coils and sheets. We have years of experience in the metal roofing industry and are constantly updating and optimizing our ordering process to make it as easy as possible for customers to get what they need.
In this article, we’ll walk through how to check your SMI order when you receive it, providing a step-by-step process for future orders. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better grasp of how to check your SMI order and will be more confident in getting the metal roofing products you need in the future.
1. Make Sure the Number of Skids Matches Your Bill of Lading
The first thing you’ll want to do when you receive your SMI order is to count the skids holding your products. With your shipment, you’ll also receive a receipt of what was ordered, usually given to you by the carrier.
It’s essential to read through the bill of lading and ensure it matches the number of skids you received. If you notice you’re a skid short, you can still accept the other materials if everything looks good. Just be sure to leave a note on the carrier paperwork for the other missing skids and materials.
If everything looks good, it will be time to move on to the next step, which involves checking for each individual item in your shipment.
2. Check the Packing List
Each Sheffield Metals shipment will come with an itemized packing list that outlines exactly what you should have received with your order. Be sure to locate this packing list and match each individual item to see if it’s there and in the correct quantity.
3. Check for Damage
You should also check for damage to your order. While Sheffield Metals and our carriers do their best to keep products in the best possible condition during transit, it still happens in some cases, so it’s essential to examine your order and see that everything is intact.
If you do find that an item is damaged, you can reject the shipment. Once you reject the shipment, the order will be returned to the point of origin, and Sheffield Metals can file a freight claim. Be sure to contact your Sheffield Metals representative as soon as possible to relay the situation and get your replacement material sent promptly.
If the materials are usable, but there are still signs of damage, take as many pictures as possible and note the damage on your paperwork. You can still accept the materials if you think they’re usable, but you must note on the bill of lading paperwork that you’re accepting damaged materials.
The more photos and documentation you can provide to identify damage, the easier it will be for Sheffield Metals to file a claim with the freight company for those materials.
4. Compare Tag Numbers
Find the tag numbers on your coils, sheets, and metal roofing accessories and match them to the numbers on your packing list. These tags will help ensure you get the exact items you ordered.
5. Confirm Item Details
Aside from ensuring you received the right items and quantity, you should also check for the specific details of each item. This may differ by which products you’re ordering, but here are some standard specifics to look for in your SMI order:
- Color: Sheffield Metals has dozens of shades on their color palette so be sure the one you ordered matches the one you received.
- Gauge: For coils, be sure you received the correct gauge for your metal roofing project.
- Substrate: Check substrate specifics at delivery to avoid any complications later on.
If everything looks good, you can move on to opening up the sheet skid.
6. Open Sheet Skid and Confirm Piece Count
Once you’ve made sure that you have the proper skid count and your items are all there, you can open up the sheet skid and look at all of the details of the products you ordered, including:
- Quantity
- Gauge of Material
- Sheet Width
- Sheet Length
- Bill of Lading
- Film on Sheet
There are many pieces to look at when it comes to metal roofing orders, especially if you have additional accessories. Be sure to check the inside of the coil when you’re looking for smaller items – typically, we’ll place these products in the center of the coil to conserve space during delivery.
If you notice that a smaller item such as a bag of clips is missing, contact Sheffield Metals — we may be able to two-day or even overnight ship your item to you.
How Does Sheffield Metals Protect Orders?
Sheffield Metals utilizes several techniques to retain product quality and keep orders protected:
- Extra banding: Sheffield Metals adds banding to coils to keep them secure as they travel from location to location.
- Heavy-duty skids: Robust skids with cardboard and metal edge guards help keep products safe during transit.
- Wax paper: This material helps defend coils from any moisture on a skid.
- Tarps: Every Sheffield Metals shipment is tarped to protect it from weather damage.
- Insurance: Some of our carriers offer insurance, which we use for some of our larger items. If a customer finds an item damaged, Sheffield Metals can file a claim and get reimbursed.
Sheffield Metals takes extra care to deliver items in the proper condition so that you can complete your metal roofing projects efficiently.
Confidently Complete Your Order From Sheffield Metals Today!
In this article, we’ve run through all the steps you should take when you receive your SMI order. Following these steps will help you get your desired products and can help keep your metal roofing projects on the correct timeline. After reading, you should have a better idea of what to do when you get your order and have more confidence in the process.
Now, you could be looking for the right products for your metal roofing project. At Sheffield Metals, we have plenty of items in stock, including metal coils and sheets and other metal roofing accessories.
If you’re looking for high-quality, durable metal roofing products, Sheffield Metals is here to help. Reach out to our expert team to find what you need today.
