Procurement, supplier qualification and logistics · Lesson 1 of 4

Procurement, supplier qualification and logistics: principles and terminology

The chain that moves metal from a mill to a jobsite, what qualifying a supplier means, the paperwork at each station, who bears the loss in transit, and the storage and handling safety rules.

You will be able to: Describe the chain from mill to jobsite, read the words on the paperwork, say who bears the loss in transit, and state the storage and handling safety boundaries.

9 min · 8 slides · 7 questions

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Slide 1 of 8

From mill to jobsite

Sheet metal reaches a job through a chain: a mill or service center supplies the sheet, a fabricator forms it, a carrier moves it, and a receiver checks it.

Each station keeps a record, and the record is what settles an argument later. The figure shows what each station holds.

A: Mill or service center, with the mill certificate
B: AFS shop, the fabricator, with the order wording
C: Carrier, with the bill of lading
D: Receiver at a jobsite or will-call counter, with the delivery receipt

Each station holds a record. Risk of loss depends on whether a destination is named (UCC 2-509 uniform text; your state’s version governs). Bill of lading contents: 49 CFR 373.101. The AFS shop is drawn in red because it is AFS.

Sources

49 CFR 373.101 For-hire, non-exempt motor carrier bills of lading (Title 49 vol 5, Oct 1 2024) - U.S. Government Publishing Office (Code of Federal Regulations)

Glossary

Supplier qualification: Checking, before a first order and again on a schedule, that a source can meet your requirements. The federal responsibility standards are a public example of the headings to ask about.
Bill of lading: The carrier’s record of a shipment. It names the consignor and consignee, the origin and destination, the number of packages and a description of the freight.
Consignor and consignee: The consignor is the party that ships the freight and the consignee is the party it is shipped to. Both are named on the bill of lading.
Risk of loss: Which party bears the loss if goods are damaged in transit. Under the uniform text it depends on whether the contract names a destination, and the contract can change it.
Working load limit: The most load a cargo securement component may carry in normal service, usually set by its maker. The federal securement rules count tiedowns by this rating.