If you’re an Amazon seller who hasn’t yet shipped to certain Fulfillment Centers (FCs), here’s something unusual and worth acting on quickly. I recently received an email from Matthew Lee, a Business Developer at Amazon Freight, highlighting a temporary chance to redirect shipments—and I want to share it with you because it’s not something we see every day.
Right now, some Amazon FCs (like BNA6) are overloaded, facing long receiving times due to capacity constraints. Amazon Freight is offering a free redirect service to move your unshipped inbound shipments to less busy FCs (think LBE1, WBW2, or RDU4 for BNA6 shipments). This could mean faster appointment times and smoother processing for your inventory. But here’s the catch: this is likely a short-term solution (noted as active from 2/17 to 3/7, though subject to change), so it’s not something to bank on long-term.
I had some confusion in the email exchange, so let me clarify what tripped me up:
- “Free” doesn’t mean zero cost—The redirect service itself is free, but you still pay standard shipping rates to the new FC. You must use Amazon Freight (not a cheaper third-party carrier), or you’ll lose redirect privileges.
- Timing is everything—This only applies to inbound shipments you’ve created but haven’t shipped yet. If your goods are already delivered (e.g., “in receiving status”), they can’t be redirected.
- Why redirect?—Overloaded FCs like BNA6 have delayed appointments. Redirecting to a less busy site gets your products moving faster.
Note: Amazon refers to these as ‘POs’ (Purchase Orders) in their communication, but we typically call them inbound shipments.
How to Take Advantage:
- Check your unshipped inbound shipments.
- Check your emails for a communication from Amazon Freight about this redirect service—if you need to use it, you may have received details similar to mine.
- Email your Amazon Freight contact with the inbound shipment details and preferred redirect FC (from their approved list—see below for specifics).
- Book the shipment via Amazon Freight once approved.
Not registered with Amazon Freight? It’s free to sign up at freight.amazon.com—no obligation to ship unless you redirect. Matthew even shared a user guide (which I can’t attach here, but it’s worth requesting if you’re new to this).
This isn’t a standard process, and it’s a heads-up for anyone looking to optimize their FBA logistics right now. Have you run into delays at specific FCs? Let’s discuss in the comments—I’d love to hear your experiences!
Amazon Freight Inbound Shipment Redirect Pathways (Feb 17–Mar 7, 2025):
Below are the FCs eligible for redirection, grouped by region. FCs of the same color on this list can have inbound shipments combined or redirected. Redirections are processed M–F at 11:30 CT & 4:30 CT. (Note: An Excel template is required for all redirects. Check with Amazon Freight for details.)
