A contract award from the DLA is a milestone, but the mission is only half complete until the shipment is successfully scanned into the DLA Distribution Center inventory. The key to this final hurdle is MIL-STD-129P, the standard practice for military marking.
Automation is the heartbeat of modern logistics. MIL-STD-129P mandates the use of 2D PDF417 symbols on shipping labels. This barcode contains the contract number, NSN, CAGE code, and serialization data. If your printer resolution is too low or your label stock is subpar, the scanners at the depot will fail, triggering a manual processing fee—or worse—a rejection of the entire shipment.
The Military Shipping Label (MSL) is the external face of your shipment. It must be clear, weather-resistant, and placed in the correct orientation. Crucially, if you are shipping multiple line items, each must be individually identifiable according to the specific shipping instructions in the contract award (Section D and G).
Contractors who master marking standards get paid faster. By ensuring that every container is compliant with MIL-STD-129P, you remove the friction that bottlenecks government payments. High-volume industrial players don't view marking as an afterthought; they view it as a core technical competency.