A UCC 128 label is the shipping label a retailer's routing guide asks for on every carton and pallet: an SSCC in a GS1-128 barcode at the bottom, with ship-from, ship-to, purchase order and carrier information above it. This guide covers what the EDI desk needs, then the part EDI vendors skip: how the label gets printed and put on a case or pallet moving down a line.
Marapack Services is the Pacific Northwest distributor for Altech labeling systems. We specify, supply, install and service the print and apply heads and pallet labelers that apply these labels, anywhere in the US.
Want shipping labels applied by a machine instead of a person? Book an equipment audit and we will look at the cartons, the pallets and the data behind them.
Facts checked October 6, 2026 against GS1, Walmart and a retailer routing guide, linked where used.
What is a UCC 128 label?
A UCC-128 label is a carton or pallet shipping label built around a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC), an 18 digit number that identifies one logistic unit, encoded with AI (00) in a GS1-128 barcode. Many retailers require it so their receiving dock can scan the unit and match it to the ship notice sent by EDI.
GS1's Logistic Label Guideline (Release 1.3, 2019) is direct: "The SSCC is the single mandatory element for all GS1 Logistic Labels." Everything else is there because a trading partner asks for it. GS1 US notes on its SSCC page that "many major retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kroger, etc.) and logistics partners require the use of the SSCCs."
Why it is called UCC-128, and what GS1-128 means
The UCC in the name is the Uniform Code Council, which GS1's historical timeline records as administrator of the U.P.C. barcode from 1974. The GS1 General Specifications (section 1.1.1) record that in February 2005 GS1 was launched as the successor to the organizations previously known as EAN and UCC. The symbology GS1 specifies today is GS1-128, "a subset of the Code 128 barcode symbology."
Routing guides and ERP menus still say UCC-128, and mean an SSCC in a GS1-128 barcode plus the buyer's layout. The barcode itself (Application Identifiers, data order, size, print grade) is in our GS1-128 and SSCC guide; this page covers the label as a whole.
What goes on a UCC 128 shipping label?
The SSCC barcode is the only element GS1 makes mandatory. Above it, a routing guide label typically carries ship-from and ship-to addresses, the ship-to postal code as text and barcode, carrier and bill of lading details, the purchase order number, the carton count and the contents. The retailer's guide decides which it requires and where each goes.
GS1 groups the information into up to three segments, generally carrier, customer and supplier from top to bottom, each holding what is known at a different moment:
| Segment | What it typically holds (GS1 guideline, section 2.3) | Known when |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier | Ship-to postal code, AI (420); consignment number, AI (401); carrier routing | At shipment |
| Customer | Ship-to location, purchase order number (AI (400) if barcoded), customer routing | At order processing |
| Supplier | The SSCC, the GTIN if used, dates, lot or batch | At packing |
A routing guide fixes the layout. The Super Shoes SSCC-18 / UCC-128 Carton Label, for example, is 4 x 6 in, with zones for both addresses, the ship-to postal code with its (420) barcode, carrier and bill of lading, carton count, contents (PO, SKU, quantity), a mark-for location for cross-dock shipments, and the SSCC-18 barcode at the bottom. Each retailer's guide wins over any general description.
For a plant, what matters is that the carton count and the SSCC change on every unit, so the full label is printed one unit at a time.
How does a UCC-128 label connect to EDI and the ASN?
The SSCC on the label links the physical carton or pallet to the advance ship notice, the EDI 856. The notice lists each SSCC and what it contains. The receiver scans the label at the dock, matches it to the notice and, depending on the agreement, can accept the unit without breaking it down.
So "EDI labels" are labels whose SSCC also travels in the electronic ship notice. GS1's guideline sets the order: SSCCs come from the WMS or ERP, the label is printed and attached, only loaded pallets are scanned, and the notice goes out "upon staging / loading of the goods", listing for each unit "the SSCC and the contained trade items."
The weak point is physical: a label on the wrong pallet, or never applied, makes a ship notice that does not match the truck. For food suppliers, Walmart's food traceability requirements say "All shipping labels must contain an SSCC-18 barcode at the pallet level that is linked to an Advance Ship Notice (ASN)" and that Walmart "may choose to hold or reject freight and levy penalties for insufficient traceability information."
The right label on the right unit is an equipment question as much as a data one. Request an equipment audit to look at both.
Where does a UCC-128 label go on a carton and a pallet?
On a pallet, GS1 places the barcode 16 to 32 in (400 to 800 mm) from the base, at least 2 in (50 mm) from any vertical edge, with the same label recommended on two sides. On a carton, the barcode bottom targets 1.25 in (32 mm) from the base, at least 0.75 in (19 mm) from a vertical edge.
The guideline also names two common sizes: a compact A6 or 4 x 6 in label for the SSCC alone or with limited data, and a large A5 or 6 x 8 in label when trade item data is added, with pallets as its example. Separate segments stack vertically with the SSCC segment at the bottom, and a carrier label added later goes adjacent to, preferably above, the existing one.
That is why placement belongs to a machine on a busy line: a fixed applicator is set to the height once.
How do you print and apply UCC-128 labels on a moving line?
Cartons are labeled by a print and apply head beside or above the conveyor, which prints each label from the data it is sent and applies it as the case passes. Pallets are labeled by a pallet labeler at a fixed station or a robotic arm, which prints a large label and places it on one or more faces.
GS1 (section 9.2) describes three ways a label reaches a unit:
- A pre-printed SSCC-only label, "a good option when there is no print and apply capability". Cheapest to start; a person with a scanner still ties it to the contents.
- A production label, printed and applied when the pallet is built: what an end of line pallet labeler produces.
- A picked pallet label, printed and applied when the pallet is picked for a customer, the case on our 3PL and warehouse labeling page.
What we supply, with Altech's published figures (depending on label size and applicator):
- Cases and cartons: the ALcode print and apply head, up to 100 labels a minute for 24/7 line critical work, or the economical ALcode LT at up to 40 a minute. Both use thermal transfer print engines.
- Pallets: the ALcode P pallet labeler prints A5 labels (148 x 210 mm) as standard, at up to 180 pallets an hour on one face and 120 on two.
- Several faces of a stationary load: the ALrobot, a four axis robotic pallet labeling arm working within a 1100 mm radius.
- The applicator: tamp, tamp blow, air blow or rotary arm, chosen on the surface and spacing (see carton labeling machines), plus large format tamp applicators at 500, 750 and 1000 mm.
- An optional camera that reads the printed code after printing, quoted as equipment with the machine.
The full ranges: print and apply labeling machines and pallet labeling systems.
Where does the data for a UCC-128 label come from?
From your systems, not the labeler. GS1 says SSCCs should be generated by the warehouse management system or ERP, using the shipper's own GS1 Company Prefix. The print and apply machine receives the finished label content over its data interface as the unit arrives, then prints and applies it.
Altech's interface options cover Ethernet, RS232C, USB, RS422 and RS485, and wireless LAN. The work is a format that matches the routing guide and content that belongs to the unit in front of the head. We specify and configure the label format and data connection during commissioning and test against your routing guide label.
One GS1 warning for whoever owns EDI: SSCCs from a cloud label service usually come from the provider's own company prefix, which "may lead to weaker traceability and is an incorrect use of the GS1 standards."
We do not sell EDI, ERP, WMS or label design software, and we do not issue SSCCs. If the SSCC and contents come from a person typing, the project is a data project first, and we will say so. Schedule a line walk to find out.
What goes wrong with UCC-128 labels on a line?
The common failures are physical: the right label on the wrong unit, a wrinkled label, a label at the wrong height or face, a label hidden under wrap, or print a scanner rejects because the printer, ribbon or stock has drifted. GS1's guideline itself lists wrinkling, incorrect placement and obscured labels as the common problems.
- Wrong label, wrong unit. GS1 suggests printing one label at a time per unit when labels are not attached automatically. A print and apply head prints the label for the unit in front of it.
- Wrinkles and lifting. Often a sign the applicator does not suit the surface.
- Hidden under the wrap. GS1 names over-wrapping as a placement problem; where the line allows, label after the wrap.
- Print a scanner rejects. GS1 recommends black on white, warns against material that changes color with heat or sunlight and inks that smudge, and says the printer should be checked, serviced and calibrated regularly. That is labeler service, which we do on Altech, Label-Aire 3100 applicators and 5100 systems, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It equipment.
We are not a barcode grading lab; grading is explained in our GS1-128 guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a UCC-128 label the same as a GS1-128 label? In practice, yes. UCC-128 is the older name routing guides still use, and GS1-128 is the barcode GS1 specifies today. A UCC-128 label is an SSCC in a GS1-128 barcode plus the retailer's layout.
What is a UCC sticker? In shipping, it is usually shorthand for a UCC-128 carton or pallet label. If a buyer asks for one, ask for their routing guide, because the layout is theirs.
Who assigns the SSCC on a UCC-128 label? The company that builds the logistic unit, from its own GS1 Company Prefix, generated by its WMS or ERP. We do not issue SSCCs and neither does any equipment vendor.
Can a print and apply machine print a different UCC-128 label for every carton? Yes. It prints whatever content your system sends for each unit, which is what a unique SSCC on every carton requires.
How much does a UCC-128 print and apply system cost? It depends on cases or pallets or both, label size, print engine, applicator, number of faces and the data integration. We quote itemized after walking the line, because a figure given before that is for a different system.
Can you add UCC-128 labeling to an existing line? Frequently. The limits are space at the labeling point, how steady the load is there, and where the data comes from; the line walk measures all three.
Talk to us about applying the label
Tell us the routing guide you ship to, your cartons and pallets, and what system holds the SSCC today. We will tell you whether the answer is a print and apply head, a pallet labeler, or a data fix first. Call 253-709-5566 or book a labeling line audit.