Floor notes
Courier Notes
A practical floor note on courier notes for spares, tooling, plates, and smaller machine components.
When a machine moves, transport details matter: overall size, lifting points, loose accessories and whether it sits on a pallet or skids. Courier Notes is our note on sending workshop equipment with the right information first time.
Courier Notes is for the small items that are easy to misplace and awkward to identify once they leave Crown Mines. We record part names, counts, markings and packaging method before dispatch so spares, tooling and plates reach the right workshop with the right reference. For courier questions, quote the item description from the parcel note in the contact form.
Before a parcel leaves Crown Mines
- Consignee workshop and town recorded
- Photo taken of contents before sealing
- Part number or machine reference added
- Receiver name and switchboard number listed
Loose items that belong to a lathe, boring machine or valve grinder need their own record. Separate what is travelling loose from what stays with the main machine, especially when a chuck key, plate or cutter set must meet equipment at another workshop.
Typical consignments on this note
Courier Notes deals with smaller consignments such as spares, tooling, data plates and loose machine components. It sets out what Erin Machine Tools needs recorded before items leave Crown Mines for a customer or another workshop.
Most courier entries cover compact workshop items rather than full machines. That includes data plates, change gears, toolholders, manuals, guards, fasteners and boxed spares that can move by courier instead of crane truck. Johannesburg traffic, branch receiving hours and handover points all affect how the parcel is marked.
Weight and dimensions should be checked after packing, not guessed from the bare item on a bench. A steel component in a timber crate handles very differently from the same part wrapped in carton and bubble film. Clear labelling on the outside saves the receiver from opening three similar parcels to find one machine plate.
Information that must travel with parts
Each courier note should tie the consignment back to the machine or job it belongs to. Include any stamped number, orientation mark, mating part or fitting instruction that will matter once the parcel is opened. Small components often look interchangeable until someone tries to fit them to the wrong headstock, valve grinder or boring setup.
Before handover to the courier, count every loose item and photograph the packed consignment from more than one side. Keep the machine reference, receiver details and carton markings together in one record in case the parcel is redirected between workshops. If extra dispatch detail is needed through the contact form, send the same wording that appears on the package label.
- Packed item matched to machine reference
- Loose accessories counted before sealing
- Receiver details written for dispatch file
Dispatch conditions around Johannesburg workshops
Courier work for machine parts depends on more than the item itself. Receiving bays in industrial areas may close early, some workshops need advance notice for forklift access, and a small crate can still be refused if oil leakage is visible. Notes taken at Crown Mines should reflect the actual packed condition, not the condition before cleaning and wrapping.
Moisture protection matters when parts move to coastal areas, while inland dust makes taped openings and sealed bags more important for cleaned components. Sharp edges need proper corner protection so labels stay attached and wrapping does not tear in transit. For plates and documents, rigid backing stops bends that can make serial numbers or drilling positions hard to read.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Records for spares, plates and tooling
A practical floor note on courier notes for spares, tooling, plates, and smaller machine components.
Write the courier note while the item is still on the bench and easy to verify against the machine or stock record. That is the right moment to confirm quantity, visible condition and any marks on the part before it disappears into wrapping. Once a parcel has moved, missing detail is harder to recover than a missing bolt.