Shipping Records

Upon receipt of the approved Standard Form 135 (SF-135), Records Transmittal and Receipt, the IC Records Liaison should arrange for the records to be shipped to the federal records center (FRC). Shipment must take place within 90 days of receipt of the approved SF-135. If the transfer cannot be made within this time, you must notify the FRC. Unexplained delays of more than 90 days will result in the accession number being canceled and the transfer process restarted with a new accession number.

Properly Stacked Pallets

Boxes must be stacked on pallets according to the examples above. This ensures that boxes are stacked with box numbers facing outward and in reverse numerical order so that the first box of the accession is positioned on the top. A copy of the approved SF-135 and box list must be placed in the first box. Pallets should be stretch-wrapped with plastic to secure the boxes during transport.

NIH Transportation
You should use NIH Transportation to pick up boxes and deliver them to the Washington National Records Center (WNRC). The NIH Transportation Management Branch may be reached at 301-496-1546. The branch should be provided with the following information:

• Name of Staff Member Requesting Transfer
• Location of Boxes (Building/Room)
• CAN Number
• Volume of Records
• Address of WNRC:

  Washington National Records Center
  4205 Suitland Road
  Suitland, MD 20746-8001

Other Transportation Options

WNRC Pick-Up Service
Within the Washington, DC, area, WNRC trucks can pick up and deliver most shipments of 24 boxes or more. For questions about pickup service by the WNRC, call the Control Unit at 301-778-1550.

Mail and Parcel Services
You may send your office's records by mail (US Postal Service), United Parcel Service (UPS), or Federal Express (FedEx). For shipments of less than 24 boxes, this may be the most economical means of transporting the records.

Common Carriers
If you use a commercial carrier, you should ask the carrier about the freight rate for “old” office records. In addition, you should give the following commodity description on the bill of lading: “Records, office, old, in boxes, securely protected against opening in transit.” Commercial carriers should contact the WNRC 24 hours before delivery. This instruction must be noted on the bill of lading.

The FRC will not accept shipments that are improperly marked, packed, or taped, or out of numerical order. The FRC will also not accept shipments that do not match the approved SF-135 for that transfer. It is your responsibility, and not the FRC's, to pay for all original shipments as well as any additional freight charges required to return deficient shipments to your agency.

National Institutes of Health
Office of Management Assessment | Management Support | Records Management
Last Updated May 16, 2007 | Contact Us