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Odette label generator for OTL 1 and OTL 3 transport labels.
The Odette Transport Label (OTL) identifies automotive deliveries: OTL 1 (A5) for boxes and pallets, OTL 3 (210 × 74 mm) for smaller units. Fill one in, print it free.
How to print an Odette label
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01
Pick the version and load type
Use the version your customer names, OTL 1 or OTL 3. Then choose Standard or Single for one part, Master Multiple over labeled boxes of one part, Master Mixed over mixed parts.
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02
Fill in your despatch data
Copy advice note number, part number and quantity from your despatch advice (AVIEXP or DESADV). Type each value without its data identifier (DI), such as P before the part number; the template adds it.
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03
Print at 100%
Print the PDF at 100% on white, weather-resistant stock. TEC-IT's OTL 1 narrow bars are 0.33 mm, the minimum Odette allows, so any shrinking breaks the specification.
What is an Odette label?
An Odette label is the Odette Transport Label (OTL), the barcode label on automotive parts deliveries from supplier to customer. Odette International, a pan-European platform for automotive supply-chain standards, publishes two versions. OTL 1 (Odette reference LL03) is the A5 label with Code 39. OTL 3 (LL02) is 210 × 74 mm with Code 128, for smaller units where A5 is too large. TEC-IT's templates cover both versions and every load type, plus Michelin's MP06-EU label.
What the OTL 1 template prints
The top section holds the shipping data, from receiver and dock or gate to number of boxes. Below it, the part number runs across the label in 44-point type, above quantity, supplier code, serial number and the other part data.
Seven fields also print as Code 39 barcodes, each led by its DI: N, P, Q, 30S, V, S and H. As the OTL 1 standard asks, the DI appears after the caption, such as PART NO (P), not in the readable data.
Who asks for Odette labels, and why
Volvo Group makes its transport label standard mandatory (KEP 7, September 2025) and issued its OTL 1 application in June 2026. Its 2019 OTL 3.1 subset is only for the packaging types V-EMB 500, 600, 757 and 787. At Volvo, labels feed automatic scanning and storage, so other labels must come off before despatch.
Scania's supplier portal allows a manual goods label until Scania has approved your Odette label. Röchling (December 2024) asks for Odette or VDA 4902 labels. Michelin's MP06-EU specification (2006) has handlers read the text and readers scan the barcodes, for routing and traceability.
Printing OTL labels for a whole shipment
Without an account, the generator fills in one label at a time and exports it as PDF, PNG or JPEG. For a shipment, sign in for free, enter one row per package in a data sheet, fill the serial numbers with a sequence and export the rows together.
In series supply, print from the records behind your despatch advice, since Volvo wants both to match. SAP or Oracle can send print requests to TFORMer Server, and TFORMer Workstation reads Excel or CSV lists. TFORMer Designer includes the Odette layouts to adapt, for example to print OTL 1 captions in your own language.
Odette label at a glance
- Issuer
- Odette International, London
- OTL 1
- LL03 1.4.1 (2007): A5, Code 39
- OTL 3
- LL02 3.1 (2005): 210 × 74 mm, Code 128B
- Narrow bar
- 0.33–0.43 mm (OTL 1), 0.33–0.38 mm (OTL 3)
- Serial number
- S, M or G + up to 9 digits
- License plate
- OTL 3 option, DI 1J, 5J or 6J
S, M or G: matching the template to the load
Choose the template by what the unit holds; its serial number DI tells the receiver which case applies. In Volvo's example, 16 S-labeled boxes of 42 pieces sit under one M label for 672 pieces.
| What the unit holds | Template | DI | On the label |
|---|---|---|---|
| A box, or a one-part unit whose packages have no label of their own | Standard / Master (OTL 1), Single / Master (OTL 3) | S | All fields |
| Labeled packages of one part | Master Multiple | M | Total quantity |
| Labeled packages of different parts | Master Mixed | G | No part number or quantity |
For mixed units, the OTL 3 standard also forbids net weight, description, batch and engineering change: leave them empty.
What the license plate and L3P versions change
Plain OTL 3 templates print a label number, which the OTL 3 standard makes unique for a year in your own system. License-plate versions print an ISO/IEC 15459 ID instead, unique worldwide: issuer code plus serial number, up to 15 characters.
- Issuer code. Odette issues codes of the form OD plus four characters, so a plate reads like OD1232 273000944. The OTL 3 standard also lists UN plus a Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S number.
- DI. 1J for a packaging unit, 6J for identical parts, 5J for mixed parts on one transport unit.
- Agreement. You and your customer must agree on the switch; Volvo's 2019 subset requires a special agreement.
L3P versions print a routing code, white on black and without a barcode, where the others print the order number. The OTL 3 standard allows up to 14 characters.
Paper and printer checks for OTL labels
- Paper. White, weather-resistant stock: Odette recommends 160–170 g/m² for OTL 1 and at least 120 g/m² for OTL 3. The OTL 1 standard allows an A5 label on A4 paper; Volvo (2026) does not.
- Printer. Odette asks for ISO/IEC 15416 grade C. Volvo wants grade B, recommends thermal or thermal-transfer printers and bans matrix printers.
- Frame. TEC-IT's OTL 1 templates draw a thin line along the label edge; the OTL 1 standard and Volvo want no outer border.
Common Odette label mistakes
- Repeated serial numbers. The OTL 1 standard forbids repeats within a year, since the number tells one container from another.
- Characters outside Code 39. OTL 1 barcodes take only digits, capitals, space and - . $ / + %, and the template does not check your input.
- Sample data left in. Overwrite samples such as CAR IND. CORP. ENGLAND and the 1990 date P900307.
- An advice note in the OTL 3 order field. The fixed OTL 3 templates bar-code it with K, the order number DI. For 11K, the OTL 3 standard's advice note DI, use the Generic template with type AVIS.
How the Odette label differs from related labels
The Global Transport Label (GTL; Odette LL08) used OTL 1 as a model and adds an ISO license plate, Code 128 and a DataMatrix.
GALIA states that its ETI 9 is strictly equivalent to OTL 3 version 3.1, and its ETI 1 to OTL 1.
TEC-IT's VDA 4902 tag shares the Code 39 identifiers of OTL 1 but has numbered fields and German captions.
Röchling accepts AIAG B-10 labels at its North American (NAFTA) plants instead of Odette or VDA 4902.
What to enter in each Odette OTL 1 field
TEC-IT's OTL 1 template prints no field numbers: 1–16 follow the data areas of Volvo's 2026 OTL 1 application, and 17–20 are its other inputs. Captions appear as printed, or as the editor caption where none prints. Max. gives the OTL 1 standard's lengths, which the template does not check.
| No. | Field | Caption on the label | Content | Barcode | Max. length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receiver | RECEIVER | The unloading location your customer designates. | — | 2 × 20 or 3 × 27 |
| 2 | Dock / gate | DOCK/GATE | Final delivery point at the customer's plant, printed large. For Volvo, take it from the latest delivery schedule. | — | 12 (one line) |
| 3 | Advice note number | ADVICE NOTE NO (N) | Number of your despatch advice (AVIEXP or DESADV). Volvo matches it with the advance shipping notice (ASN) and allows no repeat within 12 months. | Code 39 (DI N) | 9 |
| 4 | Supplier address | SUPPLIER ADDR | Your name, shipping address and country of origin. | — | 29 |
| 5 | Net weight | NET WT (KG) | Weight of the parts in kg, without packaging. | — | 5 |
| 6 | Gross weight | GROSS WT (KG) | Weight of the whole transport unit in kg. | — | 5 |
| 7 | Number of boxes | NO OF BOXES | Packages on the transport unit. | — | 5 |
| 8 | Part number | PART NO (P) | Your customer's part number, in 44-point type above its barcode. Empty on Master Mixed labels. | Code 39 (DI P) | 24 |
| 9 | Quantity | QUANTITY (Q) | Parts in the package; on a Master Multiple label, the total of all packages. Empty on Master Mixed labels. | Code 39 (DI Q) | 9 |
| 10 | Description | DESCRIPTION | Plain-language description of the part, as your customer names it. | — | 22 or 30 |
| 11 | Supplier part number | SUPPLIER PART NO (30S) | Your own part number in the logistics reference area. By agreement, the OTL 1 standard allows other references here, such as a Kanban number. | Code 39 (DI 30S) | 10 |
| 12 | Supplier code | SUPPLIER (V) | The number your customer has assigned to you as its supplier. | Code 39 (DI V) | 10 |
| 13 | Date | DATE | P (production), D (despatch) or U (latest use) followed by YYMMDD, as in the sample P900307. | — | 7 |
| 14 | Engineering change | ENG CHANGE | Your customer's engineering change level, coded (such as P-04) or in plain text. | — | 14 |
| 15 | Serial number | SERIAL (S) | Number you give each package or transport unit, not repeated within a year. The master templates print M or G instead of S. | Code 39 (DI S, M or G) | 9 digits |
| 16 | Batch number | BATCH NO (H) | Batch of the parts, for example of vital safety parts (VSP). | Code 39 (DI H) | 10 |
| 17 | Quantity unit | Quantity Unit | Unit printed after the quantity, such as KGM. Leave it empty for pieces; the unit is never bar-coded. | — | 3 |
| 18 | Safety sign | Safety Sign (1=yes / 0=no) | 1 prints a 23 mm circle with a triangle at the right of the part number field; 0 prints nothing. | — | — |
| 19 | Hazard code | Hazard Code | Printed beside the supplier part number, where the OTL 1 standard allows a hazard code or symbol. | — | — |
| 20 | Supplier address (footer) | Supplier Address (Footer) | Your name, town, postcode and country in small type, directly under the serial number barcode. | — | 29 |
Which Odette template to open
The three OTL 1 templates are A5, with English captions, Code 39 and the version line Odette Ver.1 Rev.4. The thirteen OTL 3 templates measure 210 × 74 mm and use Code 128. Each load type comes plain, with a license plate, with a routing code (L3P) or with both; the Generic template covers every case.
| Template | Size | Use | Open in the generator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odette OTL 1 (V1Rev4) - Standard / Master | A5, landscape | For a box, or a one-part transport unit whose packages have no label of their own. Serial DI S. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 1 (V1Rev4) - Master Multiple | A5, landscape | For a transport unit of S-labeled packages of one part; quantity is their total. Serial DI M. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 1 (V1Rev4) - Master Mixed | A5, landscape | For a transport unit of packages with different part numbers; part number and quantity stay empty. Serial DI G. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - Generic | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | When loads or references vary: label type, reference type and an optional license plate are inputs. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - Single / Master | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | For a packaging unit or a one-package transport unit; prints order number (K) and label number (S). | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - Master Multiple | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | For a transport unit of packages with the same part. Label number DI M. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - Master Mixed | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | For a transport unit of mixed parts; no part number, quantity, description or engineering change. Label number DI G. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - License Plate - Single / Master | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Single / Master, once your customer agrees to a license plate (1J) instead of the label number. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - License Plate - Master Multiple | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Master Multiple, once your customer agrees to a license plate (6J) instead of the label number. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - License Plate - Master Mixed | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Master Mixed, once your customer agrees to a license plate (5J) instead of the label number. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - L3P - Single / Master | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Single / Master, when the label needs a routing code instead of the order number. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - L3P - Master Multiple | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Master Multiple, when the label needs a routing code instead of the order number. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - L3P - Master Mixed | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Master Mixed, when the label needs a routing code instead of the order number. | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - L3P License Plate - Single / Master | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Single / Master, with both a routing code and a license plate (1J). | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - L3P License Plate - Master Multiple | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Master Multiple, with both a routing code and a license plate (6J). | Open in the generator › |
| Odette OTL 3 - L3P License Plate - Master Mixed | 210 × 74 mm, landscape | As Master Mixed, with both a routing code and a license plate (5J). | Open in the generator › |
| Michelin MP06-EU Label (Odette format) | 210 × 102 mm, landscape | For raw materials delivered to Michelin's European plants, following its 2006 MP06-EU specification; Michelin approves your label first. | Open in the generator › |
Frequently asked questions
Learn more about Odette.
What is the difference between OTL 1 and OTL 3?
Is the Odette transport label still used?
What size is an Odette label?
What is the Michelin MP06-EU label?
Can I print the Odette label in other languages?
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