What is proof of delivery, and what should a delivery docket show?
Why proof of delivery matters
Most delivery disputes are not about fraud. They are about memory. Two weeks later, nobody is sure whether three pallets arrived or two, or whether the dent was there when the driver left. A signed docket written at the door answers those questions.
It also matters beyond the argument itself:
- Getting paid. Customers' accounts departments often will not pay an invoice without a matching signed docket.
- Your records. Revenue lists delivery notes and sales dockets among the documents that support a business's sales records.
- Your customers' rights. The CCPC tells consumers that a delivery docket can serve as proof of purchase if they need to return goods, so the customer's copy matters to them too.
What a delivery docket should show
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Header (printed) | Your business name, address, phone, docket number |
| When | Date, and time of delivery |
| Who | Customer name and account number, delivery address, site contact |
| What | Item or product code, description, quantity ordered, quantity delivered |
| How | Driver name, vehicle registration |
| Receipt | Recipient's signature, printed name and time |
| Exceptions | A notes box for shortages, damage, refusals or access problems |
Having separate "ordered" and "delivered" columns is a small change that saves a lot of phone calls, because part-deliveries are recorded at the time rather than discovered later.
Getting a signature that stands up
- Ask for a printed name as well as a signature. A scrawl on its own is hard to match to a person.
- Write the time. It matters for time-sensitive deliveries and for working out who was on site.
- Note anything unusual before the customer signs. Torn wrapping, a short pallet or goods left at a side door should be written on the docket, not mentioned verbally.
- Watch for "signed unchecked". Some customers write this. It is honest, and it means the check still has to happen. Agree a time limit for them to report problems.
- Unattended deliveries: record where the goods were left, and take a photo if you can, noting on the docket that you did.
Paper or electronic POD?
Many large carriers now use handheld devices or phone apps. They work well when the signal is good and the battery lasts. Paper dockets still suit many Irish businesses because rural and site deliveries often have poor coverage, customers like a physical copy, and a numbered book is simple to audit. Some firms run both: the app for tracking, the paper docket for the signature.
How the copies flow
With a three-part docket, the customer keeps the top copy, the driver returns the middle copy to the office for invoicing, and the bottom copy stays in the book. The process, and how to check that no dockets go missing, is set out in What is a triplicate docket system? Businesses that tear off the whole set and file it may prefer glued pads, covered in What should a delivery note include?
Drivers who fill in delivery dockets often complete a vehicle check book too, and garages record repairs on job sheets that work the same way. See What should a vehicle walk-around check sheet include? and What should a mechanic's job sheet include?
Three-part delivery docket books
Discoverprint prints delivery dockets as triplicate books with your layout, including ordered and delivered columns, signature, printed name and time boxes, and a label on each part. Books hold 50 numbered sets in A4, A5, A6 or DL, perforated at the top or the left, and are dispatched 3 to 4 working days after you approve the proof. Delivery is free anywhere in Ireland. See the full NCR books range.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is proof of delivery?
- A record, usually signed by the person receiving the goods, that confirms what was delivered, where, when and in what condition. In Ireland it is most often a signed delivery docket.
- What should a delivery docket show?
- A docket number, the date and time, supplier and customer details, the delivery address, the items and quantities, the driver's name, and the recipient's signature and printed name, with space to note shortages or damage.
- What happens if a delivery is disputed?
- The signed docket is your main evidence. A printed name, a time and any notes about damage or shortages written at the door make it much stronger than a signature alone.
- Is a delivery docket the same as an invoice?
- No. A delivery docket confirms what was delivered. The invoice, usually raised from the office copy of the docket, asks for payment.
Sources
- Revenue: What sales records do you keep? (delivery notes and sales dockets)
- CCPC: Faulty goods FAQs (delivery docket as proof of purchase)
