What is a triplicate docket system?
It is one of the oldest paper systems in business and it survives because it is simple, it works with no signal, and it creates evidence at the point the work happens.
How the three copies flow
| Copy | Commonly labelled | Where it goes | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | Customer copy | Left with the customer | Their record of what was delivered, hired or done |
| Middle | Office copy | Handed in at the end of the day | Raising the invoice, updating stock or hire records |
| Bottom | Book copy | Stays bound in the book | The permanent record in number order |
Some businesses swap the roles of the middle and bottom copies, so the driver keeps the book and the office copy is torn out. Either way works, as long as every copy has a fixed destination and everyone knows it.
Why it works
- One record, three places. The customer, the office and the book all hold identical information, so there is no retyping and no second version of events.
- Evidence on the day. A signature on the customer's docket confirms what arrived and when, which settles most disputes before they start. We cover this in What is proof of delivery, and what should a delivery docket show?
- Missing dockets are obvious. Because the dockets are numbered, a gap in the office copies shows at once.
- It counts as a record. Revenue lists sales dockets and delivery notes among the documents that support a VAT-registered business's sales records.
Who uses triplicate dockets?
- hauliers and delivery firms
- builders' merchants and agricultural suppliers
- fuel, oil and gas distributors
- plant, tool and skip hire
- field service, installation and repair companies
- stores and yards issuing materials to sites
Fleet operators often pair their docket books with vehicle check books, since the same drivers fill in both. See What should a vehicle walk-around check sheet include?
What to print on a triplicate docket
- your business details, printed
- a docket number, printed on all three parts
- date and time
- customer name, account number and delivery or job address
- a table for item or code, description and quantity
- driver or technician name, and vehicle registration if relevant
- "Received by" with signature, printed name and time
- a notes box for damages, shortages or access problems
- the copy label on each part
Prices are optional. Many businesses leave them off delivery dockets and put them on the invoice raised from the office copy.
Setting up the system in five steps
- Decide where each copy goes and print the label on each part.
- Assign books to people or vehicles, and record which number range each has.
- Set a hand-in routine. Office copies come back at the end of every day, not the end of the week.
- Check the sequence daily. Lay the office copies out in number order. Any missing number is chased that day.
- Store finished books by number range, as part of your records.
Is three copies enough?
For most businesses, yes. If you find yourself photocopying one of the three copies for a fourth person, read What comes after triplicate? If you are not sure you need the third copy at all, What is the difference between duplicate and triplicate? may save you money.
Triplicate docket books, labelled and numbered
Discoverprint prints triplicate books as docket books, with your layout, the docket number on all three parts and a label on each part, such as Customer, Office and Book copy. Each book holds 50 sets, in A4, A5, A6 or DL, perforated at the top or the left. Send us a photo of your current docket and our designer will recreate it at no charge. Delivery is free anywhere in Ireland. See the full NCR books range.
Read next
Frequently asked questions
- What is a triplicate docket system?
- A way of recording deliveries, hires or jobs on three-part numbered carbonless forms. The customer keeps one copy, the driver or technician returns one copy to the office, and the third stays in the book as the permanent record.
- Which copy goes where in a triplicate docket?
- Commonly the top copy goes to the customer, the middle copy goes back to the office for invoicing, and the bottom copy stays in the book. Labelling each part removes any doubt.
- How do you stop dockets going missing?
- Use numbered books and check the office copies against the numbers every day. Any gap in the sequence is followed up the same day, while people still remember what happened.
- Which businesses use triplicate dockets?
- Hauliers, builders' merchants, fuel and gas distributors, plant and tool hire firms, skip hire, field service and repair companies, and any business where goods or people leave the premises and come back.
Sources
- Revenue: What sales records do you keep?
