Proof of delivery (POD)

The POD closes the loop on a load. Until it exists, the freight has, on paper, not arrived: the carrier cannot be paid, the broker cannot bill the shipper, and any claim about shortage or damage has no starting point.

What it is. In most truckload moves, the delivery copy of the bill of lading, signed by the consignee. In LTL, the carrier’s delivery receipt. Some shippers use their own receiving document. Whatever the form, it should carry: who signed, when (date and time), what shipment, and what was wrong, if anything.

Why the notes matter. A POD signed “clear” means the receiver accepted the freight as delivered; damage discovered afterwards is a concealed-damage claim, which is much harder to collect. A POD with “3 cartons crushed, refused” written on it is the first document of a claim, and the shortage or damage counts have to match the packing list and the claim later filed. Reading those handwritten notes is a job someone in the office has to do for every load.

Why brokers chase it. Shippers audit their freight bills against PODs, and a broker’s invoice without one is disputed or aged. Carriers who send a clean POD promptly get paid promptly; the broker’s AP staff spend their days on the rest. The fix most brokerages want is not a better filing system but a way to get the photo from the driver at the dock, attached to the right load, before the truck leaves.