Delivery docket

Every truck that arrives on site should come with a docket. The driver hands it to the person receiving the delivery, usually a site engineer, foreperson or the subcontractor who ordered the goods. They check the load against the docket and the purchase order, note any shortfalls or damage, then sign and keep a copy.

The signed docket goes to the site office or straight to the commercial team. When the supplier's invoice arrives, accounts match it against the docket and the purchase order before approving payment. If there is no signed docket, there is no proof the goods turned up.

Check the basics before the truck is unloaded: is it for this project, is it the right product, and does the quantity look right? If goods are wrong or damaged, you can refuse them or accept them with a note. Write the reason on the docket, get the driver to acknowledge it if possible, and tell the person who placed the order the same day so a replacement or credit can be arranged.

For a deeper look, read Why the Loading Dock Is Where Australian Construction Sites Lose the Most Time.

Supplier dockets vary, but a useful one includes:

• Supplier and docket number. Who supplied the goods and a unique reference for the delivery.

• Project and delivery address. So deliveries for the wrong job or wrong site are picked up.

• Purchase order number. The builder's order reference, which makes invoice matching much easier.

• Description and quantity. What was delivered, in what units, matched to the order.

• Date and time. When the load left the plant and when it arrived.

• Receiver's name and signature. Who checked and accepted the delivery, with any notes on damage or shortfall.

Concrete dockets carry more. They normally show the mix or strength grade, slump, load volume, batch time and any water or admixture added on site. Engineers and certifiers often ask for these records, so file them against the pour location.

Dockets are the first link in the chain between ordering and paying. They stop you paying for materials you never received, and they help commercial managers track quantities against the budget.

They are also quality and compliance records. A docket can prove the right product or grade was supplied, which matters when a certifier, engineer or client asks later. For delivery-related disputes, a signed and annotated docket made at the time is far stronger evidence than anyone's memory.

• Signing without checking. A signature usually means you accept the goods as listed. Count and inspect first.

• Not noting damage or shortfalls. Write it on the docket before the driver leaves, and take a photo.

• Losing the paper. Dockets left in utes or site sheds never reach accounts, and invoices get held up or paid blind.

• No purchase order reference. Without it, matching a docket to the right order and cost code is slow and error-prone.