Dock Tally

The trailer is at the door and the bill is still on the clipboard. Dock Tally is for that one unload: the bill of lading in your hand, the count you are writing, and the exception note if the count or the carton does not match.

The Bill is the face of the bill of lading: pro number, shipper, consignee, pieces, and weight. The Tally is the count at the door. The Exception is the short line you write when a piece is missing, crushed, or refused.

Each page finishes one document. A piece count or a weight marked as an illustrative example is a teaching number, not the freight on your dock.

Where the Exception Copy Goes Before You Close the File

The copies are on the desk. The file for this pro is still open. You’re still holding the scuffed exception sticker you peeled off the […]
A Shortage of an Item That Was Never on the Bill

You expected an item. The bill never listed it. You signed for the freight 20 minutes ago, only realizing the missing unit when you cross-referenced […]
A Corrected Exception Stapled Over the First

A second note is stapled on top. The first exception is still readable. You run a gloved thumb along the staple edge to flatten the […]
The Inspector Box Left Blank

An inspector box is on the form. Nobody has initialed it. The idling reefer truck rumbles three feet behind you, and a half pallet of […]
A Tally Shortage That Does Not Match the Receipt

The tally says one shortage. The receipt says another. You stand next to the half-unloaded pallet of corrugated plastic electrical housings, sweat sticking the edge […]