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Those words are across the receipt. Your tally is not finished. You’re hunched over the splintered dock desk, rain tapping the metal overhang above you as the driver idles their rig 10 feet away, checking their watch every two seconds. The load is 42 skids of packaged construction materials, half stacked double-high in the trailer, and you already spotted three torn shrink wrap bands on the first six skids you pulled. You don’t have time to unpack every sealed skid to confirm the count of individual units right now, so the handwritten note is the only way to document that you’re not signing off on a full, accurate count before unload is complete.
Name Both Printed Receipt Line Items
Before you sign the receipt, you explicitly label the two competing count-related lines so there is no ambiguity for anyone reviewing the document later. The two lines in question are the pre-printed carrier language that assumes the shipper’s listed count is accurate, and your handwritten annotation noting that count is not verified at the time of driver departure. You don’t need to cross out the pre-printed line to make your annotation valid, but you do need to ensure both lines are clearly visible and tied to the relevant terms of the receipt.
| Line ID | Line Text | Origin | Common Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-printed standard line | “Shipper Load and Count, Carrier Not Responsible for Count Discrepancies” | Carrier-generated standard receipt language | Applied by default to all loads where the shipper packs and seals the trailer prior to carrier arrival |
| Handwritten delivery annotation | “Subject to Count, 3 skids noted with torn shrink wrap at time of unload” | Dock employee-generated at time of delivery | Applied when you cannot verify the full count of sealed skids or observe potential damage before unload is complete |
| Signature block line | “Receiver signature confirms receipt of goods in apparent good order, except as noted” | Carrier-generated required signature field | Signifies you have acknowledged the terms of the receipt as annotated at the time of signing |
Write your annotation in bold, dark ink, in a blank space directly below the pre-printed count language, so it doesn’t get lost in the fine print of the receipt’s terms and conditions. If the receipt has no blank space near the count line, write it in the margin next to that line, and draw a small arrow connecting the annotation to the pre-printed text it modifies. The driver may ask you to explain the note before you sign, and you can simply tell them you’re unable to verify the full count of sealed skids before they depart, so you’re noting that caveat for your records. Most carriers allow these annotations as standard practice, so the driver will almost always agree to sign next to the note to confirm they observed it at the time of delivery.
Mark Which Line Takes Precedent
Marking the controlling line eliminates ambiguity about which terms apply to this specific delivery, so there’s no room for later dispute about what you agreed to when you signed. Put a small asterisk next to your handwritten “Subject to Count” line, and a matching asterisk next to the signature block, with a short, clear note next to the asterisk that reads “controlling terms for this delivery”. This mark doesn’t invalidate the rest of the receipt, just the default count assumption that applies when no annotation is present. Illustrative example: If your inventory team counts 41 total skids after unload instead of the 42 listed on the pre-printed receipt, your annotated controlling line means the pre-printed assumption that the carrier bears no responsibility for count discrepancies does not apply to this specific delivery. This doesn’t guarantee any specific resolution to the discrepancy, but it creates a contemporaneous record that you did not accept the full count as accurate at the time the driver was on site. You don’t need to add any extra explanation to the mark, as long as it clearly ties your annotation to the signature you’re about to add. You also don’t need to negotiate the mark with the driver; their signature next to your annotation only confirms they saw you write it before you signed the receipt, not that they agree with any future claims tied to the note.
File This Annotated Receipt Page
Once you and the driver have both signed the annotated receipt, you need to file it correctly to ensure it’s accessible if you need it later. First, scan a high-resolution copy to your inventory management system, tagging it with the delivery date, carrier pro number, purchase order number, and a short tag for the annotation so you can search for it later without pulling every receipt from that day. Next, hand the driver their carbon copy of the annotated receipt before they leave the dock, so their carrier has a matching record of the note and can’t claim later that the annotation was added after they departed. Then, place the original hard copy in the dedicated delivery receipt binder for the current calendar month, sorted in ascending order by pro number so you can locate it in seconds if a discrepancy is flagged. You log the annotation and delivery details in Dock Tally as soon as you finish filing the hard copy, so your whole operations team has access to the record without needing to track down the physical page. Don’t send the receipt to accounts payable yet, because you need to match it to the final inventory count and any damage reports once unload is complete before you process the associated invoice. If you send it too early, your AP team may process the invoice for the full listed quantity before you confirm you received everything that was ordered. Keep a copy of the scanned receipt in a separate unprocessed delivery folder so you can easily pull it to match to inventory reports when unload wraps up later that shift.
Next Time You Open This Same Page
You will open this page one of two ways: either when your inventory team finishes the full count and damage check for the load, so you can reconcile the received quantity against the purchase order, or when a discrepancy is flagged between the quantity listed on the receipt and the quantity your team logged as received. When you pull the page, first verify that no smudges, alterations, or missing sections have appeared since you filed it, to confirm the record is intact. If the full count matches the listed quantity and no damage is found beyond the torn shrink wrap you noted, you can add a short note at the bottom of the page that reads “count confirmed, no damage reported” and move it to the closed delivery file folder, where it will stay for the required 7-year record retention period for your business. If a discrepancy or hidden damage is found, you will attach this annotated receipt to the discrepancy report you send to the carrier and shipper, as supporting documentation that you flagged potential issues before the driver left your site. This page serves as a clear, dated record of your observations at the time of delivery, which helps all parties involved review the facts of the delivery without conflicting anecdotal reports. You don’t need to add any extra information to the page when you pull it, as all relevant details were added at the time of delivery, and any later additions could be challenged as after-the-fact alterations. If the discrepancy is resolved, you will add a short note about the resolution to the bottom of the page before moving it to the closed file, so anyone reviewing it later can see the full timeline of the delivery without tracking down separate reports. If no resolution is reached within 90 days, you will move the page to a separate unresolved discrepancy folder, where it will stay until all related conversations with the shipper and carrier are wrapped up.