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The scale printed a ticket. The tally has its own weight line. You hold both slips side by side, the crinkled thermal edge of the scale ticket catching the overhead dock light as you line up the shipment ID numbers. The hum of the nearby refrigeration unit fades for a beat as you focus on matching the listed pallet count between the two documents.
Cross-reference scale ticket pallet counts with your tally entries
You start with the total unit count because it’s the fastest check to catch obvious errors before you dive into weight calculations. Count the pallets stacked at the bay door one more time to verify both documents align with physical cargo, not just pre-shipment estimates that were created before the order was packed. If the scale ticket lists 12 pallets but your tally only accounts for 11, you know to pause before verifying any other fields, because a missing pallet will throw every other data point off before you start, and you’ll need to check the trailer for leftover units before the driver departs. You don’t need to mark anything yet if counts match, just move to the next field to keep the check moving while the driver waits at the dock gate, since most carriers schedule tight drop-off windows to keep their routes on track.
Note mismatched weight values directly on the scale ticket’s blank margin
Now line up the gross weight listed on the tally with the gross weight printed on the scale ticket. Minor variances of 50 pounds or less are common for pallets with loose, unevenly stacked goods, or for pallets that carry small, lightweight items that can shift during transit, but any variance larger than that needs a clear, handwritten note on the scale ticket so everyone who accesses the document later understands the gap without having to reach out to you for context. Illustrative example: a 210-pound difference between the tally’s estimated weight and the scale’s measured weight could signal that a pallet was loaded with extra units not marked on the pre-shipment manifest, or that a pallet was mislabeled before it arrived at your dock, carrying a heavier SKU than the one listed on the packing slip. Write the exact weight from your tally next to the printed scale weight, and add a short note explaining the likely cause if you can identify it right away, like “2 extra cases of canned goods on pallet 3” so no one has to re-investigate the discrepancy later. You can cross-check the unit weights you logged in Dock Tally to confirm if the extra units add up to the measured variance, if you have that record pulled up on your handheld device.
Flag over or underweight discrepancies on the scale ticket for carrier follow-up
If the variance exceeds your site’s pre-approved threshold, mark the discrepancy with a bright yellow highlighter on the scale ticket so it stands out immediately to anyone processing the document later, whether that’s your operations team or the carrier’s back office staff. You don’t have to resolve the issue on the spot, but you do need to make sure the carrier’s driver signs next to the highlighted discrepancy before they leave the dock, to acknowledge they’re aware of the mismatch between the shipping manifest and the measured weight. This step eliminates confusion later if there’s a question about who verified the cargo when it arrived at your site, and ensures the discrepancy is tracked through the full shipment lifecycle instead of falling through the cracks during handoffs between teams.
When marking a discrepancy on the scale ticket, include these four details:
- The exact measured weight from the dock scale, written in dark blue or black ink to avoid smudging when the ticket is handled or scanned later
- The estimated weight listed on your tally, matched to the corresponding shipment ID to avoid mixing up entries for multiple shipments dropped off the same day
- The date and time you completed the check, rounded to the nearest 15 minutes to align with your site’s shift logging schedule
- Your initials, written legibly in the bottom right corner of the ticket next to the flagged entry, so anyone reviewing the record knows who to reach out to with follow-up questions
Confirm all cargo accessorials are listed on the scale ticket before signing
Now check the bottom of the scale ticket for any accessorial charges or notes that apply to the shipment, like liftgate use, temperature control for refrigerated goods, limited access delivery fees, or inside delivery charges. Cross-reference these with the accessorials you noted on your tally when the shipment first arrived, to make sure no extra, unapproved charges are added to the ticket that don’t match the actual services used during delivery. If you see an accessorial listed that you didn’t authorize, cross it out with a single, clear line, write “not provided” next to it, and have the driver initial next to the crossed-out entry before you sign the ticket, so no one can argue the charge was approved later. Never sign a scale ticket that has blank accessorial fields, because those can be filled in later with unapproved charges without your knowledge. If the ticket has blank lines for accessorials, write “N/A” across those lines in dark ink before you add your signature, to close off any opportunity for unauthorized additions after the driver leaves the dock.
File the signed scale ticket in the dock’s locked shipment records bin
Once you and the driver have both signed the scale ticket and all discrepancies are marked clearly, place the ticket in the locked, weatherproof bin mounted next to the dock office door, where it will be collected at the end of each shift for central processing. You don’t need to make a copy for your own records unless your site has a specific rule requiring it, because the operations team will scan and digitize all tickets within 24 hours of collection, and store the digital copies in your site’s cloud-based shipment record system for easy access later. This step completes your current review of the scale ticket, so you can move on to the next shipment waiting at the adjacent bay door without holding up the delivery schedule or making the next driver wait longer than necessary. There are no extra steps required for this ticket right now, so you can set the tally sheet aside and start the check-in process for the next load.
Reference this scale ticket when you log inbound shipment variances tomorrow
When you pull up the digitized version of this scale ticket tomorrow to log variances in your site’s shipment tracking system, you’ll have all the notes you wrote today to reference, so you won’t have to re-investigate what caused the weight or count mismatch, or try to recall details from dozens of shipments you processed today. You can cross-reference the notes you made on the ticket with the carrier’s updated manifest if they send over a revised copy, to confirm if the discrepancy was resolved on their end before you close out the shipment record. If there are still unresolved questions about the variance when you open the ticket tomorrow, you can flag the digital copy for the operations manager to review, attaching a photo of the physical cargo you took during today’s check if you have it saved to your handheld device, to give them full context for the mismatch. You won’t need to fill out any extra forms to reference the ticket, just pull up the scanned version using the shipment ID number printed in the top left corner, and all your handwritten notes, driver signatures, and flagged entries will be fully visible in the high-resolution scan. If the variance has been resolved by the carrier by the time you open the ticket, you can add a short note to the digital record explaining the resolution, then mark the shipment as fully processed to close out the file.