What is a proof of delivery?

The record that a shipment was delivered: the name of the person who signed for it and the time and date of delivery, usually on the delivery receipt or bill of lading, with any shortage or damage noted.

Is an electronic proof of delivery legally valid?

In the US, yes — federal law says a record may not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic. In Europe the e-CMR protocol has allowed electronic consignment notes since 2011, and the EU's eFTI regulation applies in full from 9 July 2027.

What should I write on a POD if goods are damaged?

Exactly what you see, beside your signature — the count received and the damage, such as "20 cartons received, 2 crushed". A clean signature is treated as evidence the freight arrived in good condition; under CMR, damage that is not apparent must be reserved within seven days.

Term

Proof of delivery (POD)

A proof of delivery (POD) is the record that a shipment reached its consignee: who signed for it and the date and time of delivery, often with notes of any shortage or damage. Carriers use it to bill the freight, shippers to release payment, and both to settle claims — increasingly as an electronic POD.

Also called POD, delivery receipt, ePOD, electronic proof of deliveryUpdated 12 October 2026

What a POD records

The US Federal Highway Administration's freight glossary defines a proof of delivery as a record containing the name of the person who signed for the shipment and the time and date of delivery. It closes the loop opened by the bill of lading: US rules require a motor carrier to issue a receipt or bill of lading naming the consignor and consignee, the origin and destination, the number of packages, a description of the freight and its weight — and the POD confirms that what was listed arrived.

The POD and the freight bill

For freight billed collect, a US carrier must present its freight bill within 7 days, measured from the date of delivery.
The default credit period for paying a freight bill is 15 days, and a carrier's tariff can extend it to as many as 30 calendar days.
Carriers supply PODs on request because shippers need them to approve freight bills — FedEx Freight's rules list proofs of delivery among the documents it provides for payment.

Noting damage

What the receiver writes at delivery decides a later claim. FedEx Freight's rules say freight accepted without written notice of damage on the delivery receipt is prima facie evidence it arrived in good condition. On international road journeys under the CMR convention, apparent loss or damage must be reserved at delivery, and damage that is not apparent within seven days.

Worked example

A receiver counts 20 cartons off a truck on 3 March and finds 2 crushed. Signing a clean receipt, it starts any claim having already accepted the freight in good condition. Writing "20 cartons received, 2 crushed" beside the signature, it starts with evidence. Either way, the clock runs from that signature: on a collect shipment the carrier's freight bill is due by 10 March, and payment within the credit period after it.

Electronic POD

In the US, a record may not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic, and carriers may keep their records in any technology. In Europe the e-CMR protocol, in force since 5 June 2011, allows an electronic consignment note, and the EU's eFTI regulation — which obliges authorities to accept freight information electronically — applies in full from 9 July 2027.

FAQ