Delivery note template (goods dispatch note)
A delivery note travels with the goods and says who sent them, to whom, why and how many. It serves the driver, the receiving warehouse, and you at month end when you invoice everything that left the building.
What it must contain
- Sender and recipient with full addresses.
- The delivery address, when it differs from the recipient's registered one.
- Document number and date.
- The reason for transport: sale, on approval, return, repair, subcontracting.
- A description of the goods with quantity and unit of measure.
- Number of packages, weight and outward appearance of the goods.
- Who carries out the transport — sender, recipient or carrier — with the carrier's details.
- Date and time the transport starts, and room for the receiver's signature.
Mistakes we see most often
- A missing reason, or "sale" every time even when goods go out on approval.
- Quantities that do not match what is later invoiced, making reconciliation impossible.
- No space for the receiver's signature, so you have no proof of delivery.
- Internal product codes the receiving side cannot interpret.
Typical structure
| Title | DELIVERY NOTE no. 2026/045 |
| Sender | Your details |
| Recipient | Customer and delivery address |
| Reason | Sale / on approval / return |
| Goods | Description · Qty · Unit |
| Transport | Packages · weight · carrier · date and time |
| Signatures | Driver and receiver |
Frequently asked questions
Is a delivery note mandatory?
It depends on the country and the transaction. Even where it is not, it remains the practical way to prove what was delivered and when, and to invoice at the end of a period.
Can several delivery notes be invoiced together?
Yes, that is the typical use: a deferred invoice quotes the numbers and dates of the period's delivery notes. Workio keeps the linked documents so you can carry the lines over.
How many copies are needed?
Usually one stays with the sender, one with the recipient and one travels with the carrier. Sharing the PDF from your phone gives the recipient theirs immediately.
Does the weight have to be exact?
An indicative weight is normally fine for ordinary shipments, but if the carrier bills by weight it pays to be precise — it is the line disputes are built on.