Delivery Note Template
A delivery note lists the goods sent, ordered vs delivered on each line, and what is still to follow. The receiver signs it on arrival. The filled sample below delivers 254 of 284 units (89.4%), with 30 to follow.
2 lines short: CP-TWL-GRY (24), CP-THR-OAT (6). They print in the back-order summary.
Totals update from the item lines as you type. Jump to the document.
Edit the sample delivery note
Every field feeds the document. The to-follow column, the totals and the back-order summary fill in from the item lines as you type.
Totals calculate in your browser, and drafts save on this device only.
How to Write a Delivery Note in 8 Steps
- Number and date it. Give the note its own number, then add the dispatch date and the delivery date.
- Link it to the order. Add your sales order number and the customer's PO, so the receiver can match it on arrival.
- Fill ship from and ship to. Name the sending warehouse and the receiving site, with the dock or door if there is one.
- Add the carrier. Your own truck, an LTL carrier or a parcel service, plus the tracking, PRO or route number.
- List each SKU. Write the SKU and a plain description, then the quantity ordered and the quantity on this delivery.
- Check what is to follow. Ordered minus delivered fills in per line. The back-order summary lists every short line.
- Count the packages. Enter the number of cartons or pallets, so the receiver can count them before opening anything.
- Print two copies. One stays with the receiver. The signed copy comes back to you as the receipt record.
The formulas: to follow = ordered − delivered, per line, never below zero. Fill rate = delivered (counted up to the ordered quantity) ÷ ordered. Totals add every line, so they read best when the lines share a unit.
The Delivery Note Format, Part by Part
These 10 blocks are what a receiving dock looks for. The template above has a field for each.
| Part | Fields | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Title "Delivery Note", note number, dispatch and delivery dates | Gives the receipt record a unique reference. |
| Order references | Sales order number, customer's PO number | Lets the receiving team match the goods to what they ordered. |
| Ship from | Business or warehouse name, address, contact | Shows who sent the goods and who to call about a problem. |
| Ship to | Customer or site name, delivery address, dock or door, contact | The delivery address, which is often not the billing address. |
| Carrier | Carrier or delivery method, tracking, PRO or route number | Connects the paper to the carrier record if something goes missing. |
| Item lines | SKU, description, quantity ordered, quantity delivered, unit | The core of the note. Two quantity columns make a shortage visible. |
| To follow | Ordered minus delivered per line, plus a back-order summary | Tells the receiver what is still coming instead of leaving it to guesswork. |
| Packages | Number of cartons or pallets | The first count a receiver can do without opening anything. |
| Instructions | Dock hours, call-ahead, handling notes | Tells the driver and the dock what to expect. |
| Receipt | Acknowledgement wording, exceptions box, received-by name, signature, date and time | Turns the note into a signed record of what arrived. |
Worked Example: Ontario, CA Warehouse to a Pasadena Store
A home goods brand delivers sales order SO-10482 from its Ontario, CA warehouse to a store in Pasadena on its own truck. Two lines are short. This is the sample that loads in the template.
| SKU | Ordered | Delivered | To follow | Line fill | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CP-MUG-WHTCeramic mug, white, 12 oz | 80 | 80 | 0 | 100.0% | In full |
| CP-TWL-GRYCotton hand towel, grey | 120 | 96 | 24 | 80.0% | Short |
| CP-CDL-100Soy candle, 3.5 oz | 48 | 48 | 0 | 100.0% | In full |
| CP-THR-OATKnit throw blanket, oatmeal | 36 | 30 | 6 | 83.3% | Short |
| Totals | 284 | 254 | 30 | 89.4% | 2 of 4 in full |
The towel line is 120 − 96 = 24 to follow, and the throw line is 36 − 30 = 6. Together that is 30, and 254 ÷ 284 gives the 89.4% fill rate.
Switch to Warehouse transfer and the same math gives 95 of 95 cartons, 100.0%. Wholesale order delivers 120 of 220, yet 104 are to follow: its candle line is 4 over, and extra candles do not cancel missing towels. Its fill rate is 52.7%.
Partial Delivery: What Goes in the To-Follow Column
Computed with the same functions as the template. The quantities are examples.
| Situation (example) | Ordered | Delivered | To follow | Line fill | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order delivered in full | 100 pcs | 100 pcs | 0 | 100.0% | In full |
| One case short | 100 pcs | 95 pcs | 5 | 95.0% | Short |
| The towel line in the sample | 120 pcs | 96 pcs | 24 | 80.0% | Short |
| Line not shipped at all | 48 pcs | 0 pcs | 48 | 0.0% | Not delivered |
| Extra inner pack sent | 36 pcs | 40 pcs | Over by 4 | 100.0% | Over by 4 |
| Large order, a few short | 1,000 pcs | 990 pcs | 10 | 99.0% | Short |
| Bulk goods by weight | 12.5 kg | 10 kg | 2.5 | 80.0% | Short |
| Pallets on a transfer | 26 pallets | 24 pallets | 2 | 92.3% | Short |
An over-delivered line counts as filled, not above 100%. The extra quantity is flagged on its own, so the receiver can accept it or send it back.
Using a Signed Delivery Note as Proof of Delivery
A signed delivery note is a common receipt record. It is only as useful as the four things it captures.
Who received it
A printed name next to the signature. A signature alone is often hard to read later.
When it arrived
Date and time written by the receiver, not pre-filled by the sender.
What arrived
The delivered column and the package count, so the receipt covers specific goods.
What was wrong
Shortage, damage or refusal written in the exceptions box before the receiver signs.
Who decides what counts. Your contract, your customer or your carrier sets what proof of delivery they accept. Some want a signed paper note, others an electronic scan or a photo. Check before a dispute, not during one.
Delivery Note vs Packing Slip, Invoice and Goods Received Note
Five documents describe the same delivery. The delivery note is the one the receiver signs against the order.
| Delivery note | Packing slip | Invoice | Goods received note | Proof of delivery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | List goods delivered for the receiver to check and sign | List what is inside one parcel | Ask for payment | Record what the buyer's team counted in | Show that delivery happened |
| Who makes it | Seller, warehouse or 3PL | Seller or fulfillment center | Seller | Buyer or receiving warehouse | Carrier, driver or seller |
| Prices? | No | Usually no | Yes | No | No |
| Ordered vs delivered | Yes, line by line | Usually shipped quantity only | Billed quantity | Received quantity | Usually package count |
| Signed by | Receiver, often the driver too | Nobody | Nobody | Receiving staff | Receiver, or a scan or photo |
Shipping freight rather than cartons on your own truck? The carrier issues a bill of lading, and the bill of lading template covers it. Cross-border shipments add an commercial invoice.
When You Need a Delivery Note
B2B store delivery
Goods going to a retailer, a distributor or a store room, signed at the door or dock.
Warehouse transfer
Stock moving between your own sites. The receiving site checks it against the note.
Wholesale or marketplace inbound
A delivery against a buyer PO, where the dock wants a reference it can match.
Replacement or back-order run
Goods sent to close an earlier shortfall. The note says which order it completes.
Parcel orders to shoppers usually travel with a packing slip instead. A delivery note earns its place when someone at the other end counts the goods and signs.
6 Delivery Note Mistakes to Avoid
Overwriting the ordered quantity
Typing the shipped quantity into the ordered column hides the shortage. Keep both numbers.
"Partial" with no number
"Partial" says nothing. "24 pcs to follow" says exactly what the receiver should still expect.
Prices on the note
Prices turn the note into a half-invoice and put values in front of dock staff. Keep them on the invoice.
Billing address as delivery address
The dock or door is what the driver needs. Billing details belong on the invoice.
Signing before counting
A signature with no exceptions written reads as "all received". Count cartons first, then sign.
No order reference
Without the customer's PO, the receiving team has to match goods to an order by hand.
Delivery Note Template in Excel, Word or PDF?
Most delivery note templates online are static files. Each format has a trade-off.
Excel (.xlsx)
Formulas can work out what is to follow, but they break when rows are copied or inserted.
Word (.docx)
Easy to brand. Every quantity and total is typed by hand, so they drift.
Static PDF
Tidy, but adding an item line means redrawing the table.
This browser template
Quantities, totals and the back-order summary stay in step. Save as PDF gives you the file.
To get a file, press Print / Save as PDF and pick "Save as PDF" as the printer. The preview is exactly what prints.
Tools for the Rest of the Order File
Delivery Note Questions
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