Material delivery log template

A material delivery log template is a sheet the site team fills out every time a truck shows up: date, PO number, supplier, material, quantity ordered, quantity received, who received it, condition, and the delivery ticket number. It is the link between the field and accounts payable. When the supplier invoice arrives, the office checks it against the log before paying, so you only pay for what actually came off the truck.

Here is how it goes wrong without one. The driver drops 180 sheets of drywall instead of 200, a laborer signs the ticket without counting, and three weeks later the invoice bills for 200. Nobody can prove the short, so you pay for it, then order 20 more sheets at a rush price.

What a delivery log is for

The log does four things. It confirms quantity against the purchase order. It records damage and wrong items while the driver is still there. It tells the superintendent what is on site and what is still coming, which matters for long-lead items. And it gives the bookkeeper a clean three-way match: PO, delivery ticket, invoice.

Keep one log per job, kept at the gate or in the trailer, and photograph each signed ticket. If you bill stored materials on a pay application, the log and photos are part of your backup.

How to fill in each column

• Date received: the day it arrived on site.
• PO number: every delivery should tie to a PO. If it does not, flag it before unloading.
• Supplier: the vendor on the PO, not the trucking company.
• Material description: enough detail to match the PO line: size, type, color, spec.
• Quantity ordered and quantity received: count before signing. Partial deliveries are normal; just record them.
• Unit: each, sheets, LF, tons, CY, pallets. Match the PO unit or the math will not work.
• Received by: the person who checked the load.
• Condition: good, damaged, wrong item, or short. Write damage on the ticket itself before signing.
• Ticket number: the supplier's delivery or packing slip number.
• Notes: backorders, where it was stored, photos taken, and who was called.

Common mistakes

1. Signing tickets without counting because the driver is in a hurry.
2. Accepting deliveries with no PO number, then fighting about price later.
3. Not recording backorders, so the superintendent plans work around material that is not there.
4. Storing material where it gets wet, damaged, or walks off overnight.
5. Paying invoices without checking them against the log.

Using the log at month end

At the end of each month, sort the log by PO number and compare quantity received to quantity ordered. Open lines are backorders or shorts that still need chasing. Then sort by supplier and match every ticket to an invoice. Any ticket without an invoice is a bill still coming, which matters for your committed cost and cash forecast. Any invoice without a ticket needs a call before it gets paid. The same review catches price creep: if the invoice unit price does not match the PO, hold it until the supplier explains.

Related forms and guides

For the full process see how to track construction material deliveries and how to store materials on job sites. Orders themselves are covered in how to manage construction purchase orders. Note big deliveries in the construction daily report template too. Smart Business Automator includes shipment tracking, so expected deliveries and backorders show on the project before the truck arrives; see construction workflow automation.