Free Delivery Note Template (Fillable PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the page

Delivery note number and references

Your number, plus the order, invoice or PO number so the delivery can be matched to the paperwork on both sides.

Deliver to and from

The delivery address with a phone number for the driver, and your business with the driver and vehicle identified.

Ordered, delivered, condition

Quantity expected, quantity handed over, and a tick that it arrived undamaged. Where they differ, the notes column says why.

Packages, time, left with

How many pieces, when, and who or where it was left with if nobody signed.

Delivery attempts (proof of delivery design)

A log of each visit and outcome, so a "you never came" complaint can be answered.

Receiver signature

The point of the document. A signed delivery note is proof the goods arrived; the condition declaration above it is what stops later damage claims.

Route sheet

On the multi-drop design: one row per stop with time, receiver and signature, plus mileage for the day.

Delivery note vs packing slip vs invoice

A packing slip lists what is in the box and stays with the goods. A delivery note lists what was handed over and comes back signed. An invoice asks for payment. Small businesses often combine the first two, but the signed copy is what matters in a dispute, and a document designed to be signed, with a condition declaration next to the signature, does that job better than a packing slip with a signature scribbled on it.

Carriers call the same thing a proof of delivery (POD). For freight claims, the carrier and the insurer will ask for the signed POD with any damage noted at the time; damage reported later is much harder to claim. That is why the proof-of-delivery design has a damage column and a declaration above the signature.

Which design to use

• Standard: B2B deliveries against an order. Ordered and delivered quantities, condition tick, received-by signature.
• Proof of delivery with driver log: consumer deliveries, furniture, appliances, high-value goods, anything that may need a second attempt or an ID check.
• Multi-drop route sheet: daily rounds with many small drops. Bakeries, florists, laundries, meal prep, dairy, local wholesale.

How to use it

1. Fill the references and the item lines from the order before the driver leaves; print two copies.
2. At delivery, the driver and the receiver check the goods together. Delivered quantities and condition are filled in at the door, not back at the depot.
3. Any shortage or damage is written in the notes column before signing.
4. The receiver prints their name and signs; the driver signs. The customer keeps one copy; the driver brings the other back.
5. File the signed copy with the invoice. If you invoice from deliveries, issue the invoice from the signed note.

Mistakes that lose disputes

• Receiver signs a blank or pre-ticked note, so the signature proves nothing.
• No printed name next to the signature, so nobody knows who accepted it.
• Driver fills in "delivered" quantities before the receiver has counted.
• Damage noticed after the driver leaves and not on the note. Train receivers to check before signing.
• No time or left-with entry on unattended deliveries.

Invoicing from delivery notes

For regular customers who take several deliveries a month, invoice from the signed delivery notes: each note becomes a line on the monthly invoice quoting the note number. The customer's accounts team matches each line to the note their staff signed, and queries disappear. The route sheet works the same way for daily rounds; the signatures on it support the monthly invoice to each stop.

Editing the Word and Excel versions

The route sheet is landscape in every format so twelve stops fit on a page; add rows in Excel or Word for longer runs. Put your business, drivers and vehicles into the master file once. The proof-of-delivery design's declaration text can be changed to your own wording. Excel copies have no formulas on these designs (there's nothing to total except the route sheet's stop counts which you fill in).

Questions

Is a signed delivery note legally binding?

It's strong evidence that the goods described were delivered in the condition noted. It's not a contract, but in a payment dispute or an insurance claim it's usually the deciding document.

What if nobody is there to sign?

Record the time, where the goods were left and who you spoke to, take a photo (the POD design has a tick for it), and leave a copy. Unsigned deliveries are riskier; for high-value goods, rebook instead.

Should prices appear on a delivery note?

No. The delivery note is about quantities and condition. Prices go on the invoice.

Can the driver fill it in on a phone?

Yes. The PDF is fillable, so the driver can type into it on a tablet and the receiver can sign with a finger in most PDF apps. Print copies are still the simplest for signatures.

Is there a difference between a delivery note and a proof of delivery?

A proof of delivery is a delivery note with the emphasis on the evidence: attempts logged, ID and photo recorded, damage declared. The second design here is built for that.