A proof of delivery (POD) is a document issued by the carrier confirming that a shipment was delivered to and accepted by the recipient at a specific date and time, serving as primary evidence in a CMR carrier liability claim for loss or damage in transit.
The carrier's custody of a cross-border road freight shipment ends the moment the recipient signs the proof of delivery. What the recipient writes — or does not write — on that document before signing determines whether the right to claim for damaged goods is preserved or forfeited at that moment.
The Definition of a Proof of Delivery
A proof of delivery is a document issued by the carrier or its delivery agent confirming that a specific consignment was delivered to the named recipient and accepted at a recorded date and time.
In cross-border road freight, the POD closes the delivery leg of the CMR consignment — it confirms the carrier fulfilled its contract of carriage and establishes the moment at which the carrier's legal custody of the goods ended. The recipient, or an authorised representative at the delivery address, signs it at the point of delivery.
A delivery note accompanies the shipment from origin to destination, listing the goods contents for the recipient to verify on arrival. The POD answers a different question — it is the carrier's formal record that the delivery was completed and the goods were accepted. Both documents are present at the same delivery event: the delivery note describes what was sent; the POD records that it arrived and was received.
The Go Trans logistics glossary covers the full range of shipping document terms used across European cross-border freight operations, from consignment documents through to delivery confirmation instruments.
What a Proof of Delivery Contains
A proof of delivery contains the recipient's name, signature, delivery date, delivery time, and the consignment reference number. The consignment reference links the POD directly to the specific shipment and its CMR consignment note, establishing a documented chain from booking through to accepted delivery.
The condition note field is the most legally significant element of the document. The recipient uses it to record any visible damage, shortage, or discrepancy before the signature is given. A POD signed without any entry in that field is a clean POD. A POD with visible damage or shortage recorded is a claused POD. The distinction between the two determines the carrier's liability exposure under the CMR Convention.
A signed delivery receipt is the act that creates the POD in practice — the recipient's written acknowledgement of the goods received becomes the carrier's formal delivery confirmation. In freight documentation the two are distinct instruments: the delivery receipt is the recipient's record; the POD is the carrier's operational file entry. Both are derived from the same signature event at the delivery address.
Electronic proof of delivery adds further data fields to the record: delivery photos, geo-location stamp, time stamp, and barcode or QR code scan confirmation. These are captured in real time through the carrier's mobile app and transmitted to the carrier's system and the shipper's tracking portal on completion of delivery.
The condition note field does not only determine whether a claim is possible — it determines how easily one can be pursued. The legal framework governing this distinction is set in the CMR Convention.
The Legal Function of a Proof of Delivery Under the CMR Convention
A signed proof of delivery without a condition note establishes a legal presumption under the CMR Convention that the carrier delivered the goods in good condition — it is the document the carrier presents first in any freight liability dispute.
CMR Article 30 governs damage reservation at delivery. Damage or shortage visible at the point of delivery must be noted on the consignment note or POD before the recipient signs. A recipient who gives a clean signature without noting visible damage loses the direct claim route for that damage. For damage not visible at the time of delivery, CMR Article 30 requires written notification to the carrier within 7 days of delivery. The CMR presumption of clean delivery stands beyond that 7-day window — rebutting it requires evidence that the damage existed before the delivery event took place.
CMR Article 32 sets the limitation period for freight claims at 1 year from the date of delivery for standard claims. For wilful misconduct or gross negligence by the carrier, the limitation period extends to 3 years. Shippers and recipients retain their PODs for 3 years to cover the full range of claim scenarios.
A claused POD — one where the recipient noted visible damage or shortage before signing — preserves the right to pursue a CMR claim without first overcoming the clean delivery presumption. It is the single most important protective action available at the moment of delivery.
The steps the recipient takes at the delivery door determine whether these rights are preserved — the sequence below applies to every consignment regardless of whether the POD is paper or electronic.
Electronic Proof of Delivery
An electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) is a digitally captured delivery confirmation collected by the carrier's delivery driver via a handheld device or mobile app at the point of delivery. The paper document is replaced entirely — the ePOD record is created, verified, and transmitted without a physical form changing hands.
The recipient signs on the driver's device. The carrier's system records the signature alongside a time stamp, geo-location, delivery photos, and consignment reference data simultaneously. The completed ePOD reaches the carrier's tracking system immediately and is accessible to the shipper and recipient through the carrier portal or by email notification within minutes of the delivery event.
Under EU Regulation 910/2014 (eIDAS), an ePOD incorporating a verified digital signature carries equivalent evidentiary weight to a paper POD in EU member state jurisdictions. The electronic record is the original delivery confirmation document in a CMR claim — not a secondary copy of a paper original.
All Go Trans carrier partners — DSV, DHL, DPD, UPS, and FedEx — issue ePODs through their respective delivery systems. Shippers and recipients access completed ePODs through the carrier's portal using the consignment reference from the shipping confirmation. The Go Trans shipment tracking system connects directly to carrier delivery portals where ePODs for completed consignments are held and available for download.
Whether the POD is paper or electronic, the actions the recipient takes at the delivery moment carry identical legal consequences under the CMR Convention.
What to Do at Delivery to Protect Your Freight Claim Rights
The recipient inspects the consignment before signing the proof of delivery — counting units, checking packaging integrity, and examining the visible condition of the goods while the delivery driver is present.
Visible damage or shortage is recorded in the condition note field before the signature is given. The note is specific: "3 cartons crushed, contents exposed" rather than "goods appear damaged." A precise, itemised condition note is harder for the carrier to challenge in a CMR liability claim than a vague or general entry. The signed claused POD becomes the documented record of the delivery condition that the carrier cannot later contest.
Non-apparent damage discovered after unpacking is reported to the carrier in writing — the CMR Article 30 reservation window for damage not visible at delivery closes 7 days after the delivery date. The CMR reservation period does not extend beyond that point — notifications submitted after 7 days fall outside the Article 30 window entirely.
The POD is retained for a minimum of 3 years. That retention period covers both the standard 1-year CMR limitation period under Article 32 and the extended 3-year period that applies to wilful misconduct or gross negligence claims against the carrier.
The shipping documents glossary in the Go Trans logistics glossary covers every document involved in the cross-border freight cycle alongside the proof of delivery — from the CMR consignment note issued at origin through to delivery confirmation at the recipient's address.
Get a Freight Quote
Every cross-border road freight shipment arranged through Go Trans across 29 European countries ends with a carrier-issued proof of delivery. To arrange a shipment or confirm documentation requirements before booking, request a shipping quote through Go Trans.