A delivery note is a document prepared by the sender that travels with a shipment of goods, listing every item included in that delivery so the recipient can check the contents against what was ordered before signing for it.
Cross-border B2B freight arrives with several documents at the point of handover — the commercial invoice, the CMR consignment note, and the delivery note among them. Each answers a different question about the same shipment. The delivery note is the sender's record of what was packed and dispatched. A consignment that arrives without one gives the recipient no written reference against which to check the goods while the driver is at the address.
The Definition of a Delivery Note
A delivery note is a document issued by the sender or supplier and included with the shipment, listing the goods dispatched by description and quantity for the recipient to verify on arrival.
It is also known as a dispatch note or goods received note — different names used across industries for the same instrument. Regardless of the label, the document answers one question: what did the sender put in this shipment? The recipient uses that answer to confirm what they physically received.
A delivery note does not state prices. The commercial value of the goods, payment terms, and VAT appear on the commercial invoice — a separate document travelling with the same shipment. The invoice addresses financial and customs requirements; the delivery note addresses physical verification at the point of receipt. Both serve the same consignment, but neither substitutes for the other.
The delivery note is not a legal requirement under the CMR Convention. The CMR consignment note is the legally required document for cross-border road freight in Europe. The delivery note is standard commercial practice — present on almost every B2B shipment, but required by convention rather than by regulation.
A proof of delivery is issued by the carrier — not the sender — and confirms the delivery was made and accepted by the recipient. The two documents are both present at the delivery event but answer entirely different questions: the delivery note describes what was dispatched; the proof of delivery records that it arrived and was received.
The full range of shipping document terms used in European cross-border freight is in the logistics glossary, including definitions for every document present at the point of delivery.
What a Delivery Note Contains
A delivery note contains a description of each item dispatched and the quantity of each item — these are the 2 core fields against which the recipient checks the physical shipment on arrival.
Supporting fields complete the record. The sender's name and contact details identify the issuing party and give the recipient a reference point for any post-delivery query. The recipient's name and delivery address confirm the goods reached their intended destination. The dispatch date records when the goods left the sender's premises. The order reference number links the delivery note to the original purchase order, allowing both parties to trace the specific delivery in their systems.
Items are listed by product description or product number. Prices are not included on the delivery note — each item's commercial value appears on the commercial invoice instead.
The delivery note records which items are enclosed and which are outstanding when a delivery is partial — covering items not included due to stock unavailability or planned split dispatch. Outstanding items appear on the same note as those enclosed, with their expected quantities listed separately. A partial delivery recorded this way is a declared split, not a discrepancy.
The document is assigned a unique sequential reference number before it leaves with the shipment — that number connects it to the order record in both the sender's and recipient's systems and provides a traceable reference if a query is raised after delivery.
The contents of the delivery note determine exactly what the recipient checks at the point of handover — that verification process follows a specific sequence at delivery.
How the Recipient Uses a Delivery Note at Delivery
The recipient checks the delivery note against the physical contents of the shipment while the delivery driver is present — counting units and matching product descriptions before signing anything.
The sequence is: verify the quantity of each line item against the number on the note; confirm each product description corresponds to the goods received; identify any partial delivery notations and account for the outstanding items; then sign. The entire check happens before the signature is given — not after the driver has left.
A signed delivery note functions as a commercial acknowledgement that the goods listed were received in the stated quantity and condition. It is not the same as a delivery receipt, which is the recipient's own formal acknowledgement document kept in their records. The signed delivery note is the sender's confirmation that the delivery completed — it returns to the sender, not the recipient's file.
Goods received that do not match the delivery note are recorded as a discrepancy before the recipient signs. A precise entry — "4 units received, 6 units listed on delivery note" — provides a clear, disputable record. A vague notation gives the sender less to work with in a reorder or claims process. The sender takes a signed delivery note as confirmation that all listed items arrived in the stated quantity — a signed note with no discrepancy notation carries that presumption in full.
The delivery note is one instrument among several present at the same delivery event — understanding how each relates to the others identifies where each document's function begins and ends.
The Delivery Note and Other Documents at the Point of Delivery
A cross-border B2B freight delivery involves several documents simultaneously — the delivery note is one of them, and each addresses a different aspect of the shipment.
The commercial invoice states the commercial value of the goods, the payment terms, and applicable VAT. It is required for customs clearance at EU external borders and for payment processing. The delivery note lists the same goods without prices and carries no customs function. Both travel with the same cross-border consignment — the invoice for finance and customs, the delivery note for delivery verification.
The packing list details how the goods are packaged — the number of parcels, dimensions, gross and net weights, and the contents per package unit. The delivery note records what was ordered and dispatched as a line-item list, without packaging detail. Both documents describe the contents of the shipment, but from entirely different angles and for entirely different users.
A goods receipt slip is generated internally by the recipient's warehouse or inventory system when goods are booked into stock after delivery. It is produced by the recipient's own operation. The delivery note is produced by the sender before dispatch. Both record the same physical receipt event from opposite sides of the transaction — the sender's version travels with the shipment; the recipient's version is generated after it arrives.
Go Trans arranges cross-border road freight through carrier partners DSV, DHL, DPD, UPS, and FedEx across 29 European countries — coordinating the freight documentation chain, including the commercial invoice and CMR consignment note, at the booking stage. Go Trans coordinates the full freight process from collection to delivery through its how it works model — the delivery note is prepared by the sender and travels inside the shipment before collection is arranged.
The shipping documents glossary in the Go Trans logistics glossary covers every document in the cross-border freight cycle alongside the delivery note, from the CMR consignment note issued at origin through to delivery confirmation at the recipient's address.
Get a Freight Quote
Cross-border freight across 29 European countries requires accurate freight documentation from the point of collection. To arrange a shipment or confirm documentation requirements before booking, request a shipping quote through Go Trans.