Proof of delivery
Also called POD
Proof of delivery is the signed document confirming the receiver accepted the freight, and it is normally what a broker requires before an invoice can be paid.
Last reviewed · by the fleetchart dispatch desk
In practice the POD is usually the delivery copy of the bill of lading, signed and dated by the consignee. Some receivers issue their own delivery receipt instead.
The POD is the trigger for getting paid. Most brokers will not process an invoice without it, and factoring companies will not advance against one without it either. A load can be delivered on time and still sit unpaid for weeks because the signed copy never made it back to the office.
This is why the gap between delivery and invoicing is worth measuring. It is one of the few places in a small carrier's cash cycle where days can be recovered without touching rates.