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Small Business | Aug. 5, 2025

What is Proof of Delivery (POD)?

Purpose: To expand a Vendor's knowledge of Proof of Delivery (POD) and provide guidance on how a Vendor should respond to a POD request.

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Resources and Terms Glossary

What is POD?

Proof of Delivery (POD) is the carrier tracking documentation that ensures the material from a Vendor is shipped to its designated final destination. POD requires a signature by the receiving party.

Elements and characteristics of Proof of Delivery:

  • Government customer's signature
  • Recipient organization's name and address
  • Contract number and, if applicable, order number
  • Contract Line Item Number(s) (CLIN(s))
  • National Stock Number (NSN)
  • Delivery date
  • Origin and destination locations
  • Weight and pieces that were shipped
  • Unit price and extended price (if applicable)

Commonly accepted forms of POD may include:

  • Screenshot of shipper's tracking details
  • Signed POD from shipper
  • Copy of signed Bill of Lading

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Why is POD Important?

Proof of Delivery confirms that the material was shipped, fulfilling the order or contract. POD is mandatory for a Vendor to have on hand in case any questions from the Government arise. When documentation is not available or provided to the Government, this can lead to delays in payment or processing of claims.

Vendors must provide POD to DLA within 10 calendar days of being requested. Vendors must retain POD documentation for at least four years.

Receiving and inspection report records, consisting of reports reflecting receipt and inspection of supplies, equipment, and materials: Retain 4 years.
FAR 4.705-3

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How can a Vendor Obtain POD for their Records?

 Many times, carriers only provide shipping details for shipments made within the last 120 days.

Follow the directions below to obtain POD:

  1. Access the shipping carrier's system (e.g., Fedex, UPS, etc.).
  2. Search the carrier's system by using either the tracking number provided at the time of shipment or by the bill of lading signed by the driver at the time of pick-up.
  3. Print off or save POD from the carrier's system.

If POD is asked for and a Vendor does not have any documentation that provides proof of delivery, the Vendor will need to reach out to the carrier to get sufficient documentation.

If the carrier is unable to provide assistance, it is recommended that the Vendor communicates to the Government their lack of substantial proof of delivery. If a Vendor can provide the WAWF receiving report, or DD250, it may help to back up their claim of delivery.

If working for the Aviation Supply Chain, see more information on DAAN-47-02 Carrier Tracking Information in Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) (Word).

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Resources:

Terms Glossary

Find meanings for acronyms, abbreviations, and codes used throughout the process article below in the table:

Term Used Meaning/Definition
CLIN Contract Line Item Number
DAAN DLA Aviation Acquisition Notices
DD250 Department of Defense Form 250 - Material Inspection and Receiving Report
DLA Defense Logistics Agency
DoD Department of Defense
FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation
NSN National Stock Number
POD Proof Of Delivery
WAWF Wide Area Workflow
Proof of Delivery (POD)