Digital delivery notes — how they work
What is a delivery note, what should it contain and how can a digital delivery note replace paper, receipts and manual work? A complete guide for transport, construction and civil engineering.
What is a delivery note?
A delivery note is a document that accompanies a shipment and describes what is actually being delivered: items, quantities, weight, delivery address and who received the goods. It serves as proof of the delivery itself, not of payment.
In transport, construction and civil engineering, the delivery note is essential. It connects the driver, client, project and invoice, and is the document that later proves the right quantity of material arrived at the right place at the right time.
Delivery note, waybill and receipt — what's the difference?
Three documents that are often mentioned in the same breath, but that play different roles in the delivery flow.
| Document | Role | Between which parties | Contains price? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery note | Describes what is delivered | Sender → recipient | Can do |
| Waybill | Governs the transport itself | Sender → carrier | No |
| Receipt / invoice | Proves payment or a payment claim | Seller → buyer | Yes |
What should a delivery note contain?
A complete delivery note should be understandable on its own, without additional documents. The industry is largely aligned on what needs to be included:
- Sender and recipient with organisation number
- Delivery address and date of delivery
- Project or order reference
- Items with quantity, unit and product code where applicable
- Load weight or volume where relevant
- Vehicle, driver and any subcontractor
- Signature from the recipient — physical or digital
- For earthworks and construction: material type, origin and CO₂ data
How a digital delivery note works
A digital delivery note is created on a phone at loading, signed on site and saved automatically with a full history. No paperwork, no missing slips, no manual data entry after the fact.
1. Create at loading
The driver creates the delivery note directly in the app. Items, quantities and project data are pulled automatically from the project's price list — no double entry.
2. Sign digitally
The operator can also sign to add their verification, or a site manager or transport manager can do so. The recipient then confirms goods receipt in their system and everything is ready for invoicing.
3. Save and report
The delivery note is saved automatically with version history. Climate data, invoice data and sustainability reporting are generated without a single extra step.
Advantages compared to paper delivery notes
No more missing delivery notes
Everything is saved directly in the cloud. No more searching through the truck, binders or scanned PDFs — find what you need with one click.
Faster invoicing
Signed delivery notes go straight to invoice data the same day — not two weeks later.
Automatic climate data
CO₂ per delivery is calculated automatically based on vehicle and fuel type — a ready-made sustainability report.
Full traceability
Version history shows who changed what and when. A dispute or audit becomes a 30-second search.
Questions and answers about delivery notes
What is a delivery note?
A delivery note is a document that accompanies a shipment and describes what is being delivered: items, quantities, delivery address and references. It serves as proof of the delivery, but does not normally contain prices or payment information.
Is a digital delivery note legally valid?
Yes. A digital delivery note with a digital signature has the same evidentiary value as a paper-based one. It must be stored under Swedish bookkeeping regulations — a minimum of seven years — and remain readable throughout that period.
How does a delivery note differ from an invoice?
The delivery note confirms that a delivery has taken place. The invoice is the payment claim. Many systems, Kubicom included, use the delivery note as the basis for automatically generating the invoice.
How do you store digital delivery notes?
In a digital system, the delivery note is saved automatically with version history, signature and links to the project, customer and vehicle. It can be searched, exported and shared without digging through binders.
Can you combine digital delivery notes with traditional handling?
Yes. In practice, the transition is gradual: some clients or projects continue to receive PDFs while others go straight to digital signing. A good platform supports both in parallel.
Want to see how it works in practice?
Book a short demo and we'll show you what digital delivery notes look like in Kubicom — tailored to your business.