Delivered is the wrong status when half the pallets are missing.

Key Takeaways

A partial delivery should never be closed as "delivered." Missing pallets need follow-up while there's still time.
5 steps handle a partial delivery: record the shortage on the POD, contact the carrier, notify the team, tell the customer and decide what's next.
The signed POD with notes is the most important document if a claim is needed.
Wilson, by Cartage, is an AI logistics agent that requests and files the POD, contacts the carrier and escalates exceptions to the team.
Claims decisions stay with the company.

Why do partial deliveries get closed as delivered?

A distributor's load of 12 pallets arrives with 6. The receiver signs the POD without a note. The carrier marks it delivered. A week later, the customer calls about the missing pallets. The carrier says the POD shows a clean delivery.

Partial deliveries get closed as delivered because the carrier's status says delivered, and nobody checks the count before the shipment is closed.

Missing documentation makes problems harder to resolve. See delivered isn't documented: who owns the missing POD?

What should happen when pallets are missing at delivery?

Follow 5 steps when pallets are missing.

#	Step	Why
1	Note the shortage on the POD	It's the record for a claim
2	Contact the carrier	The pallets may be on another truck or at a terminal
3	Notify the team	Logistics and customer service need to know
4	Tell the customer	With what's known and what happens next
5	Decide what's next	Wait, reship or file a claim

What should the team decide?

The team should decide based on what the carrier finds.

Pallets located: confirm a new delivery time.
Pallets lost or damaged: decide whether to reship and file a claim.
Count error at origin: check the BOL and pallet labels.

Filing and pursuing claims are company decisions.

How does Wilson, by Cartage, handle a partial delivery?

Wilson requests and files the POD, contacts the carrier and escalates the exception to the team. Traditional logistics software gives teams information. Wilson executes the work required to move shipments forward.

Step	Trigger	What Wilson does	When a person steps in
1. POD	Load is delivered	Requests, follows up and files the POD	If missing past the set window
2. Carrier	A shortage is reported	Contacts the carrier for information	Not required
3. Notify	Shortage confirmed	Tells the team and others the company has set	Not required
4. Escalate	A decision is needed	Escalates with the POD, BOL and carrier answers	Deciding to reship or claim
5. Record	Each step	Records every message and change	Not required

See freight exception management.

How do teams catch partial deliveries early?

Teams catch partial deliveries early by checking counts at both ends.

Pallet labels and BOL counts at pickup.
Receivers count before signing, and note shortages on the POD.
Shipments stay open until the POD is reviewed.

FAQs

What should I do if a delivery is missing pallets? Note the shortage on the POD, contact the carrier, notify the team, tell the customer and decide whether to wait, reship or file a claim.
Why is the POD important for a partial delivery? A signed POD with shortage notes is the main record if a claim is needed.
Does Wilson collect PODs? Yes. Wilson requests the POD after delivery, follows up until it's received and files it.
Does Wilson file freight claims? Claims decisions stay with the company. Wilson contacts the carrier, records what happened and escalates to the team.
Does Wilson generate pallet labels and BOLs? Yes. Wilson generates rate confirmations, BOLs, packing slips and pallet labels.
How is Wilson priced? There's no subscription fee. Pricing is a percentage of the carrier payments that run through Wilson.

Conclusion

"Delivered" is the wrong status for half a load. A partial delivery needs a noted POD, a call to the carrier and a decision while the pallets can still be found. Wilson, by Cartage, files the POD, contacts the carrier and brings the exception to the team with everything they need to decide. The practical first step is to start Wilson on a few lanes and compare how quickly shortages are caught with how those lanes run today.

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