Agree on the jobsite delivery before dispatch
Send the supplier the project address, site identifier, access instructions, receiving contact, and intended staging location. Ask dispatch to confirm how it will deliver the order and which equipment it will use. Save the agreed instructions with the order.
Builders FirstSource describes delivery requests, tracking, and delivery-confirmation photos. It says services differ by location. Ask your local supplier which services it offers and what site information it needs. Confirm your delivery with that supplier.
Ask the superintendent or site lead to choose the drop location. Have them check that it leaves room for work, access, and safe storage. Do not direct a driver to put a heavy package on a floor without the responsible person confirming the location.
OSHA’s construction storage standard addresses secure stacking, safe floor loads, and clear aisles and passageways. Use the site’s safety process and responsible professionals to apply those requirements. This guide does not specify a load limit or stacking plan for your site.
Check the truck route and staging area
OSHA’s traffic-control provisions require legible signs and protective traffic-control devices at construction points of hazard. Have the site safety lead check the delivery approach.
Walk the route with the person responsible for site readiness. Check the entrance, turning space, ground, overhead clearance, and work along the route. Send current instructions to dispatch rather than relying on directions from an earlier delivery.
Ask who decides whether unloading is safe. Confirm the safe alternative if the intended location is unavailable. Never pressure the driver or crew to use an unsafe route to preserve an appointment.
Use this recommended planning checklist:
Scroll to read all columns.
| Item | Confirmation to obtain |
|---|---|
| Site identification | Address and lot or building reference match the order |
| Approach | Dispatch understands the agreed entrance and constraints |
| Drop location | Site lead has designated a suitable staging area |
| Unloading | Supplier and site team agree who provides equipment and labor |
| Protection | Responsible trade identifies product storage instructions |
| Receiver | Named person is available and authorized for the task |
| Other crews | Delivery timing and staging do not conflict with their work |
| Change contact | Driver and site lead know whom to call if conditions differ |
For structural components, ask for the supplier’s handling and storage documents. SBCA provides jobsite packages covering truss handling, installation, restraint, bracing, and safety.
Give those documents to the crew doing the work. OSHA’s rigging standard requires inspections before use on each shift and removal of defective equipment; have the responsible employer apply it to the planned unloading. Do not improvise technical instructions from a general delivery checklist.
Name the receiver and what they can approve
Choose someone who knows what is on the order and can reach the site lead and supplier. Confirm who signs under the supplier’s terms. Keep receiving authority separate from permission to change the material or place another order.
Give the receiver the order confirmation, item list, reference numbers, and known outstanding lines. For a phased delivery, list what belongs on this truck. Tell the receiver which items are due later so they can spot shortages.
For an unattended drop, ask the supplier how confirmation, photos, and later reporting work. Follow that process to arrange the site check. Do not describe an unattended drop as checked just because the truck reached the address.
If the usual receiver becomes unavailable, tell dispatch who replaces them. Confirm any changed instructions before the truck arrives. Tell the replacement receiver whom to call about decisions they cannot make.
Use the contractor account guide to set purchasing permissions. Signing for a delivery and approving a credit purchase are separate permissions, even for the same person.
Compare the delivery with the order before signing
Follow the supplier’s receiving procedure and the site’s safety instructions. Compare the shipment with the accepted order and delivery document. Ask the driver or supplier how discrepancies should be noted before signing.
Check the project and order reference first. Then check product IDs, quantities, visible condition, and required accessories as far as you safely can. Note what you could not inspect.
Check quantities using the order’s units and product labels. A bundle, carton, pallet, and individual piece are different units. If you must open or move material to count it, ask how to do that safely under the supplier’s process.
ABC Supply’s delivery promise says it checks loads and contacts customers when it cannot ship the complete order. Your receiver should still check what arrived against the agreed delivery.
Use the material takeoff as background for the package, but reconcile receiving against the accepted order. If the takeoff and order differ, report that separately. Do not claim an undelivered item when it was never included in the purchase.
Record shortages and damage precisely
Describe what is missing, damaged, or different. Name the product, quantity, order reference, location, and condition. Take useful photos when safe and permitted. Keep labels and packaging information that the supplier requests.
Follow the reporting deadline and method in your sales and delivery terms. Ask the supplier how concealed damage or an inaccessible package is handled if inspection happens later.
For a shortage, ask whether the item was omitted, backordered, supplied on another release, or recorded under a different line. For damage, ask what assessment or return process applies. Do not install questionable material before the responsible parties give direction.
Record what you requested and what the supplier agreed to do. Track replacement requests, acknowledgements, confirmed shipments, and issued credits separately. Name who handles each open issue and when the next update is due.
If the replacement would be a different product, use the material substitution guide. Get project approval even when the replacement is urgent.
Tell the trade what is ready and what is missing
Tell the affected trade which parts of its package are ready and which remain open. Ask whether the trade can do the planned work with what arrived. Do not assume the main product alone makes the scope ready to start.
For missing special-order items, confirm the supplier’s current milestone and expected next update. The lead-time guide explains the difference between production, shipping, branch receipt, and site delivery. Name the milestone when updating the crew.
Keep received materials identified by job and phase. Ask the site lead and responsible trade how to protect and move them. Follow product-specific instructions and the site storage plan rather than a generic rule about leaving material outdoors.
Close the delivery record after you resolve shortages, damage, and wrong items. Confirm the office has the final documents. Preserve receiving notes, photos, replacement confirmations, returns, and credits together. Use those records to improve instructions for the next drop.
For supplier reps setting up the account, use winning builder accounts to identify the buying and receiving roles before proposing the first order.
Where Cercha fits
Cercha profiles and Messages help members identify and contact suppliers and trades. Use those conversations to find the responsible people. Confirm delivery booking, site instructions, receiving, and replacements directly through the supplier and project team.