Shortage and excess disputes at dispatch stop when every carton going onto the truck is counted against the invoice, line by line, at the moment of loading, and that count leaves a record the other party can check. In practice this means replacing a single hand-written tally sheet with an independent, carton-code-level check backed by evidence such as scans, photos or timestamped images.
How a shortage dispute usually unfolds
The warehouse loads a truck against an invoice and delivery challan. The loading supervisor signs a tally sheet. The truck leaves with the LR and e-way bill. One Indian dispatch supervisor listing asks the candidate to “verify dispatch documents such as Delivery Challans, Invoices, E-Way Bills, and LR copies” (apna.co job listing).
At the distributor’s godown, the receiver counts again and records what arrived in a goods received note. A GRN compares quantity ordered against quantity received “to detect discrepancies” (Tally Solutions). If the count is short, the remark goes on the POD and the distributor raises a claim or a commercial debit note. Under GST, the supplier settles a deficiency through its own credit note (Busy).
The company says the truck was loaded complete. The distributor says it was not. The transporter says it carried what it was given. Each party has a piece of paper, but none has proof of what actually went onto the truck, carton by carton.
Where dispatch counts go wrong
Short shipments often start at origin. Cole International lists errors in “picking, packing, counting, or labeling”, freight left behind because of “last-minute changes”, and documents that show the wrong quantity even when the freight is complete (Cole International). Racklify adds loading omissions, such as pallets “skipped during loading or placed on a different trailer” (Racklify). In an Indian FMCG dock, these show up in five common ways.
One person, one pen, one tally sheet
A manual tally depends on one person keeping count while cartons move past. If that person is also responsible for the loading going well, the count is not independent. WDRA’s model SOP applies the opposite principle to stock records: quantities “should physically be verified by an employee independent of the storage” (WDRA model SOP).
Mixed cartons and look-alike SKUs
An FMCG load can carry several variants in cartons of the same size. The total can be right while one line is short and another is in excess. A tally sheet that counts “cartons” rather than carton codes will not catch this. Racklify recommends training staff specifically on odd-sized cartons, nested packaging and split pallets (Racklify).
Last-minute changes
An order is cut, a line is swapped or a truck is reassigned after picking has started. If the invoice changes but the staged cartons do not, or the other way round, the paperwork and the load no longer match.
Unlabelled or damaged labels
A carton with a torn, smudged or shrink-wrapped label is hard to identify by eye and by scanner. Torn or scratched labels “will not decode properly”, and shrink wrap or clear tape can cause glare (Advanced Automation).
Loading speed and the end-of-shift rush
When trucks are waiting and loaders are working fast, the counter has less time per carton. Counts made in a hurry are the ones most likely to be challenged later.
Options to fix it
The table compares the common approaches. Cost and effort are relative, because they depend on volumes, carton mix and dock layout.
| Method | What it catches | What it misses | Evidence it leaves | Effort to set up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double tally (two independent counters) | Simple miscounts | Wrong SKU in a look-alike carton; both counters can make the same mistake | Two signed sheets | Low; needs extra people |
| Barcode scanning at loading | Count and SKU per carton or pallet | Skipped scans; damaged or missing labels | Scan log with time and user | Medium; scanners and software |
| RFID at the dock door | Tagged cartons passing the door without line of sight | Untagged cartons; weak reads near metal or liquids; stray reads | Read log | High; tags on every carton plus readers |
| Weighing the loaded vehicle | Large differences in total weight | Which carton code is wrong; small differences | Weighment slip | Low if a weighbridge exists |
| Camera-based counting with images | Count and carton code at a fixed pass point | Cartons that bypass the pass point; heavy overlap | Image and timestamp per carton | Medium; needs a conveyor or fixed path |
| CCTV review | What happened, after the fact | Carton codes; fast counts | Video, if still retained | Low if cameras exist; review is slow |
Double tally
The cheapest fix is a second, independent count by someone who did not pick or load the order. Differences are resolved before the truck leaves, not after the distributor complains. It works best on high-value or dispute-prone routes. It is still paper, and it still counts what people can see.
Barcode scanning at loading
Cole recommends barcode scanning and weight checks because they flag discrepancies earlier and reduce reliance on manual counts (Cole International). Scanning at the dock door matters because “door scans prove what actually left”, while pack scans only show what was prepared (SG Systems). FMCG shipper cartons are a natural fit: GS1’s ITF-14 barcode is designed for corrugated boxes and can be printed directly on the carton (GS1 India). The cost is time: each carton or pallet needs a deliberate scan, and a missed scan is a missed count.
RFID
RFID reads tags without line of sight, which suits fast pallet moves through a door. But every carton needs a tag, and UHF signals are reflected by metal and absorbed by liquids (Atlas RFID). That matters for beverages, edible oil and personal care. We compare camera vs RFID vs barcode for counting cartons at the dock in a separate guide.
Weighing
WDRA’s model SOP includes “weighment of the loaded vehicles” in the delivery sequence, before the gate pass (WDRA model SOP). Weighing is a useful cross-check. It tells you the total is off, not which line is wrong. Scales also drift and need regular calibration (Racklify). A single light carton may not stand out in the weight of a full truck.
Camera-based counting with image evidence
Cameras at a fixed pass point, usually over a loading conveyor, can read the printed code or barcode on each carton, count it against the shipment and keep an image. Image-based readers can also let users “see what the reader sees” through image archiving (Logistics Management). The limits are physical. Cartons must pass the cameras, and boxes that are stacked or overlapping are harder to separate in an image (Ultralytics community). No outside-the-box method can confirm what is inside a sealed carton.
CCTV review
If your dock already has CCTV, it helps after a complaint, but footage is linked to time, not to invoice lines, and counting cartons from video is slow. Retention periods vary, so footage may be gone by the time a claim arrives (DocShipper). If you rely on video, tag recordings with the order number so they can be found (Smart Gladiator).
What good evidence looks like in a dispute
SG Systems puts it bluntly: “scans + EPCIS + photos win; anecdotes lose” (SG Systems). A strong dispute file has:
- A line-level count. Ordered versus loaded for each carton code, not just a total.
- Time and place. A timestamp for each carton, plus dock, vehicle number and invoice number.
- An independent record. A scan, image or second count that does not depend on the loader’s memory.
- Load photos and seal. At minimum the first row loaded and the last row before sealing, and the seal number (SG Systems).
- Exceptions closed before departure. Unknown cartons set aside, short lines either loaded or the invoice amended.
- Matching documents. Invoice, delivery challan, LR, e-way bill, gate pass and weighment record. WDRA lists the delivery order, weighment record and gate pass among dispatch records (WDRA model SOP).
- Receiving discipline at the other end. Shortages and excess “should be documented while freight is still visible and traceable” (Racklify), noted on the POD and the GRN.
For high-volume, low-value lanes, Racklify also suggests agreeing count tolerances in contracts to cut down small, frequent disputes (Racklify).
A practical rollout order
- Freeze the paperwork. Do not start loading until the invoice is final. If a line changes, re-stage the cartons.
- Add an independent count on the routes and distributors that raise the most claims.
- Make every carton identifiable. A readable carton code and barcode on every shipper carton.
- Pick an automated check that fits your flow. Conveyor loading suits fixed scanners or cameras. Pallet loading suits pallet-label scanning. Cartons tagged at source suit RFID.
- Review claims by root cause each month. Miscount, wrong SKU, late change, transit loss or paperwork.
Where DeepVision Warehouse fits
DeepVision Warehouse from Indus Vision includes a dock tally built for conveyor loading. An arch over the loading conveyor, with cameras overhead and on both sides, reads each carton’s printed code and barcode and tallies it in real time against the shipment, which you upload as an Excel file of order lines. The screen shows ordered versus loaded for each carton code, with short and excess live. Unknown cartons are held aside for an admin. An image and timestamp are kept for every carton, for disputes. It also works for unloading, where the inbound tally runs against what you expected to receive. It runs on site, needs no WMS change and exports XLSX. It was built in an FMCG distribution centre. See also our FMCG solutions page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a weighbridge reading enough to settle a shortage claim?
Usually not on its own. A weighment slip shows the total load, but it cannot show which carton code was short or in excess. Use it as a cross-check alongside a line-level count.
Should the distributor sign the POD if the count is short?
The shortage should be written on the POD before signing and recorded on the GRN while the goods are still on the dock. Documented POD helps resolve disputes quickly (Masters India).
Can we reduce disputes without RFID tags?
Yes. An independent second count, barcode scanning at the door, load photos and camera-based counting at a fixed pass point all work with the printed codes and barcodes already on your shipper cartons.
How long should we keep loading evidence?
At least as long as the claim window agreed with your distributors and transporters, plus any audit requirement. There is no single rule, so set it in your contracts.