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Contractor & Pro Resources
How to Count Your Boards at Delivery
Counting takes about five minutes and it has to happen while the driver is still on site — not next week. Here is exactly how to verify quantity and length on a banded bundle, what to photograph, and what you are agreeing to when you sign the delivery receipt.
Why it can't wait until you're back on site
Once you or anyone on your crew signs the delivery receipt, the freight carrier's legal responsibility for that shipment ends. If a bundle is short or damaged and the receipt was signed clean, the carrier has no obligation to pay — and we lose the only leverage we have to make it right for you. A count done days later can't be tied back to the truck.
Chain of custody, in plain English
Your material passes through several sets of hands: our mill or warehouse bands and wraps it and hands it to the carrier, the carrier moves it (sometimes transferring it to a second carrier for the final mile), and the driver hands it to you. Each handoff is documented, and the signature at each stop is what proves the freight was complete and undamaged when it left that party's control.
Your signature is the last link in that chain. It's the moment responsibility transfers from the carrier to you. That's why we ask you to count and photograph before you sign — those few minutes are what allow us to file and win a claim on your behalf if something is wrong.
None of this is about doubting you. It's about making sure that if there is a problem, the proof exists and we can fix it fast instead of arguing about it.
The 5-Minute Delivery Check
Peel the wrap back and count the ends
You do not need to unband or unstack anything. Cut or peel back the protective plastic or heat wrap on one end of the bundle so the board ends are exposed.
Boards are stacked in even rows and columns, so count one row across and multiply by the number of rows, then check the last row for a partial count. Do this for each bundle on the pallet and add them up.
Tip: point your phone camera at the exposed ends and take one clear, square-on photo. It's far easier to recount from a photo than to recount in a driveway with a driver waiting.
If quantity looks off, measure the stack lengthwise
Run a tape measure along the full length of the stack, end to end, and photograph the tape in the frame so the number is readable. That single photo confirms the board length of the whole bundle.
Between the end photo (quantity) and the lengthwise photo (length), you've documented both halves of the order — total footage — without breaking a single band.
If your count doesn't match the quantities on your quote or packing list, note the shortage on the delivery receipt before signing, in writing: for example, "1 bundle short — 22 pieces received, 25 expected."
Sign only when you've confirmed it
When you sign for the bundles, you are stating that the shipment arrived complete and undamaged. That's what the signature means to the carrier — not "it showed up."
If anything is short, crushed, water-stained, or the banding is broken, write it on the receipt and take photos before the driver leaves. You can accept the delivery and note the exception — you don't have to refuse the load.
Then send us the photos and the noted receipt the same day and we'll take it from there.
Delivery-day checklist
Don't have a packing slip?
No problem — you can still verify the count. Your expected board count is listed piece by piece on your quote and order confirmation. Log in to your customer portal to pull up your order right on your phone, or search your email for your order confirmation and packing slip — either one shows exactly how many boards of each length should be on the truck.
Someone else receiving for you?
Whoever signs is the person the carrier holds accountable. If a crew member, homeowner, or neighbor is taking the delivery, send them this page ahead of time and make sure they know to count the ends and note anything wrong before signing.
Questions during a delivery? Call us right then at 1-844-674-4455 — we'd rather talk it through with the driver still there.