# How do you check delivery paperwork for materials in Puntland?

> Match every delivery to the order before unloading: check the delivery note, bag markings, steel tags and block counts against what the contract specifies.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 28 October 2026
- Format: Practical guide (general practice)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Materials
- Place: Puntland
- Tags: puntland, materials, material-receiving, storage
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/check-delivery-paperwork-materials-puntland

## Key points

- A delivery note proves what arrived, not what was ordered, so compare it line by line with the approved submittal before unloading.
- Record batch numbers, bag markings and steel heat or roll numbers on the receiving sheet so a later test failure can be traced to a load.
- Ask your engineer which documents the specification requires for each material, and refuse a load that cannot be identified.

A delivery note only records what the supplier says he brought. Before the truck is unloaded, someone on site should compare that note with the order, the approved submittal and the contract specification, and write down the differences. If the documents do not match, hold the load.

## What should be on the delivery note?

The note should name the material, the quantity, the supplier, the date and the batch or identification reference for each item, and a responsible person should sign it on arrival. A generic note reading "cement, 200 bags" tells you nothing. Check that the quantities match the order and that the references are specific enough to trace the load later.

Set up the check before the first truck arrives. Agree with your engineer which documents the specification requires for cement, steel and blocks, since Puntland projects vary and the contract often sets the list. Then prepare a receiving sheet with a line for each of these:

- supplier name and invoice or note number
- material, grade and quantity
- batch number, bag printing or steel tag number
- date and time of arrival and the receiving person's name
- condition on arrival and any rejection

Link to the [materials](/topics/materials) section for the wider picture. For the bag marks themselves, the method in [How do you mark and trace cement bags across a Somaliland site?](/blog/mark-trace-cement-bags-somaliland) applies to a Puntland store as well.

## How do you check cement against the note?

Count the bags, read the printing on each bag and confirm the brand, grade and batch match the note and the approved submittal. Look for torn bags, damp paper and lumps, and set any suspect bag aside rather than stacking it with the rest. Note down how many bags you rejected and why.

Bag printing is the cheapest trace you have. Write the brand, grade and batch number from the bags on the receiving sheet, and keep one empty bag from each delivery in the file. If a cube test later fails, that bag tells the engineer which load to question. When you are comparing two supplies, [How do you compare two cement brands for the same Puntland job?](/blog/compare-two-cement-brands-puntland) sets out the checks.

> **Warning:** A delivery note that cannot be matched to a batch number or a test certificate leaves you with no way to trace a failed cube or a cracked slab back to a load.

## How do you check steel and blocks on arrival?

For steel, match the tag or bundle marking and the nominal bar diameter and length to the note, and record the heat or roll number if the tag carries one. For blocks, count them and record the dimensions and the maker's mark. Both checks take minutes at the gate and save arguments later.

Ask your engineer which acceptance tests the specification requires and ask the supplier for the certificate before unloading. A certificate you cannot read against the tag is worth little, so use the checks in [How do you check a supplier's test certificate in Somaliland?](/blog/check-supplier-test-certificate-somaliland). If a supplier changes factory or source mid-project, the record of which load came from where is what lets you retest only the affected material, as [How do you retest materials when a Puntland supplier changes source?](/blog/retest-materials-supplier-source-change-puntland) explains. A [construction material calculator](/construction-material-calculator) helps you check whether the delivered quantity matches the work planned.

## What to do next

Before your next delivery, print a receiving sheet with a line for supplier, quantity, batch or tag number, arrival date and receiver's name. Hand it to the storekeeper and tell him no truck is unloaded until it is filled in and signed, with any mismatch written down and reported to the engineer.

## Questions

### Can I accept a delivery without a batch number?

Only if your engineer agrees in writing. Without a batch number you cannot trace a later test failure or defect back to a specific load, so it is safer to hold the delivery until the supplier provides it.

### Who should sign the receiving sheet?

The person who actually counted and inspected the material, usually the storekeeper or clerk of works, with the engineer countersigning where the contract requires it.