Armored Car Pickup and Delivery Dual Control SOP

It covers the full armored handoff workflow for pickup or delivery, including schedule confirmation, dual-control assignment, carrier identity checks, seal inspection, count reconciliation, and logging. It is designed for cash, coin, checks, and other high-value shipments that require a documented chain of custody. It also includes the release or acceptance decision so the handoff closes cleanly.

Use it any time an armored carrier arrives to collect or deliver valuables that must be verified before transfer. It is especially useful for branch cash replenishment, retail deposit pickups, vault transfers, and end-of-day secure deliveries. Do not use it for informal courier drops or low-risk parcels that do not require dual control.

Two authorized employees should perform the procedure together, with one acting as the primary checker and the other as the verifier. A manager, vault lead, or designated competent person should define who is authorized to sign, count, and release shipments. The armored carrier representative should never be the only witness to the count or seal check.

It is used each time a scheduled pickup or delivery occurs, so the cadence is event-based rather than daily by default. Some organizations also use it for unscheduled emergency transfers, but only if the same authorization and logging requirements can be met. If the handoff is recurring, the schedule should be reviewed and updated whenever route timing or staffing changes.

The template supports ISO 9001 documented information practices by creating a repeatable record of the handoff and verification steps. It also aligns with internal cash-control, loss-prevention, and segregation-of-duties expectations, which are important in regulated retail, banking, and secure logistics environments. If the shipment involves hazardous materials or restricted goods, additional site rules and permit-to-work controls may apply.

Common failures include accepting a carrier without checking credentials, skipping seal verification, counting without dual control, and logging incomplete manifest details. Another frequent issue is releasing a shipment before both employees agree the count matches the manifest. The template also helps prevent weak escalation handling when a seal is broken, a container is damaged, or the paperwork does not match.

Yes. You can add site-specific authorization lists, manifest fields, seal numbering rules, variance tolerances, and escalation contacts. Many teams also customize the template for different shipment types, such as cash bags, coin cassettes, ATM replenishment, or inter-branch transfers. Keep the dual-control and verification steps intact even when you tailor the details.

An ad-hoc handoff relies on memory and verbal confirmation, which makes disputes harder to resolve and increases the chance of missed checks. This SOP creates a consistent step order, documented verification, and a clear escalation path when something does not match. That makes it easier to train staff, audit transfers, and investigate non-conformance.

Yes. The log section can be mapped to a cash management system, incident register, or document control workflow, and the manifest fields can be mirrored in your ERP or branch operations tools. If you use barcode scans, seal tracking, or digital signatures, those can be added as verification fields without changing the core process. Keep the record retention rules aligned with your internal document control policy.