Standard Operating Procedures
daily operations
Vendor Delivery Receiving
Verify counts, condition, temps, and lot/expiry on every vendor delivery. Catches shorts, damages, and food-safety issues at the dock.
Built for:
Foodservice
Restaurants
Retail
Manufacturing
Distribution
What's inside this template
Steps
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Greet driver, verify BOL
Check the bill of lading matches your purchase order — vendor, PO number, expected items. Note any obvious damage to the truck or seal issues.
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Temperature check (cold/frozen)
Probe temperature on cold (≤41°F) and frozen (≤0°F) items at receiving. Photograph probe reading. Reject any out-of-spec product on the BOL.
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Count and condition check
Count cases vs BOL. Inspect for crushed boxes, leaks, water damage, pest evidence. Photograph any damage before unloading.
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Verify lot codes & expiry
Especially for FDA-regulated product: capture lot codes, manufacturing dates, and use-by dates. These enable recall response if needed.
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Note discrepancies on BOL
Mark shorts, damages, refusals directly on the BOL before signing. Driver and receiver both initial. Email scan to vendor + accounting same day.
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Put away by FIFO
Move to walk-in / dry storage with newest behind oldest. Apply received-date labels per inventory policy.
Common use cases
Daily food deliveries
Inventory accuracy
Vendor scorecard
Frequently asked questions
Can we accept a delivery if temperatures are out of spec?
No — refuse the affected items at the dock and note on the BOL. Accepting out-of-spec product transfers liability to your business and triggers food-safety risk.
Related templates
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