OS&D Report: Over, Short and Damaged Freight

The three exceptions

Exception	What it means	Common causes	First check
Over	More pieces arrived than the paperwork lists	Freight for another consignee loaded in error, a pick error at origin, a documentation mistake	Labels and references on the extra pieces
Short	Fewer pieces arrived than listed	Pieces left at a terminal, delivered elsewhere, miscounted at pickup, or stolen	Count again; check whether pieces were consolidated onto fewer pallets
Damaged	Pieces arrived in a condition that differs from how they were tendered	Handling, shifting loads, poor packaging, temperature, water	Photograph before moving further

A shipment can have more than one exception at once. Record each one separately.

Receiving procedure that produces a usable report

Check the seal before the doors open on a sealed trailer or container, and compare the number with the paperwork. See container seal verification.
Count pieces against the bill of lading as they come off, by handling unit: pallets, cartons, crates. Note if the carrier's count and yours differ.
Inspect as you unload. Look for crushed corners, punctures, wet spots, broken stretch wrap, leaning or rebuilt pallets, and re-taped cartons.
Photograph every exception in place, with the label visible.
Write the exceptions on the delivery receipt before signing: how many pieces short or over, which pieces are damaged and how. Ask the driver to sign or initial the notation where that is the practice.
Complete the OS&D report the same day, while the people and the freight are still there.
Notify the shipper and carrier with the report and photos, and segregate the affected goods.

OS&D report template

Section	Fields
Shipment	Bill of lading number, PRO or tracking number, purchase order, shipper, carrier, trailer or container number
Arrival	Date and time of arrival, door number, driver name, seal number on the paperwork and seal number found, seal condition
Count	Pieces expected, pieces received, handling units expected and received
Exceptions	For each: type (over, short, damaged), item, quantity, description, photo references
Notation	Exactly what was written on the delivery receipt, and whether the driver acknowledged it
Disposition	Where the affected goods are held, whether they were refused, and any instructions received
Sign-off	Receiver's name, signature, date and time

Keep the template short enough that people actually fill it in. A partly completed report written at the dock is worth more than a complete one written a week later from memory.

What happens to "over" freight

Overages are easy to ignore because nothing is missing. They matter because somebody else is short. Hold overage freight, report it to the carrier with its labels and markings, and do not use or sell it. Carriers typically run an OS&D process of their own to match overages at one location with shortages reported at another, and a clear description with photos of labels is what makes that match possible.

Refusing freight

A receiver can sometimes refuse damaged goods, but refusal is not always the best choice. Refused goods go back into the carrier's custody, may be sold as salvage, and are no longer available for you to inspect. Refusing part of a shipment and accepting the rest, with a clear notation, is often cleaner. Follow the shipper's instructions where you have them, and record the decision in the report.

Turning the report into a claim

An OS&D report is evidence, not a claim. For US interstate truck shipments, the federal claim rules in 49 CFR 370.3 say that notations of shortage or damage on delivery receipts and similar documents do not, standing alone, meet the minimum filing requirements. The shipper or consignee still needs to file a written claim that identifies the shipment, asserts liability and states an amount. The freight claim process guide walks through it. If the damage was found only after the driver left, follow the concealed damage steps.

Mistakes that weaken OS&D reports

Counting cartons when the bill of lading lists pallets, or the reverse, so the numbers never match.
Writing "damaged" without saying which pieces, how many, or how.
Photos with no label or reference visible, which cannot be tied to the shipment.
Moving damaged freight into stock before it is reported.
Filing the report days later, after the driver, the packaging and the memory are gone.

Metrics worth watching

Exception rate by carrier and lane: the share of deliveries with any OS&D, not only those that became claims.
Exception type mix: repeated shortages suggest a counting or security problem; repeated damage suggests packaging or handling.
Time from delivery to report: long gaps weaken every claim that follows.
Resolution time: how long overages and shortages stay open before being matched.

These are only useful if exceptions are recorded against the same shipment reference the rest of the business uses. Where the history lives in one record from pickup to delivery, a pattern of shortages on one leg is visible without a spreadsheet exercise. That is the idea behind Cargovate's warehouse tools.

Common questions

What does OS&D stand for?

Over, short and damaged. It covers any delivery where the quantity or condition does not match the shipping documents.

Who fills in the OS&D report?

The receiving party, usually the consignee's dock or warehouse team, completes it at or soon after delivery. Carriers also keep OS&D records of their own for freight in their terminals.

Is an OS&D report the same as a freight claim?

No. It records the facts. A claim is a separate written demand for a specific amount, filed with the carrier within the time limit in the contract.

What should I write on the delivery receipt?

Be specific: "2 of 12 pallets short," "1 carton crushed, contents not inspected," "seal number does not match bill of lading." Vague phrases carry little weight later.