The real problem with proof of delivery
Most couriers already “do” proof of delivery. Drivers take a photo when they remember, get a scrawl on a phone screen when the recipient is willing, and write “left with neighbour” on a docket. The trouble shows up weeks later, when a customer says a parcel never arrived and the only evidence is a blurred photo of a door that could be anywhere.
Good proof of delivery is not about having a camera in the app. It is about consistency: the same evidence, captured in the same way, on every drop, tied to a time and a place. That means rules the driver cannot skip.
Rules your drivers cannot skip
In Settings → Delivery rules you decide what a completed delivery needs:
- Photos: required or optional, with a minimum of one to five.
- Recipient name: who took it, and their relationship to the addressee.
- Signature: captured on the driver’s screen.
- Delivery code: a one-time code the recipient sees on their tracking page after verifying their phone number.
- Leave at door: allowed or not; if allowed, a photo is always required.
- Maximum distance: how far from the delivery pin the driver may be when completing.
If something is missing, the app tells the driver what and takes them back to that step. The rule is checked by the server, not just the phone, so a driver cannot get round it with an old or modified app.
Proof that stands up
Each photo and signature is stored against the delivery with the time it was captured, the driver’s GPS position and its accuracy, and the distance from the delivery address. The distance check is sensible about weak signals: if the phone’s own GPS fix is less accurate than the distance limit, the driver is not blocked by a bad reading.
Behind the proof sits the delivery’s audit trail: every status change with who made it and when, the route the driver took, the time spent at the drop before the handover, and every update the customer was shown. Together they make a dispute pack you can export as a PDF.
What you do with it
- Send it: download a proof-of-delivery PDF with the tracking code, addresses, handover details, timeline, photos and signature.
- Show it: optionally display the photos and signature on the customer’s tracking page once the item is delivered.
- Sync it: receive it in your own system through the
delivery.completedwebhook.
How it feels for the driver
The handover is three short steps on the driver’s phone: take the photos, record who received it (or that it was left at the door, if allowed) with an optional or required signature, then confirm with the delivery code if you use one and mark the delivery as delivered or not delivered with a reason. Photos are compressed on the phone before upload, so they go quickly even on a weak connection.
Choosing proof of delivery software
When you compare tools, ask each vendor:
- Can I make proof mandatory, or is it only available?
- Is the time and GPS position recorded with each photo and signature?
- Can I prove the driver was at the right address, not just somewhere?
- Can I export one document per delivery for a customer or insurer?
- Does pricing suit my volume, or do I pay per driver whether they work or not?
Track That Ride answers yes to the first four, and charges per delivery on the Free plan. If you also need route planning, it is not the right tool on its own; see our comparison with Track-POD for an honest view.