How to write a waybill
A waybill is only useful if it survives contact with a dispute. That means writing it as though someone unfamiliar with the delivery will read it in three months.
This guide covers each field and the errors that make a waybill worthless at the moment you need it.
Step 1 — Number and date it
Head the document Waybill and give it a unique number in its own sequence — WB-2026-001. Add the dispatch date.
Sequential numbering lets you tie a delivery to an order, an invoice and a customer without searching. It also makes a missing waybill obvious.
Step 2 — Consignor and consignee
Both need a name, address and a contact number.
The critical detail: the consignee address must be the delivery address, which is frequently not the billing address. Using the billing address by default is the most common cause of a failed delivery, and it happens because the customer record holds one address and nobody asked for the other.
A recipient phone number matters more than people expect. A driver who cannot find an address with nobody to call will return the goods.
Step 3 — Transporter and vehicle
Record the carrier, the driver's name, and the vehicle registration.
Registration is what makes a consignment traceable. A waybill naming only “own vehicle” gives you nothing to follow up if goods go missing, and nothing to give an insurer.
Step 4 — Describe the goods properly
Three things per line: what it is, how many, and how it is packaged.
Count in the unit that will be handled. “10 cartons, 12 units each” can be verified at the door; “120 units” cannot. Add total weight, and note the packaging type — cartons, pallets, drums, crates.
Avoid “assorted goods”. It cannot be checked at delivery, is useless in a claim, and will hold a shipment at any border.
Step 5 — Declared value and handling
State the declared value where insurance applies. Under-declaring reduces what you can recover — cover is calculated on the declared figure.
Add handling instructions where they matter: fragile, keep upright, temperature range, do not stack. These belong on the waybill because it is the document that stays with the goods.
Step 6 — Signatures
Two blocks. Dispatched by — name, signature, date and time. Received by — name, signature, date and time.
Brief the recipient to note any shortage or damage before signing. A clean signature on a damaged consignment is close to fatal to a later claim.
Then make one person responsible for the signed copy coming back. That single piece of process is what determines whether your waybills are worth anything.
A worked example
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document | WAYBILL |
| Number | WB-2026-047 |
| Date | 18 February 2026 |
| Consignor | Topweb Digital Services, Gwarinpa, Abuja — 0811 000 0000 |
| Consignee | ABC Ventures Ltd, 12 Awolowo Road, Lagos — 0802 000 0000 |
| Transporter | Swift Haulage — driver A. Bello — vehicle ABJ-421-XY |
| Goods | 8 cartons LED downlights, 24 per carton; 2 cartons cable, 100m each |
| Total weight | 168 kg |
| Declared value | 1,450,000 |
| Handling | Keep dry, do not stack above 4 high |
| Invoice ref | INV-2026-014 |
Frequently asked questions
What information goes on a waybill?
A waybill number and date, consignor and consignee with addresses and phone numbers, transporter and vehicle registration, itemised goods with quantity, packaging and weight, declared value, handling instructions, and signature blocks for dispatch and receipt.
Why must the consignee address be the delivery address?
Because billing and delivery addresses often differ, and using the billing address by default is the most common cause of a failed delivery.
Why record the vehicle registration?
It makes the consignment traceable. A waybill naming only the carrier gives you nothing to follow up with if goods go missing, and nothing to give an insurer.
How should quantities be expressed?
In the unit that will be handled — ten cartons of twelve, not one hundred and twenty units. A recipient counting cartons cannot verify a figure given in units.
What should the recipient do before signing?
Check the consignment and note any shortage or damage on the waybill before signing. A clean signature on damaged goods makes a later claim very hard to sustain.
Should the waybill reference the invoice?
Yes, and the invoice should reference the waybill. Cross-referencing is what lets you reconcile what was sent against what was billed.