A lorry receipt (also called a consignment note, goods receipt or bilti) is the document a goods transporter issues to the consignor on receiving goods for carriage by road, recording the consignor, consignee, description, number of packages, weight, freight terms and destination. Under the Carriage by Road Act, 2007 a common carrier must issue a goods receipt, which is prima facie evidence of the weight or measure and other particulars and of the carrier's receipt of the goods. On delivery the consignee signs the transporter's copy, which becomes proof of delivery.
How lorry receipts work in India
The supplier hands goods to the transporter with the invoice and e-way bill; the transporter issues the LR in multiple copies (consignor, consignee, driver, office). The consignee copy is sent to the buyer to collect the goods, or the goods are delivered door-to-door against the buyer's signature on the delivery copy. Transporters keep proof-of-delivery (POD) records, and larger ones provide tracking and electronic PODs. If the buyer refuses delivery, the transporter notifies the consignor and the goods are returned or held, which itself documents the attempted delivery.
Why it matters for getting paid
An LR with a delivery endorsement, matched to the invoice and e-way bill, closes the gap between "we dispatched" and "they received". It is independent evidence from a third party, which carries weight before Councils and courts. Suppliers should collect PODs from transporters within days of delivery and preserve them. See e-way bill, delivery challan and GRN.
How FundRaksha uses it
FundRaksha's advocates obtain PODs from transporters where the client has not kept them, and cite the LR numbers and delivery dates in the notice alongside e-way bills. The three documents together make a non-receipt defence untenable. 700+ businesses have been paid with FundRaksha's help; fee 30% on recovery.
Worked example (hypothetical)
A Panipat textile supplier sends 60 bales (₹5,40,000 including GST) to a Jaipur buyer via a transport company. LR no. 8872 records 60 bales, freight to-pay, consignee copy sent to the buyer. The buyer collects the goods against the consignee copy and the transporter's POD carries the buyer's stamp dated 14 August. Payment, due 13 September on 30-day terms, is not made. In the notice, the LR, POD, e-way bill and invoice are listed together. The buyer claims the goods were "never collected"; the stamped POD and its own ITC claim contradict this. It pays ₹5,40,000 plus agreed interest at 15% for four months, ₹27,000, in two instalments.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-08. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.