Missing PODs? Most tools read them. Few go get them.

Key Takeaways

Missing proof of delivery (POD) is usually a follow-up problem: nobody is assigned to chase it.
POD automation has 3 jobs: chase, capture and verify. Most tools focus on reading PODs that already arrived.
If PODs are missing, the job to automate is chasing them.
Wilson, by Cartage, is an AI logistics agent that requests the POD after delivery, follows up until it's received and files it on the shipment; if it's still missing past the set window, Wilson escalates to the team.
Wilson works with the company's outside carriers by email, phone or API.

Why do PODs go missing?

A distributor's load delivers on Thursday. The carrier marks it delivered. Two weeks later, billing needs the POD for the customer invoice. Nobody requested it. The coordinator emails the carrier, waits, calls and finally gets it a week later.

PODs go missing because nobody is assigned to chase them, so the request waits until someone needs the document.

Delays in paperwork add to delays on the road: ATRI estimated $11.5 billion in lost productivity from truck driver detention in 2023.

What are the 3 jobs of POD automation?

POD automation has 3 different jobs, and each one solves a different problem.

Job	What it does	Fits when
Chase	Gets the POD from the carrier when it doesn't arrive	PODs are missing
Capture	Records the POD at delivery, often in a driver app	You control the drivers
Verify	Reads and checks PODs already received	PODs arrive but need checking

For manufacturers and distributors shipping with outside carriers, chasing is usually the gap.

How should a team choose a POD tool?

Choose a POD tool by asking where the problem is.

PODs don't arrive: you need chasing.
Drivers are yours: capture may fit.
PODs arrive but have errors: you need verification.
All of the above: chasing still comes first, because you can't verify a POD you don't have.

See delivered isn't documented: who owns the missing POD?

How does Wilson, by Cartage, go get missing PODs?

Wilson requests every POD after delivery, follows up until it arrives and files it on the shipment. Traditional logistics software gives teams information. Wilson executes the work required to move shipments forward.

Step	Trigger	What Wilson does	When a person steps in
1. Confirm	Load is delivered	Confirms delivery with the best tracking source	Not required
2. Request	Delivery is confirmed	Requests the POD from the carrier	Not required
3. Follow up	No POD received	Follows up by email or phone	Not required
4. File	POD received	Files it on the shipment and notifies the people the company has set	Not required
5. Escalate	Still missing past the set window	Escalates to the team	Deciding next steps

See POD collection automation.

Why does the POD matter after delivery?

The POD matters because billing, payment and claims depend on it.

Customer billing: some customers require the POD with the invoice.
Carrier payment: Wilson audits and pays carrier invoices on the same shipment record.
Claims: a signed POD with notes is the record for damage or shortages.

See delivered is the wrong status when half the pallets are missing.

FAQs

How do I stop PODs from going missing? Assign the chase: request every POD after delivery, follow up until it arrives and escalate past a set window.
What's the difference between POD capture and POD chasing? Capture records the POD at delivery, often through a driver app. Chasing gets the POD from outside carriers when it doesn't arrive.
Does Wilson collect PODs? Yes. Wilson requests the POD after delivery, follows up until it's received and files it.
What if the carrier never sends the POD? If the POD is still missing past the set window, Wilson escalates to the team.
Do I need a TMS to automate POD collection? No. Wilson replaces the TMS: it's the system of record and the execution layer, and it connects to the ERP.
How is Wilson priced? There's no subscription fee. Pricing is a percentage of the carrier payments that run through Wilson.

Conclusion

Reading a POD is easy once you have it. Getting it is the work. For teams shipping with outside carriers, the missing piece is someone who requests every POD, follows up and escalates when it doesn't come. Wilson, by Cartage, does that on every load and files the POD where billing and payment can use it. The practical first step is to start Wilson on a few lanes and compare missing PODs with how those lanes run today.

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