How to receive a pallet of pails: count, check, note

Before the truck arrives, at the dock and after: how to count the pails, check for leaks and damage, and write any exception on the delivery receipt.

By Baja Supply 5 min read

A worker pulls a pallet of plain white pails across the liftgate of a white box truck at a dock door, with desert hills beyond.

When you ask for a quote, tell us your receiving hours, any appointment rule, and whether you have a dock or need a liftgate. At delivery, count the pails, look for leaks and damage, and write any exception on the delivery receipt. Tell us in writing about damage or a shortage within 5 business days, with the lot code and photos.

Before the truck arrives

Tell us how you receive. The quote request has a field for your receiving hours, whether deliveries need an appointment, and whether you have a loading dock or need a liftgate. Our Terms of Sale ask for this in advance, and they ask you to provide safe access and the people and equipment needed to receive and unload.

Know the day. After you accept your quote, our team confirms the delivery day with you. Delivery dates are estimates, and we tell you promptly if a date changes.

Get the dock ready. If you unload with a forklift, OSHA's rule for powered industrial trucks says only operators who have been trained and evaluated may drive one. When a forklift drives onto a truck or trailer, the rule requires the truck's brakes to be set and wheel chocks placed under its rear wheels.

Have eye protection at hand. Section 8 of our Safety Data Sheets calls for chemical splash goggles, or safety glasses with side shields, when pouring or handling bulk containers. OSHA's eye protection rule asks employers to make sure workers use suitable eye protection where liquid chemicals can reach the eyes. Keep absorbent material and water nearby in case a pail leaks.

At the dock: what to check

Check the delivery while it is in front of you. Our Terms of Sale ask you to inspect the products when they are delivered and to note any visible damage, leaking pail or shortage on the delivery receipt.

Check What to look for What to write on the delivery receipt
Count The pails of each product against your order. Each label names the line, the variety and the SKU, such as BJS-LDA-5G. The product and how many pails are short
Load Pails that shifted, toppled or were crushed in transit Which pails and what you saw
Pails and lids Cracks, deep dents, loose lids, pails without a lid The number of damaged pails
Leaks Wet pails, liquid on the pallet or on the truck floor "Leaking pail" and how many
Labels A product label with its lot code on each pail, plus the pail's drowning warning A pail without a label, or with one you cannot read

Be specific. "2 pails PAPALOTE™ ALTO VUELO short" or "1 pail SIESTA™ leaking, lid cracked" says more than "damaged". Take photos of anything you note, and keep the products and their packaging so they can be inspected.

If a pail is leaking

Follow Section 6 of the Safety Data Sheet. Spilled product makes floors slippery. Wear eye protection, contain a large spill and absorb it with inert material such as sand, earth or absorbent pads, and place it in containers for disposal. Rinse small spills and residue with plenty of water, and keep large amounts out of storm drains.

If product gets in someone's eyes, Section 4 applies: rinse right away with water for at least 15 minutes, holding the eyelids open, remove contact lenses, and get medical attention. Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222, open 24 hours.

After the truck leaves

The products are yours from delivery. Under our Terms of Sale, title and the risk of loss or damage pass to you when the products are delivered to your address.

Report in writing, on time. Tell us in writing about damage or a shortage within 5 business days of delivery, and about any other problem with the products within 30 days. Include the lot code and photos. The lot code is on the product label, after the word LOT, near MADE IN MEXICO; the lot lookup shows what was printed for each lot. Claims made after these periods are waived. Write to pedidos@baja.supply or call 1-800-670-5003.

Store the pails well. Keep each pail closed and upright in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat, and out of the reach of children. Do not mix the products with other chemicals. PAPALOTE™ and CAZUELA™ keep for up to 12 months in the closed original pail under these conditions.

Questions

Whom do I tell about damage?

Tell Baja Supply, in writing, within the periods above, and write what you saw on the delivery receipt at the time of delivery.

What if I find a problem after the driver leaves?

Damage or a shortage: within 5 business days of delivery. Any other problem with the products: within 30 days. Include the lot code and photos either way.

Can the delivery come with a liftgate?

Tell us in your quote request whether you need one. Our team confirms freight and every condition of the delivery on your quote.

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