Ready-Mix Delivery Ticket Checklist
Review a ready-mix delivery ticket for mix design, yards, batch time, arrival, slump, water added, unload time, wait-time, standby, rejected-load, returned-yards, and fee questions.
Ticket audit
fields + fees
Check mix, yards, batch time, water, acceptance, returned yards, standby, detention, and signatures
A ready-mix delivery ticket checklist helps you understand what arrived on site after the truck is dispatched. The ticket may show mix design, yards, batch time, arrival time, slump, water added, unload time, admixtures, and charges that matter for payment, closeout, and warranty questions.
The highest-risk ticket questions usually happen when the truck waits, the site refuses a load, concrete returns to the plant, or a fee appears with a name like standby, detention, excess unloading time, returned material, washout, environmental, or ticket surcharge. Use this page to normalize those labels before you approve payment.
Before delivery, compare supplier quotes with the Ready-Mix Concrete Supplier Quote Checklist. If the quote decision is still between a truck and bagged concrete, review the Ready-Mix vs Bags Cost Comparison before the order is locked. If the ticket volume does not seem to match the forms, compare measured volume, waste, bag yield, billable yards, and returned concrete in the Concrete Yield Calculator Guide before treating it as a shortage. If the open issue is extra concrete coming back in the truck, a returned-load policy, or a ticket surcharge for surplus material, check the Returned Concrete Fee Guide before signing off. If the ticket issue began with a refused load, site-readiness miss, wrong mix detail, or load that could not be placed, use the Rejected Concrete Load Fee Guide with the ticket record. On pour day, use the Concrete Pour Planner. If a contractor includes ready-mix inside a bid, review the line item in the Concrete Quote Reviewer.
This page supports ready-mix delivery questions by turning the ticket into a practical post-delivery review workflow.
Quick answer
A ready-mix delivery ticket should help verify:
delivery ticket review =
project and supplier details
+ mix design, yards, and admixtures
+ batch, arrival, unload, and washout timing
+ slump, water, and field notes
+ acceptance, rejection, returned-yards, and fee ownership notes
+ fees, signatures, and closeout records
Do not use the ticket to make engineering conclusions by yourself. Use it as a record to discuss with the supplier, contractor, inspector, or qualified local professional.
Ticket fields to check
| Ticket field | Why it matters | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier and job | Confirms delivery belongs to your project. | Address, order number, customer name. |
| Cubic yards | Sets material delivered. | Ordered yards and waste allowance. |
| Mix design | PSI, aggregate, air, fiber, pump mix. | Quote, contract, and project requirement. |
| Batch time | Concrete age affects schedule. | Arrival and placement timing. |
| Arrival time | Starts access and wait-time questions. | Dispatch window and included unload time. |
| Slump | Workability record. | Quoted slump and field adjustment notes. |
| Water added | Can affect warranty or performance discussions. | Who requested it, how much was added, and how it was noted. |
| Acceptance or rejection note | Shows who accepted, refused, or partly accepted the load. | Written order, inspection status, and load-acceptance terms. |
| Returned yards | Separates surplus or rejected material from a shortage claim. | Placed yards, measured forms, and returned-material policy. |
| Departure / washout | Helps explain wait-time, cleanup, and washout charges. | Included unload time and site washout plan. |
| Fees | Confirms invoice lines. | Delivery, wait time, standby, detention, short-load, fuel, tax. |
For wait-time charges, use the Concrete Truck Wait Time Fee Guide. For refused or partly accepted loads, keep the Rejected Concrete Load Fee Guide beside the ticket.
Delivery ticket worksheet
| Field | Ticket value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier | ||
| Project/address | ||
| Truck number | ||
| Ordered yards | ||
| Delivered yards | ||
| Mix design / PSI | ||
| Aggregate / air / fiber | ||
| Slump | ||
| Batch time | ||
| Arrival time | ||
| Unload complete | ||
| Water added | ||
| Load accepted / rejected / partial | ||
| Returned yards or surplus plan | ||
| Standby, detention, or wait-time line | ||
| Driver or customer signature | ||
| Extra fees |
Acceptance, rejection, and returned-load notes
If the ticket is tied to a disputed delivery, write down the event before you argue the line item. A rejected load, a returned load, and a wait-time charge can appear on the same day, but they are not the same problem.
| Ticket note | What to capture | Where to reconcile it |
|---|---|---|
| Load accepted | Who accepted the mix, time, quantity, and signature. | Quote, order confirmation, and final invoice. |
| Load rejected | Reason, who had authority, and whether any concrete was placed. | Rejected Concrete Load Fee. |
| Partial acceptance | Ordered yards, placed yards, returned yards, and departure time. | Concrete Yield Calculator Guide. |
| Returned concrete | Surplus amount, washout, disposal, and ticket wording. | Returned Concrete Fee Guide. |
| Standby or detention | Arrival, unload start, unload stop, and truck-leaves time. | Concrete Truck Wait Time Fee Guide. |
| Reschedule or cancellation | Whether the truck was batched, loaded, dispatched, or stopped. | Concrete Cancellation Fee Guide. |
Keep photos of the forms, ticket, access route, weather, truck position, washout area, and any rejected or returned material. The goal is not to turn a ticket into a legal argument; it is to keep the facts visible enough for the supplier, contractor, inspector, or owner to resolve the cost line.
Water-added, slump, and timing notes
Concrete can lose slump as time, temperature, haul distance, and placement delays change. If water or an admixture is added on site, the ticket should show who requested it, how it was measured or approved, and whether the truck was mixed again before placement.
| Field note | Why it belongs on the ticket |
|---|---|
| Slump or workability concern | Helps separate a placement problem from a mix-detail problem. |
| Water requested by | Shows whether the purchaser, contractor, inspector, or supplier approved it. |
| Quantity or method recorded | Prevents vague "water added" notes from becoming a warranty dispute. |
| Additional mixing time / revolutions | Shows the adjustment was incorporated before discharge. |
| Time from batch to discharge | Helps discuss whether the load was still within the written project terms. |
For order-stage prevention, use the Ready-Mix Concrete Order Checklist before the truck is loaded.
When the ticket matters
| Situation | Why ticket records help |
|---|---|
| Contractor invoice review | Confirms yards, timing, and mix basis. |
| Wait-time dispute | Shows arrival and unload timing if recorded. |
| Mix question | Provides mix design and admixture notes. |
| Pump job | Confirms pump-friendly mix or supplier coordination. |
| Warranty question | Records water additions, timing, and delivered mix. |
| Final payment | Supports closeout and documentation. |
For payment records, review the Concrete Payment Schedule Guide.
Ticket red flags
| Red flag | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Yards differ from estimate | Was extra concrete ordered, rejected, or rounded by minimum load? |
| Returned concrete line appears | What returned-material policy, washout, disposal, or wait-time rule created it? |
| Mix design differs | Who approved the change? |
| Water added without note | Who requested it and how does it affect warranty terms? |
| Long time gap | Was timing acceptable for the project and weather? |
| Wait-time fee appears | What included time and rate were quoted? |
| Signature missing | Who accepted delivery and when? |
Ticket-to-invoice audit
Before paying, compare the ticket against the quote instead of only checking the cubic yards.
| Invoice line | Ticket evidence to look for | Related check |
|---|---|---|
| Wait time / standby / detention | Arrival, unload start, unload complete, departure, included minutes. | Wait-time fee guide. |
| Returned material | Returned yards, partial placement, washout, disposal notes. | Returned concrete fee guide. |
| Rejected load / replacement load | Reason for refusal, mix detail, timing, photos, and signature. | Rejected load fee guide. |
| Short-load or minimum | Ordered yards, billable yards, and supplier minimum. | Minimum delivery order. |
| Pump or access delay | Truck position, chute reach, pump arrival, route blockage. | Pump vs wheelbarrow cost. |
| Water or warranty note | Who requested the change and how the addition was recorded. | Mix-design and inspector discussion. |
If the ticket and invoice do not line up, paste both into the Concrete Quote Reviewer and ask for a written explanation before approving final payment.
Sources and checks
This page uses public ready-mix guidance as a planning checklist. It does not replace project specifications, ASTM documents, inspection, testing, legal advice, or supplier terms.
| Check | Source | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery-ticket requirement | NRMCA Plant Inspection Process | Supports treating the ticket as a formal production and delivery record tied to ready-mix requirements. |
| Jobsite water addition | NRMCA concrete materials FAQ and NRMCA CIP 26 Jobsite Addition of Water | Supports documenting water requests, field adjustments, and mixing after additions. |
| Ready-mix order details | NRMCA CIP 31 Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete | Keeps mix design, quantity, site access, timing, and responsibility tied to the written order. |
| Yield and returned material | NRMCA CIP 8 Discrepancies in Yield | Keeps ticket yards, measured forms, returned yards, and shortage questions separate. |
Concrete Estimator Hub is independent and is not affiliated with these organizations, suppliers, contractors, or standards publishers.
FAQ
What is a ready-mix delivery ticket?
It is the delivery record from the supplier or truck. It may show project details, yards, mix design, batch time, arrival, slump, water, signatures, and fees.
Should I keep concrete delivery tickets?
Yes when available. They can help compare invoices, warranty notes, supplier questions, and contractor closeout records.
Does a delivery ticket prove concrete quality?
No. It is a record, not a full quality test. Confirm testing, code, inspection, and warranty questions with qualified local professionals.
Can a delivery ticket help with a rejected load fee?
Yes. It can show the mix ordered, batch and arrival time, what was placed, what was returned, who signed, and which fee label appeared. It still does not prove fault by itself.
What if water was added on site?
Ask who requested it, how much was added, whether it was documented, and how it affects warranty or specification requirements.
Next step
Use the Concrete Mix Design Quote Checklist before ordering, then save ticket notes with your Concrete Quote Reviewer record before final payment.
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Quote planning next step
Turn this guide into a concrete buying check
Run the matching calculator, then compare ready-mix, bagged concrete, delivery fees, access needs, and quote gaps before you buy materials or approve a contractor number.