Scanning: How to Scan Items on and off the Delivery Vehicle

Learn how to efficiently scan items on and off your delivery vehicle for seamless tracking and proof of delivery.

Caroline Hassett
Caroline Hassett
• 2 min read

Barcode and package scanning in SmartRoutes helps delivery teams maintain chain-of-custody tracking from the depot to the customer's door.

Scanning items on and off vehicles prevents loading mistakes, eliminates misplaced parcels, and creates an audit trail of every package handled by your fleet.

Scanning Settings

  1. Click on Settings in the left-hand navigation menu.
  2. Under Driver App, select Scanning

From this screen, you can define exactly when drivers are prompted to scan and at what level of detail packages are tracked:

  • Scan onto the Vehicle (Loading): Drivers scan parcels at the depot or fulfillment hub during vehicle loading to confirm all assigned items are packed before dispatch.
  • Scan off the Vehicle (Unloading/Drop-off): Drivers scan barcodes at each delivery stop before marking the stop complete to ensure packages are not handed over to the wrong recipient.
  • Both Load and Unload: Recommended for maximum accountability, creating verified timestamps for when an item enters the vehicle and when it is delivered.

Once configured in settings, scanning prompts appear automatically in the SmartRoutes driver app.

  • When loading or completing a stop, the driver taps the Barcode Scanner icon.
  • The driver points their mobile camera at the barcode on the parcel label.
  • The app instantly verifies the barcode against the manifest, updating the stop item counter (e.g., To Unload: 0 / Unloaded: 1).

Review Scanning History & Audit Logs

Dispatchers and fleet managers can track barcode scan confirmations in real time.

Click into any completed delivery and the order view displays whether items were scanned successfully, the specific product codes/barcodes captured, and the precise timestamps for both loading and unloading events.

This electronic record serves as an extra layer of proof of delivery, helping resolve customer dispute claims quickly.

Didn’t answer your question?

You can see our other guides here or contact support at support@smartroutes.io.

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