This is a ready-to-use log for reconciling custody continuity against condition (temperature) continuity for a single shipment, the check that catches the gap a clean-looking custody trail can hide. Custody continuity and condition continuity are two separate proofs; this log forces both to be checked together, per shipment, not assumed from a tidy-looking dispatch record alone. Replace every <<FILL: ...>> placeholder with your own specifics. A worked specimen follows.
Instructions
Complete one log per shipment requiring chain-of-custody assurance (high-value, temperature-sensitive, or controlled product, per your risk classification). Populate the handoff rows from the WMS, TMS, and carrier tracking systems, then reconcile against the logger span in the summary section.
Field table
| Field | Format | Required | Completed by | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipment / dispatch record number | <<FILL>> | Yes | Logistics | At dispatch |
| Logger serial | <<FILL>> | Yes | Logistics | At dispatch |
| Logger start time (configured) | Date/time, time zone stated | Yes | Warehouse operator | At activation |
| Handoff event | Free text (e.g. dispatch scan, carrier pickup, hub arrival, hub departure, delivery scan) | Yes | System of record per event | At each handoff |
| Handoff time | Date/time, time zone stated | Yes | System of record | At each handoff |
| Releasing party (name or ID) | <<FILL>> | Yes | System of record | At each handoff |
| Receiving party (name or ID) | <<FILL>> | Yes | System of record | At each handoff |
| Source system | <<FILL: WMS / TMS / carrier track / logger portal>> | Yes | Reviewer | At reconciliation |
| Logger read-out time and final span | Date/time range, time zone stated | Yes | Receiving | At receipt |
| Reconciliation outcome | Continuous / gap identified | Yes | Reviewer | At reconciliation |
| Gap description, if any | Free text: duration, which boundary (before first handoff, between handoffs, after last handoff, before logger start, after logger stop) | Yes if gap found | Reviewer | At reconciliation |
| Escalation | Quality event reference, if a gap was found | Yes if gap found | Reviewer | At reconciliation |
Retention
Retain with the shipment record per the records retention schedule, for not less than <<FILL: retention period>>.
Filled specimen
Completed for the custody-gap worked example used in the parent article, shown here with a genuine gap so the log format is visible in both outcomes.
Handoff table:
| Handoff event | Time | Party | Source system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dispatch scan | 2026-06-10 06:05 EDT | Warehouse, J. Rivera | WMS |
| Carrier pickup | 2026-06-10 06:40 EDT | Carrier driver, badge 8841 | TMS |
| Hub arrival | 2026-06-10 11:10 EDT | Carrier hub | Carrier track |
| Hub departure | 2026-06-10 19:55 EDT | Carrier hub | Carrier track |
| Delivery scan | 2026-06-11 23:30 EDT | Receiver, M. Osei | WMS |
Reconciliation summary:
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Shipment number | SHP-2026-11842 |
| Logger serial | TL-2291847 |
| Logger start time (configured) | 2026-06-10 12:00 EDT |
| Logger read-out time and final span | 2026-06-11 23:32 EDT; span 2026-06-10 12:00 to 2026-06-11 23:32 |
| Reconciliation outcome | Gap identified |
| Gap description | Custody trail is continuous from dispatch (06:05) through delivery (23:30), but the logger did not start until 12:00, leaving a six-hour window (06:05-12:00) with no temperature evidence even though custody looks unbroken |
| Escalation | Quarantine pending investigation; deviation DEV-2026-0198 raised against the activation SOP |
The custody trail alone would have passed review; it is unbroken from dispatch to delivery. The reconciliation against the logger span is what surfaces the six-hour condition gap, which is the finding that actually matters for a temperature-sensitive product.
Common inspection findings this log prevents
- A custody trail reviewed and accepted as continuous without ever being checked against the logger span.
- A logger start time later than the dispatch time, with the resulting gap unnoticed because no one reconciles the two records against each other.
- Handoff events recorded by generic accounts (“courier,” “warehouse”) with no individually attributable party.
- A reconciliation performed only when something already looks wrong, rather than as a routine step on every shipment in scope.
How to adapt this log
- Set the risk-based criteria for which shipments require this reconciliation (temperature-sensitive, high-value, controlled substance, or any shipment flagged for a chain-of-custody requirement in your quality system).
- Pull handoff times directly from source systems, not from a manually retyped summary, so the reconciliation reflects the actual system records.
- Standardize time zone reporting across every source system referenced, or convert everything to UTC before reconciling, since most apparent gaps are really unresolved time zone differences.
- Route any identified gap to your deviation or quality-event system immediately; do not let the log sit as a passive record with an unresolved gap noted but not escalated.