Short shipment

A short shipment describes the absence, non-delivery, or incomplete fulfillment of cargo on a shipping list.

Short shipment can also be reported by the recipient if a received quantity does not match the stated shipment quantity, usually due to loss or theft.

Attempts to prevent detection of such practice generally require keeping two sets of books, that is, filing two inconsistent sets of paperwork.

[2] When a short shipment or over shipment is noticed − most often by the recipient, although occasionally by the sender in the case of an error noticed post-shipment − the other party should be informed promptly, so corrective action can be taken.

Furthermore, one might carry out an investigation into the cause of the error to ensure that fraud or theft is not occurring through incorrect reporting or other means.