DD Form 1907 Chain of Custody: Shipper Entries, Tally, and Copies

To fill out DD Form 1907, the shipper completes Section I with the shipment’s identifying details before the cargo leaves the origin, and every person who accepts custody afterward signs a row in Section II with their name, location, signature, and the exact time and date of transfer. The current edition is dated January 2025 and downloads as a fillable PDF from the DoD Executive Services Directorate.1DoD Forms Management Program. DD1907 – Executive Services Directorate Before you start, check the lower-left corner reads “JAN 2025.” Older editions may use different field labels.

Section I: What the Shipper Fills In

Section I is the shipper’s job, and it has to be done before the cargo is tendered to a carrier. Every field creates the baseline record each subsequent handler will check the physical shipment against.2Washington Headquarters Services. DD Form 1907 – Signature and Tally Record

  • Fields 1a and 1b: your installation or activity name, and the shipping location.
  • Field 2 (Protective Service Requested): the TPS code that applies to the shipment, such as CSS, DD, PSS, or ST.
  • Field 3: the Commercial Bill of Lading number, which ties the 1907 to the carrier’s shipping documentation.
  • Fields 4a and 4b: the consignee’s name and destination.
  • Field 5 (Permit Number): complete only if a permit applies.
  • Field 6 (Transportation Control Number): the 17-character alphanumeric TCN assigned to the shipment unit, which links the paper record to digital tracking.3Vendor Support Center. Question 7
  • Field 7 (Routing): the planned route or carrier sequence from origin to destination.
  • Fields 8 and 9: total gross weight and cubic measurement, taken from the Military Shipping Label or packing documentation.
  • Field 10 (Special Instructions): handling notes, temperature requirements, or hazard warnings handlers should see at a glance.
  • Field 11: date the shipment was tendered to the carrier, in YYYYMMDD format.
  • Field 12: the name of the carrier accepting the initial shipment.
  • Field 13 (Number of Pieces): the exact piece count. This becomes the tally baseline every downstream recipient verifies.
  • Field 14 (Package Type or Seal Numbers): for unsealed loads, describe the package types (pallets, crates, drums). For sealed loads, record the conveyance identification and every seal number.
  • Field 15: the freight classification of the cargo contents.

Before you sign, physically verify the piece count and seal numbers against the cargo. These two fields cause the most trouble downstream. A miscount at origin turns into a discrepancy report at every subsequent stop, and a seal number that doesn’t match on arrival triggers a tamper investigation.

Section II: The Custody Record

Section II is where the chain of custody is actually built. Field 16 is a series of rows, and every person who accepts physical custody of the shipment fills in one row with four pieces of information:4Marine Corps Base Butler. DD Form 1907 – Signature and Tally Record

  • Printed name and the company, carrier, installation, or activity you represent.
  • Station, interchange point, or destination where the transfer is happening.
  • Handwritten signature acknowledging you now have custody.
  • Time accepted and date accepted, in YYYYMMDD format.

Both the person releasing custody and the person accepting it should be present for each transfer. The form travels with the shipment, usually in a waterproof pouch attached to the lead pallet or carried by the courier. Military police and security personnel at checkpoints can request it for inspection at any point. A blank row in the middle of Section II, or a signature without a matching time and date, raises immediate questions about where the cargo was and who had it.

Printing and Distributing the Copies

Once Section I is complete, the shipper prints two copies. The distribution instructions printed on the form itself lay out who ends up with what:2Washington Headquarters Services. DD Form 1907 – Signature and Tally Record

  • The shipper retains one copy and gives one to the origin carrier.
  • The origin carrier delivers the copy with original signatures to the destination carrier.
  • The destination carrier attaches one copy reflecting all original signatures, along with Standard Form 1113 (Public Voucher for Transportation Charges), to the original commercial Bill of Lading and forwards it for payment. The destination carrier also delivers a reproduced copy to the consignee and retains one copy.
  • The consignee confirms the destination carrier surrenders a reproduced copy of the completed form with all signatures.

The copy attached to the Bill of Lading for payment is the one that matters most from an audit perspective, because it connects the physical chain of custody to the financial transaction. Missing signatures on that copy can stall payment processing.

What Happens if the Tally Doesn’t Match at Delivery

If the piece count at delivery doesn’t match what Section I recorded, or seals arrive broken or missing, the receiving activity files a DD Form 361 (Transportation Discrepancy Report). The 361 asks for information that comes directly from the 1907:5Department of Defense (WHS). DD Form 361 – Transportation Discrepancy Report

  • Whether seals were intact, broken, or missing.
  • The exact number of pieces short or over.
  • Whether the discrepancy was noted on the carrier’s delivery receipt at the time; if not, the remarks section needs an explanation.
  • Supporting documents, including the carrier’s delivery receipt, the Bill of Lading, the DD Form 1348-1, and any other paperwork that helps reconstruct what happened.

This is where a carefully completed 1907 earns its keep. When every transfer point has a legible name, signature, time, and tally, investigators can pinpoint exactly where in the chain the discrepancy occurred. A sloppy record with missing entries or illegible signatures makes the discrepancy harder to resolve and spreads suspicion across everyone who touched the shipment.

When the Form Is Required

DD Form 1907 isn’t used for every DoD shipment. It applies to cargo moving under one of the Transportation Protective Service categories governed by Defense Transportation Regulation 4500.9-R: Constant Surveillance Service, Dual Driver Protective Service, Protective Security Service, and Signature and Tally Service. ST covers pilferable or high-value shipments generally valued at $50,000 or more that don’t fall under a more stringent service.6Defense Logistics Agency. DoD 4500.9-R Defense Transportation Regulation Part II Cargo Movement Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives shipments must also be prepared, sealed, and given in-transit surveillance under Chapters 204 and 205 of the DTR.7Washington Headquarters Services. DoDM 5100.76 – Physical Security of Sensitive Conventional Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives If your shipment’s protective service code doesn’t fall into one of these categories, confirm with your transportation office before completing the form; using a 1907 where it isn’t required won’t substitute for the documentation that is.