How to Fill Out and Submit DD Form 1385: Fields, Filing, Reconciling

To fill out DD Form 1385, the DoD cargo manifest, work from the data-entry tables in Chapter 203 of the Defense Transportation Regulation (DTR 4500.9-R, Part II) that match your transport mode, enter accurate shipment-unit data for each item loaded, reconcile every Transportation Control Number against the physical cargo, and submit the finished manifest through GATES or CMOS while a paper copy travels with the shipment.1War University. DTR 4500.9-R Part II Table of Contents

Getting a Blank Form

DD Form 1385 is not downloadable from the Washington Headquarters Services forms library. The WHS page directs users to contact the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to obtain copies, and provides an email contact for the Office of Organizational Compliance.2DoD Forms Management Program. DD 1385 – Cargo Manifest3Washington Headquarters Services. DoD Forms Management In practice, most transportation offices generate the manifest data through automated cargo processing systems rather than filling out a paper form by hand, so the question is usually less about locating a blank sheet and more about entering the right data into the right fields.

Use the DTR Tables That Match Your Transport Mode

Chapter 203 of DTR Part II contains separate data-entry tables for air and ocean manifests, and they are not interchangeable. Air manifests use Tables 203-15 and 203-16 for header data and prime shipment-unit data. Ocean manifests use Tables 203-17 through 203-19, with additional tables for dunnage and lashing instructions and supercargo personnel.1War University. DTR 4500.9-R Part II Table of Contents Applying air-manifest fields to an ocean shipment creates errors that automated systems may not catch until the cargo reaches a terminal that can’t process the data.

Complete the Core Data Fields

Every shipment unit on the manifest carries the same set of critical entries. Get any of these wrong and the shipment gets delayed, misrouted, or frustrated.

Transportation Control Number

The Transportation Control Number is a 17-character alphanumeric code assigned to each shipment unit, and it stays with that unit across every leg of the journey. No two shipment units share the same TCN.4Defense Logistics Agency. ADC 303 Transportation Identification Numbers in Wide Area Workflow Construction depends on the shipment type:

  • For MILSTRIP shipments, positions 1–15 come from the requisition number and suffix. Position 16 identifies whether the unit moves whole or in partial increments (A for the first increment, B for the second, and so on).
  • For non-MILSTRIP shipments, position 1 is always “X,” followed by the CAGE code of the vendor or contracting activity, the Julian date, and a serial number.
  • For SEAVAN/MILVAN shipments, positions 1–6 contain the DoDAAC of the loading activity, followed by the voyage document number and a service-type code assigned at booking.

The letters “I” and “O” are never used in position 16, because they are too easily confused with the numbers 1 and 0.4Defense Logistics Agency. ADC 303 Transportation Identification Numbers in Wide Area Workflow

Document Identifier Code

The first column of the manifest body carries the Document Identifier Code, a three-character code. The first character for all transportation documents is “T,” the second identifies the shipment type, and the third distinguishes between prime and trailer card entries. The DIC on the cargo manifest body should match the first two characters used in Block 1 of the accompanying Transportation Control and Movement Document (TCMD).5tpub.com. Figure 3-3 DD Forms 1384 and 1385

Ports and Commodity

Each entry identifies the Port of Embarkation and Port of Debarkation using standardized geographic location codes. Verify these against current MILSTRIP or booking documentation rather than memory; an outdated code can route cargo to the wrong continent. Add the commodity classification code that describes the material being shipped.

Weight and Cube

Enter the total weight and cubic volume for each shipment unit. These figures feed directly into the weight-and-balance calculations for the aircraft or vessel, so an inaccurate entry throws off the load plan. On an aircraft, bad weight data is a safety issue.

Consignee and Special Handling

The consignee block tells the receiving terminal who the cargo is for and where it goes next. Special handling entries cover temperature-controlled storage, fragile-item protocols, and time-sensitive delivery windows. If the shipment contains hazardous materials, the manifest must reference the appropriate shipping papers and safety documentation required by the applicable hazmat regulations. A missing hazmat reference will get the shipment frustrated at the aerial port or rejected at the vessel loading point.

Reconcile Before Certifying

Before the manifest leaves the originating terminal, verify that every TCN on the form matches the physical cargo labels on the pallets or containers. A single transposed character sends the digital record one direction and the physical cargo another. If your terminal uses barcode or RFID scanning, run a scan-to-manifest reconciliation as the final step.

Submit Through GATES or CMOS

Once the manifest data is finalized, it feeds into the military’s automated cargo-tracking systems:

  • GATES (Global Air Transportation Execution System) is AMC’s real-time system for air transportation. It automates receipt, movement, and billing of cargo and passengers and provides in-transit visibility across airlift operations.6Department of the Air Force. DAFI 24-605V2 – Air Transportation Operations
  • CMOS (Cargo Movement Operations System) is a combat-support system that handles base-level cargo processing during peacetime and deployment cargo and passenger movement during contingencies.7Department of the Air Force. DAFI 24-602V2

Electronic submission creates a permanent digital record that authorized personnel across commands can access. Receiving terminals use it to anticipate labor, equipment, and storage requirements before the cargo arrives, and it simplifies clearance at international checkpoints and inter-service transfer points.

Paper Copies Still Travel With the Cargo

Even with electronic submission, paper copies of DD Form 1385 move with the shipment. At least one copy goes in a manifest header envelope attached to the cargo. On arrival, the receiving port authority uses those copies to organize offloading and cross-check what came off the transport against what the manifest lists. The originating terminal keeps extra copies for audit and record-keeping. If a shipment is diverted mid-route, the physical manifest becomes the primary reference for re-routing and accountability. Table 203-20 in DTR Part II sets specific forwarding timelines for manifest data, so completed manifests shouldn’t be held beyond the required window.1War University. DTR 4500.9-R Part II Table of Contents

When the Manifest and Cargo Don’t Match

If a shipment arrives at the originating terminal with incomplete or improper documentation, it is “frustrated” and pulled from the transport until the problem is resolved. Frustrated cargo is reported on AMC Form 33, which alerts the Aerial Port Control Center or Command Support Branch. One copy is attached to the lead container, one goes to the originator’s file, and the original goes to the appropriate control authority.8Department of the Air Force. USAFEI 24-202

If the receiving terminal discovers that the cargo doesn’t match the manifest, the discrepancy is documented on DD Form 361, the Transportation Discrepancy Report. The TDR captures astray freight, quantity differences between what was billed or shipped and what actually arrived, and the condition of container seals. Completed TDRs go to SDDC at Fort Eustis, Virginia.9Department of Defense. DD Form 361 – Transportation Discrepancy Report Table 203-22 in DTR Part II gives instructions for preparing manifest adjustments when a TDR results in corrections to the original data.

Common Errors to Avoid

  • TCN mismatches. A transposed digit or letter severs the link between physical cargo and digital record. Reconcile every TCN against physical labels before certifying.
  • Wrong geographic location codes. Verify port codes against current booking documentation, not memory.
  • Missing hazmat references. Without them, the shipment will be frustrated at the aerial port or rejected at the vessel loading point.
  • Weight and cube errors. Inaccurate figures throw off the load plan and, for aircraft, create a safety issue.
  • Using air-manifest fields for ocean shipments. The DTR prescribes different tables for each mode; mixing them generates downstream errors.

Careful data entry up front avoids the cascade of AMC Form 33 reports, TDRs, and re-routing delays that consume far more time than the manifest itself.