20L Water Jar Tracking: Empties, Returns and Damage

For a jar distributor, 20L water jar tracking is the difference between a healthy business and slowly disappearing stock. Here is a simple system for recording jars, swapping empties and handling damage.

Build a simple jar ledger

Jars rarely vanish at once. They leak away when a customer keeps a spare nobody recorded, a driver misses a swap, or a customer stops ordering and the jars are never collected. A ledger catches these gaps. For each customer, record:

Field	Example
Customer name and location	Office, 2nd floor, Baneshwor
Jars currently held	3
Deposit taken (if any)	Yes / No
Last delivery date	12 Asoj
Full delivered / empty collected	2 full / 2 empty

Update it after every route. The key number is jars held by each customer.

The one-for-one swap rule

Make the default simple: one full jar in, one empty jar out.

• Drivers count empties before handing over full jars
• If a customer cannot return an empty, note it on the slip and in the ledger
• Ask the customer to confirm by signature, phone or message
• Follow up at the next delivery, not weeks later

Inspect empties and log damage

Check returned jars before they go back to your supplier:

• Look for cracks, deep dents and damage near the neck and base
• Watch for strong smells or signs of misuse, such as storing kerosene
• Keep empties separate from full stock, off the floor and out of the sun
• Record the count returned on each supplier pickup and keep the slip

Never refill jars yourself for sale. Tag damaged jars, store them apart and keep a short damage log with date, route, cause and photo. Ask your supplier what proof they need for damaged jars.

Reconcile your float every week

Once a week, count:

1. Full and empty jars in the godown
2. Jars on vehicles
3. Jars held by customers (from the ledger)
4. Damaged jars awaiting return

Compare the total with what you should have. If the gap grows, check the routes with the most unrecorded swaps first.

If you are comparing suppliers, ask each one how they handle jar deposits, returns and damaged jars before you commit.

Talk to our sales team

Frequently asked questions

How do water distributors keep track of 20L jars?

Most keep a ledger of jars held by each customer and apply a one-for-one swap on every delivery. A weekly count shows whether any are going missing.

Should I take a deposit for 20L jars from customers?

Many distributors take a refundable deposit so customers have a reason to return jars; whether you do depends on your supplier's terms and your market.