Every Handoff. On the Record.

What is the proof package?

Automatic sealing is rolling out now and is not yet on for every account. Once it is on for yours, when a load closes, Custody seals its record and emails a link to the proof package to the address you gave us at setup. There is no button to press and nothing to request. Open the link, sign in with the link or code we email you, and the package downloads.

The package is a zip file with one folder inside, named for the load and the point in the record where the seal was made. The folder holds everything needed to check that load's record on any computer: the events, the seal, the public key, the timestamp, a short instructions file, and a small checker program. Once it is downloaded, nobody needs an account, an internet connection, or anything from ValveRide to check it.

Can I see all of my loads in one place?

Yes, once the shipper sign-in reaches your account. It is rolling out now and is not yet on for every account. Sign in to Custody to see every load we have recorded for your company, each with a link to its proof package. You can search the list by your load reference and filter it, for example by date. Signing in is up to you: packages still arrive by email on their own when each load closes.

Can my teammates see our loads?

Yes, once the shipper sign-in reaches your account. It is rolling out now. An admin on your company's account can add teammates by email as admin or read-only. Admins can add and remove people. Read-only teammates can see loads and download packages but cannot change who has access.

What is each file in the folder?

• events.json: every event in the load's record, in order, with the exact bytes each event's hash was taken over. You can read each event straight out of it.
• manifest.txt: the plain text document that was signed and timestamped. It lists the events and their hashes in order.
• seal.json: a summary of the seal: which events it covers, which key signed it, and which timestamp authority stamped it. The checker compares every field in it against the other files, so nothing in it is taken on trust.
• signing-key.der: the Custody public key the signature was made with.
• timestamp.tsr: the timestamp response exactly as the independent timestamp authority returned it, with the authority's certificate inside.
• The instructions file: step by step instructions, including how to do every check by hand with openssl.
• The checker folder: the checker. You run cli.mjs, and the five other files in the folder support it. It needs only what comes built into Node.js, so there is nothing to install and no outside code to review.

How do I run the check?

You do not have to run anything yourself. Whoever wants to check the record (you, your insurer, or your lawyer) takes the zip downloaded from the link, unzips it, opens a terminal in the folder, and runs the one line command printed in the instructions file.

You need Node.js version 20 or later. The checker only reads the files in the folder and never connects to the internet, so it works on a machine with no network at all. If you would rather not run our code, the openssl steps in the instructions file cover the same checks with a tool you already have.

What does a pass or a fail mean?

The checker prints one line per check, marked "ok" or "FAIL", then a summary. A pass (exit code 0) means every event matches its hash, every event links to the one before it, the signature matches the Custody public key, and the timestamp was issued for this exact record. In short: nothing in the package has changed since it was sealed. A fail (exit code 1) names the check that did not hold. If the checker cannot read the files at all, it says so and exits with code 2.

Who timestamps the record, and why does that matter?

An independent timestamp authority using the RFC 3161 standard, DigiCert today, stamps each seal. The authority's name is in seal.json and its certificate is inside timestamp.tsr. The stamp shows the record existed in this exact form at the stated time, from a party that is not ValveRide. Only a 32 byte fingerprint goes to the authority, never the record itself, so it cannot see your shipment details. If the authority ever changed or shut down, existing packages would keep checking the same way, because everything needed is already in the folder.

What does a passing check not tell me?

It shows the record has not been altered since it was sealed. It does not show that the freight arrived in good shape, that every event in the record is accurate, or that nothing happened outside the record. Custody records what each source said and who said it; signing that record does not turn it into a statement about the freight. A gap in the record means unknown, never proof of anything. Whether to trust the timestamp authority is also your call: the instructions file shows how to check its stamp against the authority's own published root certificate.

Can I share the package with my insurer, my lawyer, or the other side?

Yes. Download the zip from the link and send it to anyone. Once the shipper sign-in reaches your account, teammates at your company can also be added to it. The package is self contained, so whoever receives it can run the same check and get the same result without asking ValveRide for anything.

Each seal covers the record up to the moment it was made. With automatic sealing, which is rolling out now, if events arrive after the load closes, such as a late delivery receipt, Custody seals again and emails a link to an updated package. Earlier packages stay valid for the record they cover.

Does Custody look at photos?

Photo checks are rolling out now and are not yet on for every account. Custody compares seal, BOL, and signature photos against the shipment record, one claim at a time. For example: the record says seal 0010002, so does the seal in the photo match? Each check comes back agree, disagree, or unknown.

How does Custody handle a photo it cannot read clearly?

Photo checks are rolling out now. An automated AI image check asks each question three separate times. Custody keeps agree or disagree only when all three answers are the same. A split, an error, or a timeout comes back unknown. Custody also never accepts a guessed reading, like a partly readable seal number. It only accepts agree, disagree, or unknown, so anything uncertain stays unknown. Three matching answers make a wrong answer less likely, but they do not rule one out.

What happens after a photo check answers?

Photo checks are rolling out now. A consistent agree or disagree is recorded against the shipment and can confirm that part of the record. Unknown changes nothing, and the record stays as it was. Photo checks never edit or remove earlier events. Each photo check is logged with the photo's fingerprint, the claim it was checked against, all three answers, and the time.