A transmittal register records which drawing revision each subcontractor received, when, and whether they acknowledged it. Here is how to set one up.
Updated 1 November 2026.
You prove it with a record created at the moment of issue: which drawing, which revision, who received it, when, and whether they opened and acknowledged it. Email attachments and shared folders don't create that record. A transmittal register does, because every issue is logged with its exact revisions and a timestamp.
Both tools move files, but neither keeps a record of what was issued to whom. When a subcontractor builds from an old revision, you are left reconstructing events from memory and inboxes.
Email: attachments sit in individual inboxes, nobody keeps a register, and a subcontractor left off the cc list never receives the revision.
Shared folders: "latest" is judged by file name or modified date, files get overwritten, and there is no record of who opened what.
Spreadsheet logs: they are updated by hand, so they drift from what was actually sent.
A record that settles an argument answers six questions without anyone having to remember anything.
What was sent: document number, title and revision for every drawing, plus the reason for issue (for example, For Information or For Construction).
Who it went to: the named person and their company, not a shared mailbox.
When: the date and time of issue, under a transmittal number.
What it replaced: the earlier revision, marked superseded and still linked behind the new one.
What happened next: when the recipient viewed it and when they acknowledged it.
Whether it can be changed: the log should show who edited what and when, and should not let entries be altered or deleted.
You can do this with any system that enforces these six habits. The habits matter more than the tool.
Tracta is document control software for builders. It is in private beta, and you issue drawings from the register instead of attaching them to email.
Exact revisions per transmittal: each transmittal records the revisions sent, and the earlier revision is marked superseded and stays linked behind it.
Receipts with timestamps: each recipient shows when it was sent, when they viewed it and when they acknowledged it.
An audit trail you can't edit: uploads, issues, views, acknowledgements and field edits are logged with who and when. Tracta provides no way to edit or delete log entries.
Locked issued files: the file on a revision that has been sent can't be replaced.
Recipients see only their own: subcontractors accept an email invite and see only what they uploaded or what was sent to them. There are no public links, and recipients don't need a paid seat.
Australian hosting: documents and project data are stored in Australia, on AWS.
A view is recorded when a signed-in recipient opens the transmittal. Tracta doesn't track whether an email was opened. It also doesn't integrate with Procore, Aconex or email today, and you build the register by uploading drawings, then export it to CSV.
The register shows which transmittal carried it, who it was addressed to, which revisions it contained, and whether the recipient viewed or acknowledged it. If they weren't on the recipient list, the register shows that too, so the gap is visible straight away.
It records what was sent, to whom and when, and whether it was opened and acknowledged. What counts as proof in a dispute depends on your contract, so check the wording with your lawyer.
A transmittal is the cover record of documents passing from one party to another. A submittal is the package of information a subcontractor sends back for approval, such as shop drawings, and it usually travels under a transmittal.
Not always. Tracta is built for teams where project engineers and contract administrators run document control alongside their job. The register is built from the title blocks of your uploaded PDF drawings, so nobody retypes it.
A transmittal records what was sent, to whom and when. A submittal is information sent for approval. Here is how they differ and how they work together.
A drawing register lists every drawing with its current revision and status. Here is what to record, how to label revisions and how to keep it accurate.
Eight alternatives to Aconex for builders, with what each suits, how it is priced and where it falls short, including Procore, Autodesk and Tracta.
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