Said of general cargo, to record the number of pieces at the time they are loaded into, or discharged from, a ship. This task may be performed by tally clerks working for the shipowner, the shipper or receiver, or the stevedore.The entries are made on tally sheets or in tally books and serve to verify the quantity of cargo loaded and discharged. A tally is therefore the physical count of pieces of cargo loaded into, or discharged from, a ship.The tally consists of the number of pieces together with their description and their marks and numbers, alternatively known as shipping marks.These are markings distinctively displayed on goods being shipped, or on their packaging, for ease of identification. They include the port or place of destination and a package number, if there is more than one.