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Civil Engineering Writing Project - Genre Unit 2

COVER LETTERS and LETTERS OF TRANSMITTAL

What are cover letters and letters of transmittal? Why do engineers use them? Engineering firms produce documents for many different clients. Clients receive documents from many different firms. It’s not surprising that correspondence is sometimes lost, forgotten or misplaced. Disagreements about which documents were delivered when can delay payment for services and lead to poor customer relationships.

Engineers have developed two simple tools to prevent these problems: the cover letter and the letter of transmittal. Nearly every engineering document other than a letter report or technical memorandum will include a cover letter attached to the front. The cover letter performs the following functions:

 Identifies the sender and receiver

 Identifies the contract or project number to which the document relates

 Tells the purpose of the document and lists its contents

 Documents the date the document was sent

 Informs the recipient of any required or expected actions and deadlines.

In addition to the cover letter, engineering offices often include a letter of transmittal. The letter of transmittal is a simple check-off form. It performs the same functions as a cover letter but also often includes an acknowledgement of when the document was received by the client and who accepted it. The letter of transmittal may be added by clerical support staff who send the document.

You can think of the cover letter as a polite introduction to the document you are sending and any response you are expecting. The letter of transmittal is the receipt that acknowledges the delivery of the document.

What does a cover letter look like? A cover letter is a type of business letter. It is simple, direct, and short – never more than one page long. The greeting (“Dear So-and-So”) is often omitted. The body contains the information listed above. It always closes with a brief thank you. It uses the standard letterhead of the engineer’s firm and follows their formatting standards.

Cover Letter

ABC Consulting Group September 18, 2014 200 Longmont Drive Los Angeles, CA 90041 323-989-4100 Project No. 0892-14-0284

Nov 3, 2014 Rolling Hill Municipal Water District 1977 Park Hills Drive East Oakdale, CA 91783 Attn: D. Nguyen

Subject: Job No. 2014-1278: Draft Phase I Environmental Assessment for proposed pump station near Mountain Avenue and Rolling Rock Drive, City of East Oakdale, California

In response to your request, ABC Consulting Group has conducted a Phase I Environmental Assessment for the proposed pump station in the City of East Oakdale, California. Our draft report is enclosed with recommendations for further investigations for the Phase II Environmental Assessment. Please review this draft and return it to us with any questions or comments by Nov 18, 2014. We will address your comments and submit a final version of the report seven working days after receiving your input.

We appreciate the opportunity to work with you on this project. If you have any questions, please call us at your convenience.

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie K. Yang, PE, GE 00000 Principal Engineer

Encl: Draft Rpt, 4 cy

Commentary

Key items to note in the cover letter: 1. The sender and receiver are clearly identified. 2. The job number and subject line clearly identify the project. 3. The first paragraph of the letter

 states that this report is being delivered in response to the client’s request

 lists what is enclosed (the draft report, including recommendations)

 tells the response needed from the client (review of the draft with comments) and the deadline.

4. The letter closes by thanking the client for the work and offering to answer any questions. 5. The line at the bottom of the letter lists the documents enclosed in the deliverable, in this case

four copies of the draft report.

A cover letter nearly always accompanies a document unless the document itself already incorporates the information of a cover letter (for example, a letter report or technical memorandum). A cover letter is appropriate even when the engineer is not expecting a formal reply, such as when delivering final reports. It’s required when detailed instructions must be provided to the client since such instructions are difficult to include on the letter of transmittal.

What does a letter of transmittal look like? The exact form of the letter of transmittal varies between firms, but in nearly all cases it a check-off form that requires no composition. It contains a place for the client to sign acknowledging having received the document. Two copies are generally used. One stays with the delivered document and the other returns to the engineer’s firm.

Letter of transmittal

ABC Consulting Group 200 Longmont Drive Los Angeles, CA 90041 323-989-4100

Letter of Transmittal To: Date: Attention: Our Job No.: Address: Your Job No.:

We are transmitting: Via: For your: Please:

 Per Your Request  Mail  Approval  Acknowledge Receipt  Enclosed  Courier  Review and Comment  Return Enclosures  Under Separate Cover  Overnight  Distribution  Review and Return  Plans  Fax  Information/Files  Respond by:  Specifications  FTP/email ________________  Reports  Letters

Enclosures: (If enclosures are not as noted please inform us immediately)

Quantity Description Dated

Remarks: Received by: Signed: Signed: Name:

ABC Consulting Group, Inc. Date:

Commentary

Key items to note in the form: 1. The sender and receiver are clearly identified. 2. The form lists job numbers for both client and engineer so the reason for sending the

document will be clear to the client. 3. Items being transmitted and the method of delivery are clear. 4. The “For Your:” and “Please:” columns identify what the engineer expects the client to do with

the deliverables, and what the deadline is, if any. 5. Details of items in the package (enclosures) are listed. 6. It includes a place for the client to sign acknowledging receipt of the document.

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Using a letter of transmittal form is easy and fast, and it helps to eliminate mistakes since most possible options are listed on the form. However, the form is impersonal, so an engineer will usually write a cover letter to communicate more directly with the client. Some firms include a letter of transmittal with every document they send; others use it only when a receipt of delivery is needed.

Tips for Writing Letters of Transmittal or Cover Letters

 These are very simple documents with a very clear purpose. Keep them simple and short—one page maximum.

 If your firm has a standard format, use it.

 When you’re writing a cover letter, use the letter of transmittal form as a checklist to ensure you’ve included all the necessary items.

Practice Three samples of student cover letters are attached. Review each letter and identify any weaknesses and errors. Then rewrite each letter to address the problems you identified.

Instructors are welcome to copy, display, and distribute these materials as they appear here and to use them with

students provided that they (a) notify PSU that they are doing so and (b) share suggestions for revisions. Individuals are

welcome to use the materials for self-study and send any comments to PSU. Other uses of the materials, including

making derivatives, are prohibited without permission from PSU. These permissions are valid under a pilot program that

expires August 15, 2018. For later permissions or questions contact Susan Conrad. All rights not granted here are

reserved. [Unit 2 v2]

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. DUE-0837776 and DUE-1323259. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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