Bill of Lading: Small Business Guide (2024)

FAQs

How to fill out a bill of lading short form? ›

The bill of lading (BOL) is a required document to move a freight shipment. The bill of lading is legally binding and provides the driver and the carrier with all the details needed to process and invoice the freight shipment correctly.

The bill of lading must include the name and address of the shipper, the name and address of the consignee, a description of the goods being shipped, the quantity of the goods, the method of transportation, and the date of shipment.

A bill of lading is a legal document that is issued by a carrier to the shipper. It contains details about which goods are being shipped, where the shipment is coming from and going to, as well as details of the shipper, carrier, and consignee.

Filling out a BOL is easiest if you can make your own. So, how to make a bill of lading? It's easy, with a quick Google search you can find BOL templates for most applications. You may need to purchase a bill of lading in certain cases.

In most cases, the shipper (seller) supplies and pays for the BOL, as it acts as a receipt and title to the goods. But if specific arrangements exist between the parties, such as a free on board (FOB) contract, the buyer may be responsible for obtaining and paying for the BOL.

(c) A copy of the bill of lading must accompany a shipment at all times while in your (or your agent's) posses- sion. Before the vehicle leaves the resi- dence of origin, the bill of lading must be in the possession of the driver re- sponsible for the shipment.

A bill of lading is a legal document that's issued by a carrier to a shipper detailing the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried. This document must accompany the shipped goods and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper, and receiver.

The driver handed him the documents he'd brought as well as the bill of lading from the container off the ship.

Excel Bill of Lading Form Template by WPSTemplate

With its user-friendly design, you can easily input and edit essential shipment details such as the shipper and consignee's information and the description of goods, etc. The template will help you automatically format your bill of lading, saving you time.

Who signs a bill of lading? ›

Each bill of lading is actually two documents, each containing the same information. Both copies must be signed by the shipper and then also by the receiver when the shipment is delivered. (In addition, the driver signs on the carrier's behalf.) If you use paper forms, you'll have two physical copies of every BOL.

Fill Out the Cargo Description and the Carrier Info

In the next step, provide a complete description of the goods being shipped. These include shipment weight (in pounds or kilograms), dimensions, freight class (if applicable), description of cargo, and the package quantity (number of crates, pallets, pieces, etc).

A BOL is required for all freight shipments, regardless of transportation method or piece count, and must contain specific information to be considered legally binding.

The bill of lading is only legally binding once signed. It must list the responsible parties, origin and destination, number of packages, contents of the packages, and package details to be binding. The responsible parties in a standard bill of lading are the shipper, the consignee, the carrier, and the notify party.

A Bill of Lading (B/L) is a crucial document in the transportation of goods. It serves as a receipt of the goods being transported and also acts as a contract between the carrier and the shipper.

A bill of lading number—often abbreviated as BOL number—is the unique identifier for a bill of lading document. It is issued by the carrier once a shipment is booked and used to track and manage cargo.

A quick definition of short-form bill of lading:

A short-form bill of lading does not contain all the details of the transportation contract but refers to another document that does. A clean bill of lading has no notes or clauses, while an unclean bill shows that the goods were damaged or missing.

A house bill of lading (HBL) is a document issued by a freight forwarder or a non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) to a shipper to acknowledge receipt of their items for shipment. In other words, it's a receipt for the goods.