Bill of Lading · B/L
The main ocean transport document: a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage and — as an original negotiable B/L — the document of title to the cargo.
- Issued by
- The shipping line (master B/L) or the forwarder / NVOCC (house B/L), based on the shipper's instructions.
- When it's needed
- Every ocean shipment, unless a sea waybill is used instead.
- Transport
- Sea
What it contains
- Shipper, consignee and notify party
- Vessel, voyage, port of loading and port of discharge
- Container and seal numbers
- Description of goods, number of packages, gross weight and volume
- Freight terms — prepaid or collect
- Number of originals issued and the shipped-on-board date
Practical tips
- Check the draft B/L carefully — corrections after issue cost an amendment fee and can delay the cargo.
- With a letter of credit, the B/L must match the L/C exactly — usually consigned “to order” and “clean on board”.
- Whoever holds an original can claim the cargo: send originals by courier and keep track of all of them.
- If no bank is involved, a sea waybill or telex release saves courier time and cost.
Not sure which documents you need?
Send us the route and the goods — we'll list the documents and prepare the transport ones for you.
Contact usOther shipping documents
Sea WaybillAir WaybillCMR Consignment NoteRail Consignment Note (CIM, SMGS, CIM/SMGS)Shipping InstructionsCommercial InvoicePacking ListCertificate of OriginExport DeclarationTransit Declaration (T1)Dangerous Goods DeclarationPhytosanitary CertificateShipping documents
General guidance only — requirements depend on the goods, the countries involved and the contract. We check the documents needed for every booking.
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