A bill of lading (BL or BoL) is a legal document issued by a carrier (transportation company) to a shipper that details the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried. A bill of lading also serves as a shipment receipt when the carrier delivers the goods at a predetermined destination. This document must accompany the shipped products, no matter the form of transportation, and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper, and receiver.
Information included in a freight bill of lading
The BOL contains detailed information about the goods being shipped, the origin and destination of the shipment, the parties involved, and the terms and conditions of the transportation agreement. Here are the required fields in your BOL.
- Names and addresses: The full names and addresses of both the shipper and receiver (consignee) should be legible and easy to locate on the document.
- Date: This is the pickup day, and it may be needed as a reference to track your freight or when you reconcile shipping invoices.
- Reference numbers: These numbers may be important to your business or a necessary reference for freight to be released at pickup or accepted at delivery.
- Description of Goods: Shippers should note the number of shipping units, the dimensions and weight, as well as information about the material and its makeup.
- Packaging type: Note whether you are using cartons, crates, pallets and/or drums when shipping.
- NMFC freight class: Freight classes can impact the cost of your shipment. Freight shipments are broken down into 18 classes based on weight, dimensions, density, storage capability, ease of handling, value and liability.
- Special instructions: Note any instructions for the carrier, such as extra services like lift gate or delivery notifications.
- hazardous material designation: Hazardous shipments must be clearly cited along with their respective Class. Special rules and requirements may apply when shipping.