What is a Bill of Lading (BoL) in Freight Shipping?

Freight shippers and carriers require detailed documentation to track transactions from shipment to receipt of goods. The bill of lading, also known by the acronyms BoL or B/L, is one such document. Knowing the difference between the most common freight BoLs is essential for all parties involved in a freight delivery transaction. 

Key Takeaways

• A bill of lading in freight shipping lays out which parties are responsible for shipping, carrying, and taking ownership of any given freight shipment.
• There are several types of BoLs used in freight transportation, including straight, multimodal, and master bills of lading.
• These documents are sometimes confused with proof of delivery (PoD), which has more to do with recording a successful delivery than a change or proof of ownership.

In this article, you’ll learn what a shipping bill of lading is, some of the most common varieties of BoLs, and how they differ from other important freight documents.

What Are Bills of Lading?

In transportation, a BoL is used to communicate several key pieces of information between brokers, carriers, shippers, and receivers. It is usually issued by the carrier or shipper, though other parties such as brokers and freight forwarders are responsible for this under certain circumstances.

Some specific pieces of information that should be found on nearly any BoL are:

• Evidence of Contract of Carriage: This includes details regarding the destination, type, and amount of the freight being shipped. Sometimes, details on the condition of the carriage are also included. 
• Contact Information of Involved Parties: Usually, these parties are the shipper, carrier, freight broker, and consignee.
• Title of the Goods: Used to determine ownership and transferability of the delivered goods.

While all bills of lading need to contain these key pieces of information, a variety of BoLs exist to accommodate specific freight shipping types. I’ve compiled the most commonly used BoLs for freight and truckload shipping in the graphic below.

If your shipment moves via international waters, you will also need to use an ocean bill of lading during transport from one country to another.

Another shipping document called proof of delivery (PoD) sometimes gets confused with the BoL.

While a bill of lading establishes ownership and terms of shipment, the proof of delivery is focused on confirmation that the goods were received in acceptable condition. The PoD does not confer rights of ownership to the signee. 

Related: Bill of Lading vs Proof of Delivery: Key Differences in Shipping

Avoid the Confusion With USA Truckload Shipping

While it’s not the most exciting aspect of freight shipping, proper documentation with the correct bill(s) of lading is essential for shippers to run an orderly business. Partnering with an experienced third-party logistics provider (3PL) will help ensure that your shipping paperwork is accurate. If you’re a shipper looking for this and other logistics services, you’re in the right place. 

USA Truckload Shipping has decades of experience connecting shippers to carriers, warehouses, and other service providers. From short rails to long hauls, our network can store and ship your goods to points in the U.S. and beyond

Our full list of services includes:

• Logistics consulting
• Expedited freight shipping
• White glove delivery
• And more

Don’t let improper documentation delay your shipments. Call us at (866) 353-7178 or submit a risk-free request for proposal online today!