Bill of Lading (BOL)
A bill of lading (BOL) is a legal document a carrier issues to a shipper that lists what is being transported, who ships it, who receives it, and the agreed terms. It serves three roles at once: a receipt for the goods, a contract of carriage, and a document of title.
What a bill of lading contains
A BOL lists the shipper and consignee names and addresses, the carrier, the ship date, a description of the freight, the piece count, the weight, the freight class, and any special handling. A BOL number ties the paperwork to the physical shipment so the load can be tracked and the receiver can reconcile what arrived against what was ordered.
Types of bill of lading
A straight BOL is non-negotiable and consigns goods to a named party. An order BOL is negotiable and can transfer title while the goods are in transit. A VICS BOL is the retail standard that pairs with an EDI 856 advance ship notice, and the SCAC and PRO number printed on it let the shipper, carrier, and receiver all reference the same load.
Related Terms
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Frequently Asked Questions
A bill of lading does three jobs at once: it is the carrier's receipt for the goods, the contract of carriage between shipper and carrier, and a document of title that proves who owns the freight.
A bill of lading covers the physical movement of goods and travels with the shipment. An invoice, sent as an EDI 810, is the supplier's request for payment. They reference the same order but serve different purposes.
No. The ASN, or EDI 856, is the electronic notice of a shipment's contents and packing. The bill of lading is the carrier's transport document. They describe the same shipment and usually travel together.
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