What is a Bill of Lading?
If you are in a business where you need to ship your goods from A to B you are going to have to deal with a lot of paperwork and bureaucratic systems. Possibly the most important document you will need is a Bill of Lading (BOL acronym). For this reason, you need to know what it is, what it contains and why it is so important to understand it.
Forgot Username or Password? Reminder: Current Bozzuto Employee? User ID is your Employee ID number. Aug 31, 2020 A bill of lading (BOL) is a document used as evidence that a carrier or company received goods from a shipper. It demonstrates the chain of custody from shipper to carrier, creating a contract between two parties for the delivery of the merchandise to the next carrier or purchasing party. Blank Bill Of Lading For Download – Automobile & Cargo Templates Need a blank bill of lading for your own delivery? No problem, we’re glad we can help. AUTOMOBILES – Free Blank BOL / Vehicle Delivery Inspection Sheet For Automobiles NTS is always looking for ways to make transport easy on the clients.
Bill of Lading definition: First and foremost this is a standard-form, legal document which acts as evidence of a contract between the shipper and the carrier. This document fulfils two other important roles, it acts as a receipt to show that goods were loaded and the freight service provided, it details the goods that are being shipped and the driver and carrier should have it with them at all times during shipping Lastly it proves ownership of goods where goods can be transferred to the carrier and in turn transferred to the final consignee (client).
Bills of Lading must be with the goods on every part of the journey and must be signed by authorized parties from the shipper and carrier. At the moment of collection the carrier will be given the Bill Lading and when the goods are delivered it will be handed to the final destination consignee.
The “Straight Bill of Lading” is the most common type where a customer has already paid for the goods before shipping.
These are three very good reasons to motivate you to learn more about Bill of Lading in shipping and to know what you are doing when you are completing this very important document.
What information do you include on a BOL?
- General information for both the shipper and consignee is required including, names, name of the carrier.
- Quantities (number of boxes/packages) and type of packaging, specifically cartons, pallets, drums etc.
- Every product must be itemized on the BOL and include unit numbers, weight or volume and materials used.
- If there are any special handling instructions for particular goods they should also be specified. Hazardous (or oversized) goods should be appropriately labeled and brought to the attention of the carrier.
- The rate for the freight and total amount should be specified. The date of collection is specified.
- A special reference number may be applied to allow tracking.
- Terms of payment are also included.
The Bill of Lading is usually issued in three copies, one for the shipper, one for the final client and one is usually kept for the bank. When any one of these copies is surrendered, allowing the goods to be released, the other two copies are deemed null and void. A surrendered Bill of Lading indicates that goods were consigned to the final destination.
To avoid misuse of the other two unused copies of the Bill of Lading it is common practice to print the words “canceled” or “discharged” on them. In this way the document is no longer void.
You should be aware that carriers can check and inspect your freight at any given time. They can cross-check that all information provided is accurate including weight and class. They can re-weigh the consignment and if errors are found additional charges may be applied causing stress and more damaging, delays to your delivery. For this reason, it is imperative that the BOL shipping document is completed accurately and completely.
What happens if I don’t have a Bill of Lading?
If you don’t follow the correct procedure and produce a Bill of Lading the cost and damage occurred will fall mainly on the supplier. The obvious consequences is that your client will not get the goods, leading to dissatisfaction on their part and consequences that will be damaging to your business.
Other damaging consequences include being exposed to insurance claims. This would happen if the BOL demonstrates the quantity and quality of goods loaded, but when they arrive at the consignee’s warehouse he contests this by saying the goods were damaged. The consignee can then make a claim against the BOL carrier. If the information has not been accurately compiled you will not be fully compensated for the cost of damage to the goods.
In extreme cases inaccurate information and contestation regarding information on the Bill of Lading can lead to criminal prosecution.
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Need a blank bill of lading for your own delivery? No problem, we're glad we can help.
AUTOMOBILES - Free Blank BOL / Vehicle Delivery Inspection Sheet For Automobiles
NTS is always looking for ways to make transport easy on the clients. That’s why we provide standard paperwork a customer of ours, another business, or just about anyone could use at home or for their business when shipping a vehicle. If you’re a constant shipper, then you know the need to provide accurate and verified vehicle inspections each time you transport or sell a buy/sell a vehicle. Damages take up precious time and you have important things to do rather than playing he said she said. This inspection should allow you to focus on what matters, which are the facts.
If you're a customer of Nationwide Transport Services, please see your assigned representative for a customer BOL form suited to Nationwide transport Services Terms and Services.
The downloadable documents featured on this page are in no way paperwork legal documents of Nationwide Transport Services LLC and serve only as a template for other customers and businesses to use and edit to their own standards.
CARGO/FREIGHT - Free Bill of Lading Download For Various Cargo and Freight
Free of Charge Downloadable Blank Cargo Bill of Lading Sheets
Receiving your cargo in the same condition as it left the pick-up point is the whole point of using a reputable shipping company. However, this isn’t always guaranteed. Sometimes, your cargo might arrive at the drop off location with some damages that weren’t there during the pick-up time. It might be difficult to prove this by the word of mouth and that’s why you need a cargo bill of lading or a BOL.
A bill of lading is a very important document signed and issued by the carrier to a shipper during cargo shipping. With a bill of lading, you can inspect your cargo during the drop-off and if the information filled on the bill of lading doesn’t match that of pick up, then you can prove it. A bill of lading states details such as dimensions, quantity, destination, and type of goods being shipped.
When shipping cargo with Nationwide Transport Services, our specialists will give you a cargo bill of lading form with our own terms and conditions.
Bol Client Connect
The cargo BOL template on this page isn’t a legal document of Nationwide Transport Services LLC. It’s an example of a cargo bill of lading that other businesses and customers can download and edit to their own terms.