Bill of Lading (BOL)
Last updated:
Definition
The Bill of Lading is the document that accompanies a shipment and serves three purposes at once: the contract of carriage between shipper and carrier, the receipt confirming what was picked up, and the document of title to the goods.
Signed at delivery, it also becomes the proof of delivery.
What it records
- Shipper and consignee names and addresses
- Description of the freight: commodity, piece count, weight and packaging
- Pickup and delivery dates
- Special handling instructions
- Trailer and seal numbers
- Freight charge terms, prepaid or collect
- Signatures at pickup and delivery
Where the BOL becomes the POD
The same document does both jobs. Signed at pickup, it is a receipt for what the carrier collected. Signed at delivery by the consignee, it becomes the Proof of Delivery, and that signature is usually what a broker requires before paying.
That is why a BOL that arrives illegible, incomplete or three days late does not just create a filing problem. It delays the invoice.
Where claims are won and lost
If freight arrives damaged or short, the BOL is the evidence. Notations made at delivery (damage observed, pieces short, seal broken) are what determine liability.
A clean signed BOL means the consignee accepted the freight as described. Once that is signed, a later claim is significantly harder to support.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
The Bill of Lading: the contract of carriage, the receipt for the freight and the document of title, all in one document traveling with the shipment.
They are usually the same document at different stages. The BOL signed at delivery becomes the Proof of Delivery.
The shipper and driver at pickup, and the consignee and driver at delivery.
Invoicing usually stalls, since most brokers require a signed POD before payment. Digital capture at the dock avoids the problem entirely.
Hey Bubba! extracts BOL fields automatically and files the document against the right load. See how
Last updated: