A Bill of Lading is a legal written document between the company shipping the goods and the carrier who will be detailing the type of goods being shipped, quantity and the destination of the good. The Bill of Lading can also be used as the receipt of shipment when the goods should be delivered at the destination in question. This document should always accompany the shipped goods to the destination regardless of the mode of transportation used to take the goods to their final destination. The Bill of Lading should be signed by an authorized representative from the shipping company, the carrier company, and the receiver as well. This article will talk about the useful tips and key elements for preparing the Bill of Lading.
Basically the Bill of Lading has the following components:
Shipping Company Details: The Bill of Lading should have the shipper details, i.e. name of the shipping company, address, street, city and their phone contacts.
Carrier Details: Carrier details are very important in Bill of Lading. It includes name of the carrier company, city, street, mailing address and phone contacts.
Shipping To: Bill of Lading should contain details of the receiver or the destination of the good. This will help the carrier to know where the good should be delivered and who will be receiving them. This act reduces the chances of wrong deliveries.
Shipping From: This will show the company where the goods were purchased. So in case if the goods return to the carrier, the shipper will know where to return the goods.
Bill of Lading Number: This is a unique number that will identify each Bill of Lading. It is important for record keeping and to avoid confusion of the goods.
Shipping Units: This is also a necessary part of the Bill of Lading document. It shows the number of units to be shipped. Number of shipping units will determine the total charges of shipping the goods.
Weight: This section/column tells the weight of the goods. In shipping process, goods are charged according to their weight. Heavy goods are expensive to ship as compared to light ones.
Goods Description: Goods description adds more information in Bill of Lading. This will describe the goods as they are and help the shipper, carrier and the receiver to make sure they are handling the right goods.
Date: This will show the date and time when the goods were shipped and delivered to their preset destination. Date is useful for record keeping.
Rate and Charges: Bill of Lading should also show the rate at which the shipping company charges the goods. Show the total charges for shipping and delivering the goods to the receiver.
Special Instruction: This section of the Bill of Lading will have a space where you can add instruction concerning the goods. Here you can add caution; for instance, if the goods to be shipped are fragile, you can indicate in this section to notify the shipper and the carrier to handle the goods with care.
Signature: A Bill of Lading should be signed by both the carrier and the shipper so that the document becomes authentic.
Preview and Download Bill of Lading Template Free
Bill of Lading Template
Bill of Lading Template Sample
Bill of Lading Templates
