What is a bill of lading?

Or print the blank template as a PDF. A bill of lading is a document utilized in the transportration of goods. The document, sometimes abbreviated as BOL or B/L, is an agreement between the shipper and the carrier and details the goods contained in the shipment, the recipient and delivery destination.

Is a bill of lading a transport document?

Although the term "bill of lading" is well known and well understood, the proposed Rotterdam Rules use the term "transport documents", of which bills of lading and seaway bills are examples. While there is evidence of the existence of receipts for goods loaded aboard merchant vessels stretching back as far as Roman times.

What are the different types of bills of lading?

Two types of bills of lading you’ll come across at Maersk include: Original bill of lading: The primary document used in sea transport. It functions as evidence of a contract of carriage, transport goods receipt, and a legal title to the goods. To receive the cargo, the buyer (consignee) will need to present the original bill of lading.