A bill of lading or waybill is an instrument of title and, often, the only proof of who owns a shipment of goods as well as the terms under which they were shipped. Depending on what you're shipping, your bill of lading may be required to provide particular information to meet Department of Transportation requirements.
Different bill of lading forms apply to different types of shipping, and specialty goods such as hazardous materials may require special forms. Some of the most common kinds of waybills include the following:
1. Through bill of lading: Covers shipment both domestic and internationally by multiple carriers or methods
2. Ocean, inland or air bill of lading: Covers transport of goods by sea, land or air, respectively
3. Negotiable bill of lading: Covers transfer of rights of ownership to the owner of the bill of lading
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Protect your business by having the right bill of lading contract
Because the bill of lading is essentially a deed of ownership for the goods in question, making sure you have the right form filled out and filled out correctly is vital. Mistakes in the form or how you've filled it out can lead to delayed, rejected or lost shipments.
I recommend: ShipNorthAmerica offers a variety of sample bill of lading forms for download. For blank-by-blank information about how to fill out a straight bill of lading, see the
Unz & Co sample short form straight bill of lading.
Use your computer to fill out bill of lading forms
Typing or even hand-writing bill of lading forms can be tiresome, repetitive and expensive; the cost of purchasing blank waybills adds up. Consider using a computer program to generate your bill of lading documents. You'll save in time and money, and reduce your frustration too.
I recommend: The
Starre Enterprises Star Bill of Lading Program generates all your bill of lading forms on your Windows computer and prints them through a standard laser printer.
Download.com offers the ALMsys Lading Manager Lite software, which is compatible with new Windows Vista systems, for a free trial.
Fill up your drawers with blank bill of lading forms
If you're a small operation or if you rarely ship goods domestically and internationally, you might be happy with a packet of blank bill of lading forms tucked into your top desk drawer. These blank documents are also good to have on hand if your computers go down or if for some reason you haven't been able to locate a bill of lading computer program that fits your needs.
I recommend: Drawing Board Printing offers all-in-one, universally accepted bill of lading forms that meet DOT requirements. If you're shipping hazardous materials, you can purchase suitable pre-printed, DOT compliant forms from
The Compliance Center.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- If you're trying to cut down on paper, see if any of your shippers are willing to accept an electronic bill of lading. Some countries have made it general policy to accept them on international shipments, and some domestic shippers offer them as an option too.
The official source of Bill of Lading is the Bill of Lading page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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