Who issues it, and why that changes everything
A bill of lading is not a document you fill in and sign like an invoice. It is issued by the carrier — the shipping line, or the forwarder acting as one — and it is issued by copying literally what you sent them. That submission of yours has a name: shipping instructions.
The practical consequence is that looking for a B/L template is pointless. What you control are the instructions and the draft. If the instructions are right, the B/L comes out right; if they carry a typo, the carrier copies it as is and correcting it afterwards costs money and days.
And there is an asymmetry worth keeping in mind: the carrier does not check what is inside the container. That is why the description of the goods appears on the B/L preceded by “said to contain”. What you declare is yours, and you answer for it.
How it is produced, from booking to original
Five moments, and in three of them you can still change things. In the other two, you cannot.
- Book the spaceYou or your forwarder ask the carrier for space. On confirmation you get a booking number and two dates that govern everything else: the terminal cut-off and the documentation cut-off, which is the deadline for sending the instructions.
- Send the shipping instructionsBefore the documentation cut-off. This is the document that dictates what the B/L will say: parties, goods, weights, freight terms and the type of bill you want. Send it in writing and keep the email: it is your evidence of what you asked for.
- Declare the verified gross mass (VGM)In containerised sea freight it is compulsory to declare the verified gross mass of the loaded container before shipment. With no VGM, the container does not go on the vessel. It is declared by the shipper named on the B/L, that is, you.
- Review the draftThe carrier sends a draft B/L. This is the moment: here changes are free and fast. Once the originals are issued, any correction is a reissue, with its fee and its delay, and if the vessel has sailed it may be impossible.
- The originals are issuedNormally three originals and several non-negotiable copies. From here on the document is worth whatever the cargo is worth: whoever holds an original can collect it. Decide beforehand how they travel, because sending them to the buyer is handing over the goods.
What to send in the shipping instructions
This is what the carrier will copy. Write it already the way you want it printed, with the same capitals and the same legal name.
- Booking number
- The booking the carrier gave you. Without it, the instructions cannot be matched to anything.Booking MSC-4471982
- Shipper
- Full legal name, address and, in the Union, your EORI number. As it appears in the register, not the trading name.SOUTHERN OILS LTD · EORI ES12345678 · Seville, Spain
- Consignee
- The box that decides whether the B/L is negotiable. A specific name makes it straight; “TO ORDER” or “TO ORDER OF [bank]” makes it negotiable and it works as payment security.TO ORDER OF BANCO SANTANDER SA
- Notify party
- Who the carrier notifies on arrival. Almost always the buyer, with phone and email. It grants no right over the cargo.NORDIC FOODS AB, Kungsgatan 12, Stockholm · +46 8 123456
- Description of the goods
- The same as on the invoice, in customs terms. If there is a letter of credit, it has to match literally what the credit requires.OLIVE OIL, EXTRA VIRGIN, BOTTLED — HS 150920
- Packages, gross weight and volume
- The same figures as the packing list, with no different rounding. It is the mismatch that triggers the most inspections.8 PALLETS · 3,912.00 KGS · 11.140 CBM
- Container and seal
- For a full container, the container number and the seal number. It is what evidences nobody opened it on the way.MSCU1234567 / 40HC / SEAL ES0099431
- Freight terms
- “Freight prepaid” if you pay it, “freight collect” if the consignee does. The Incoterm determines it, not preference.FREIGHT PREPAID
- Type of B/L and number of originals
- Negotiable original, sea waybill or telex release, and how many originals you want. Asking here avoids a reissue.3/3 ORIGINAL BILLS OF LADING
- Dangerous goodsOptional
- Where applicable, UN number, class, packing group and the shipper’s declaration. It goes separately and with more lead time.UN1263, Class 3, PG III
- Letter of credit detailsOptional
- If you are paid against a credit, the number and the bank, plus any wording the credit requires to appear on the B/L.L/C 0123456 — Handelsbanken, Stockholm
Which type to ask for, depending on how you get paid
The decision is not logistical, it is financial. It is taken before sending the instructions.
| If you are paid… | Ask for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| In advance, already in your account | Sea waybill or telex release | Cargo is released with no paper and nobody waits on a courier. You no longer need the security. |
| Against presentation of documents | Negotiable original “to order” | The originals travel through the bank. Your customer does not collect until they pay or accept. |
| Under a letter of credit | Original “to order of [issuing bank]” | It is what the credit requires, and it gives the bank control of the goods as collateral. |
| On deferred terms, with a trusted customer | Straight B/L or sea waybill | Faster and cheaper. You take the risk in exchange for speed. |
Before approving the draft
The carrier usually gives you a few hours to review. It is the only window in which correcting is free.
- Shipper and consignee are written exactly as in the company register
- Packages, gross weight and volume are the packing list’s, figure for figure
- The container and seal numbers match the loading record
- It says “freight prepaid” or “collect” according to the invoice Incoterm
- The description identifies the goods and fits the heading declared
- It carries the dated “shipped on board” notation, if you need it for a credit
- The number of originals is the one you asked for and I know how each one travels
- There is no annotation about the condition of the goods or the packaging
What a reissue costs
- Sending the instructions after the documentation cut-offThe carrier issues with whatever it has, or leaves the cargo ashore. That cut-off is usually one or two days before the terminal cut-off, not the same day.
- Copying the legal name from the customer’s emailWhat goes on the B/L is the registered name. An abbreviation or one extra letter forces a reissue before customs at destination will accept it.
- Writing “to order” without saying whose orderA bare “to order” is to the shipper’s order and has to be endorsed. If you wanted it to the bank’s order, say so in the instructions.
- Approving the draft without reading itIt is the moment when everything is free. Afterwards every correction carries a reissue fee and, if the vessel has sailed, there may be no correction at all.
- Forgetting the VGMWithout a verified gross mass declared in time, the container does not ship. It sits at the terminal racking up storage while somebody sorts it out.