What Goes on a Bill of Lading

The bill of lading (BOL) is the receipt for the freight. It says what you picked up, from whom, and who gets it. When the receiver signs it at delivery, it becomes your proof that you delivered, and it's the document your broker or factor will ask for before paying you. A sloppy BOL is how a clean load turns into a shortage claim.

What the rules say has to be on it

Under 49 CFR 373.101, every for-hire motor carrier covered by that part has to issue a receipt or bill of lading for property it takes for transportation in interstate or foreign commerce. It must contain:

1. The names of the consignor (shipper) and consignee (receiver)
2. The origin and destination points
3. The number of packages
4. A description of the freight
5. The weight, volume, or measurement of the freight, if that's used to rate it

The same section says the carrier has to keep a record of this information as prescribed in 49 CFR Part 379. Part 379's schedule lists copies of bills of lading at one year (Appendix A to Part 379).

In practice the shipper almost always hands you their own BOL. That's fine, since it's still your receipt. Your job is to check it before you sign. The bill of lading generator is for when there isn't one, such as a small shipper, a farm pickup, or a direct customer who expects you to bring the paperwork.

Two more things from the statute are worth knowing. The carrier's liability for loss or damage runs to whoever is entitled to recover under the receipt or bill of lading, and failing to issue one doesn't get a carrier out of that liability (49 U.S.C. 14706(a)(1)). And a straight bill of lading, one that says the goods go to a named consignee, is nonnegotiable (49 U.S.C. 80103(b)). That's the kind nearly all truck freight moves on.

The rest of the form

Beyond the required items, a working BOL usually carries:

• BOL number and ship date, plus pickup, PO, or order numbers the receiver will look for.
• Carrier name, and your SCAC, MC, or USDOT number if the shipper asks for them.
• Trailer and seal numbers. Write the seal number on the BOL at pickup and check it again at delivery.
• Freight charge terms: prepaid (the shipper pays), collect (the consignee pays), or third party (someone else, often the broker, gets the bill, and their name and address go on the BOL).
• Commodity lines: handling units (pallets, skids), package count and type, weight, description, and for LTL, the NMFC item number and freight class.
• Signatures: shipper, driver, and receiver, each with a date.

Worked example

You pick up at a food plant in Fresno, CA going to a grocery DC in Reno, NV. The BOL shows two lines:

• 20 pallets, 1,120 cases of canned tomatoes, 36,800 lb
• 2 pallets, 96 cases of canned beans, 2,150 lb

The totals row should be:

• Handling units: 20 + 2 = 22 pallets
• Packages: 1,120 + 96 = 1,216 cases
• Weight: 36,800 + 2,150 = 38,950 lb

Now check it against the trailer. You count 22 pallets. Good. You can't count 1,216 cases on shrink-wrapped pallets, and if the shipper loaded the trailer and sealed it before you got a look, you can't count anything. Many drivers write "shipper load and count" (SLC) and the seal number on the BOL in that situation, so the record shows you didn't verify the piece count yourself. If you scale the load, compare the scale ticket with the 38,950 lb on paper before you leave.

At delivery

• Check the seal number against the BOL before the receiver cuts it.
• If anything is short, damaged, or refused, write it on the BOL before anyone signs: "2 cases crushed, line 1" or "1 pallet refused, wrong item." A BOL signed with no exceptions says the freight arrived in good order.
• Get the receiver's printed name, signature, and the date and time.
• Scan it before you leave the dock. That signed copy is your proof of delivery.

Hazmat is different

If any of the freight is a hazardous material, the BOL is also a hazmat shipping paper and has to meet 49 CFR Part 172, Subpart C. Among other things, 172.201(a)(1) says hazmat entries must be listed first, printed in a contrasting color, or marked with an "X" in a column headed "HM." Section 172.202 sets the basic description (identification number, proper shipping name, hazard class, and packing group, in that order). Section 172.201(d) requires an emergency response phone number, and 172.204 requires the shipper's certification. The shipper is responsible for that description. If it looks wrong or is missing, don't take the load until it's fixed. Our generator marks hazmat lines and prints the phone number and certification, but it doesn't check the description.

Where the BOL goes next

The signed BOL goes out with your invoice. The freight invoice generator has a BOL number field so the broker can match them. If you paid a lumper at delivery, add the lumper receipt to the same packet.