Bill of Lading (BOL)
The shipping document that records what a carrier received and the terms it will move it under.
Also known as: BOL, bills of lading, house bill of lading, master bill of lading, HBL, MBL
What is Bill of Lading (BOL)?
A bill of lading (BOL) is the document a carrier issues or signs when it takes freight: it is the receipt for the goods, the contract of carriage, and for ocean shipments it can be the document of title that controls who may collect the cargo. It lists the shipper, consignee, handling units, weight, freight class, and special instructions. In ocean freight a forwarder or NVOCC issues a house bill of lading (HBL) to the shipper, while the ocean carrier issues a master bill of lading (MBL) to the forwarder, and the two numbers are tracked separately.
How Endless handles it
Endless holds the cartons, weights, and ship-to details a bill of lading is built from on the same record as the order and the ASN, so the paperwork and the shipment describe the same freight.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a house and a master bill of lading?
A master bill of lading is issued by the ocean carrier to the party that booked the space, usually a forwarder or NVOCC. A house bill of lading is issued by that forwarder to the actual shipper. Customs filings and tracking may reference either, so importers record both.
What is a VICS bill of lading?
A VICS bill of lading follows the standard format retailers adopted for domestic freight, with fixed fields for the shipper, consignee, carrier, order details, and handling units. Many retail routing guides require it.
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