What is bill of lading?
Also called BOL
A bill of lading is the document issued at pickup that lists what is being shipped, who is shipping it and where it is going. It is simultaneously a receipt for the freight, a contract of carriage and a record of the goods' condition.
It is signed at origin when the carrier takes possession and again at destination when the receiver accepts the freight. The signed copy from delivery becomes the proof of delivery.
Any damage or shortage noted on it at either end is the starting point for a cargo claim. A clean bill of lading at delivery says the freight arrived as described.
What it means on a dispatch desk
Notes written on the bill of lading at the moment of the problem are worth more than every photograph and phone call afterwards, because they are contemporaneous and signed by the other side. A driver who accepts a receiver's assurance that something will be sorted out later, and signs clean, has given away the claim.
Related terms
- Proof of deliveryProof of delivery is the signed document confirming the receiver took the freight, usually the delivery copy of the bill of lading. It is what an invoice must be supported by before anyone pays it.
- Rate confirmationA rate confirmation is the document that sets the agreed price and terms for one specific load, issued by the broker and signed by the carrier before the truck moves. It governs that load only.
- DetentionDetention is money owed to a carrier when a shipper or receiver holds the truck beyond the free time agreed for loading or unloading, usually two hours. It is billed by the hour after that window closes.
Put bill of lading in context when researching carrier leads by state, including Texas, California and Illinois.
Carrier sales software for dispatch teams
Keep the conversation and its next step together
Use clear freight language in your carrier conversations. KeepCarrier gives dispatch sales teams assigned queues, recorded outcomes and scheduled follow-ups in one workspace.
Explore carrier targeting, the team workspace, our truck dispatch software and the dispatch board.
2 working-agent seats. No credit card required. Calling-provider charges are separate.