Bill of lading
The one document in the file that does not merely evidence the goods — it decides who is entitled to collect them.
Three functions in one paper
A bill of lading is not a receipt. It is three things at once:
- A receipt from the carrier that he took goods, described, in a stated condition
- A contract of carriage on its terms between you and the line
- A document of title — and this is where its weight comes from: whoever holds the correct bill collects the goods
That third function is what makes an error in it slower to correct than an error in any other document.
Original versus express release
An original bill is issued in original copies, and the goods are not released without presenting one. That protects a seller who has not yet been paid.
An express or telex release removes the need for the paper original once the shipper confirms to the line that he has been paid. Faster, and appropriate where the relationship with the supplier is settled.
The choice between them is made at shipping, not on arrival. One of the things we see most: an importer who agreed on an original bill and then discovered, with the goods alongside, that the original is still in a courier bag somewhere — while the days are counted.
If the goods arrive and the bill has not
The remedy starts not with customs but with the shipper and the line: either the original is sent by the fastest means, or the shipment is switched to express release by agreement. What we do is run the customs procedure in parallel rather than waiting in silence, so we are not starting from zero the moment the bill lands.
This is among the most avoidable causes of storage charges — avoidable entirely by a decision taken before shipping.
What must match the rest of the file
- The consignee's name in the same form across every document
- The description of the goods as on the certificate of origin and the invoice
- Package counts and weights as on the packing list
- Container and seal numbers
- Port of loading, port of discharge and place of delivery
Any gap here opens an audit, and it may surface at inspection and stop the file. Amending a bill after issue goes through the shipping line, not through our office — which is why we read it before shipping, while correction is still possible.
"To order" bills and endorsement
A bill made out "to order" is endorsable: title passes by a signature on its reverse, and it is common in documentary credits. What matters in practice is that an incomplete endorsement stops delivery even with the goods sitting in front of you at the port — and that is not a customs decision but a condition inside the title document itself.
What we do
- We read the bill together with the rest of the documents before the shipment arrives and match them line by line
- We tell you what needs correcting while you can still ask the supplier or the line for it
- We flag early if the type of bill is going to delay delivery
- And we arrange clearance and transport around when it becomes available, not after
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between an original bill of lading and an express release?
The goods arrived and the original bill of lading has not — what now?
What must match between the bill of lading and the other documents?
What does a bill made out "to order" mean?
Send us the documents — we'll tell you what's missing
We read the invoice, certificate of origin and bill of lading, and tell you what will stop your shipment before it arrives — not after it is sitting in the yard. No obligation.