What is a Bill of Lading?

A Bill of Lading is a document created by the transportation company (actual freight company or third party logistics provider) given to the shipper who then gives that document to the driver to acknowledge goods have been received for shipping to destination.  It acts as both a contract between parties and a medium for reference if any claims are made by the shipper or carrier or shipments are delayed or denied.

As a third party logistics provider, ShippingDiscounts.com, gives our customers the ability to use our simple back end transportation management system to select the best carrier, input shipment details, and print out the Bill of Lading.  If our customer is only a one time shipper, we are happy to enter in the specifics of the shipment and then send over the Bill of Lading to give to the driver upon pickup.  We advise our customers to print out two copies; one to give to the truck driver and one for their records.

On the Bill of Lading, all details of the shipment will be listed.  These details include the contact name and address of both the pick up and delivery parties, the carrier, pick up date, freight terminals of origin and destination, and description of the items being shipped.  Additionally, special instructions and accessorial specifics are listed on the Bill of Lading.  As an example of what might be listed in these sections, a customer might need residential delivery with a lift gate and and the need for the freight to be moved inside his house up five steps of stairs.  He might also want to be notified when the freight arrives at the destination terminal so he can speak directly with the freight carrier to gauge a better idea of when the shipment will be delivered to his home.  All this information is listed on the Bill of Lading to ensure the most accurate communication between all parties involved so the correct trucks are used, no additional charges are applied, and an overall smooth freight shipping experience takes place.