The three functions of a bill of lading
- Receipt: the carrier has received the goods in the stated condition.
- Evidence of contract: carriage terms are set by the conditions on the reverse.
- Document of title: an original B/L made out to order is transferred by endorsement.
House and master B/L
The forwarder issues a house B/L in the name of the actual shipper and consignee; the carrier issues a master B/L to the forwarder. In consolidations several house B/Ls sit under one master B/L.
Free toolHouse B/L GeneratorMandatory and critical fields
- Shipper, consignee and notify party
- Vessel, voyage, port of loading and port of discharge
- Container and seal numbers
- Number of packages, description of goods, gross weight and volume
- Freight clause (prepaid / collect)
- Shipped on board date and number of originals
Check before sending
Packages, weights and party details on the B/L must match the invoice and packing list exactly. Under a letter of credit even the smallest discrepancy can get documents rejected.
Free toolDocument Consistency CheckerFCRSOFT
FCRSOFT does this for you automatically
You don’t need to do the calculations and checks on this page by hand every day. FCRSOFT derives them all automatically from the records entered in the field.
- Bill of lading, invoice and packing list are generated from file data.
- Quantity, weight and party mismatches between documents are flagged.
- All documents are archived in the shipment file.
Frequently asked questions
What is a telex release?
The original bills of lading are surrendered to the carrier at the port of loading, and an instruction is sent to the destination to release the goods without the original documents.
What is a clean bill of lading?
It is a B/L without remarks that the goods or packaging are damaged; letters of credit usually require a clean B/L.
Last updated: 10/3/2026
