Bill of Lading Template - Free Online

Bill of LadingTemplate

A Bill of Lading (B/L) is a vital legal document in international shipping that serves three critical functions: a receipt confirming the carrier has received the cargo, a contract of carriage detailing shipping terms, and a document of title enabling the consignee to claim the goods.

MARKS & NUMBERS	KIND & NO OF PKGS	DESCRIPTION OF GOODS	NET WT (KG)	GROSS WT (KG)	MEAS. (m³)
SYDIMP 1-20	PLT X 20	Stainless Steel Cookware Sets	2400.00	2800.00	28.50
SYDIMP 21-40	CTN X 500	Non-stick Frying Pans 28cm	1800.00	2100.00	18.20
SYDIMP 41-60	CTN X 400	Kitchen Utensil Sets (5pc)	1200.00	1400.00	12.80
Total	5400.00	6300.00	59.500

MARKS & NUMBERS

KIND & NO OF PKGS

DESCRIPTION OF GOODS

NET WT (KG)

GROSS WT (KG)

MEAS. (m³)

SYDIMP 1-20

PLT X 20

Stainless Steel Cookware Sets

2400.00

2800.00

28.50

SYDIMP 21-40

CTN X 500

Non-stick Frying Pans 28cm

1800.00

2100.00

18.20

SYDIMP 41-60

CTN X 400

Kitchen Utensil Sets (5pc)

1200.00

1400.00

12.80

Total

5400.00

6300.00

59.500

Container No(s)	Seal No(s)	Container Type
MSCU7654321	ML123456	40' HC

Container No(s)

Seal No(s)

Container Type

MSCU7654321

ML123456

40' HC

What is a Bill of Lading used for?

A Bill of Lading is one of the most important documents in international trade and ocean freight shipping. Issued by the carrier or their agent, it serves as legal proof that goods have been loaded onto a vessel and establishes the terms under which they will be transported. Unlike other shipping documents, a Bill of Lading can function as a negotiable instrument, allowing ownership of goods to be transferred while they are still in transit.

The Bill of Lading performs three essential functions in international logistics. First, it acts as a receipt, confirming that the carrier has received the described cargo in the stated condition. Second, it serves as a contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier, outlining the terms, conditions, and responsibilities for transporting the goods. Third, and uniquely among shipping documents, it functions as a document of title - whoever holds the original B/L has the right to claim the goods at destination.

In trade finance, the Bill of Lading plays a crucial role. Banks require original Bills of Lading as security when financing international shipments through Letters of Credit. The document ensures that goods cannot be released without proper authorization, protecting all parties in the transaction. This is why original B/Ls must be handled with care - losing them can cause significant delays and require legal procedures to obtain replacements.

Receipt proving the carrier has received cargo in described condition

Contract of carriage between shipper and ocean carrier

Document of title for claiming goods at destination port

Security document for Letters of Credit and trade finance

Customs clearance documentation at import/export ports

Transfer of ownership during transit (negotiable B/L)

Evidence in disputes about cargo condition or delivery

How to create a Bill of Lading

Start a new document

Open ovrseas and create a new export document. Select Bill of Lading from the available document types.

Enter party information

Add details for the shipper, consignee, carrier, and notify party. Include complete company names, addresses, and contact information.

Add routing details

Enter port of loading, port of discharge, vessel name, voyage number, and any transshipment information. Include place of receipt and final destination if different from ports.

Enter cargo information

Add detailed cargo descriptions including marks and numbers, package count and type, gross and net weights, measurements, and container details if applicable.

Review and generate

Verify all information matches your booking confirmation, add freight terms and signature, then generate your professional B/L ready for carrier endorsement.

Create in ovrseas

Your questions, answered.

A Bill of Lading is issued by the carrier and serves as a receipt for goods, contract of carriage, and document of title. A Commercial Invoice is issued by the seller and serves as a bill of sale showing the transaction value. Both are required for international shipments but serve different purposes - the B/L covers transportation while the Commercial Invoice covers the sale transaction.

An Original Bill of Lading is a physical document that must be surrendered to collect goods - it provides maximum security but requires courier delivery. A Telex Release (or Express Release) is an electronic release where the shipper surrenders the original B/L at origin, and the carrier notifies destination to release cargo without requiring physical documents. Telex Release is faster but offers less security for payment.

A Bill of Lading must include: shipper and consignee details, notify party information, carrier name, vessel and voyage details, ports of loading and discharge, cargo description with marks and numbers, package count and type, gross weight and measurements, container numbers and seal numbers, freight terms (prepaid or collect), number of original B/Ls issued, and date and place of issue with authorized signature.

Freight Prepaid means the shipper pays all freight charges before the goods are shipped - this is common with CIF and CFR Incoterms. Freight Collect means the consignee pays freight charges upon arrival at destination - this is typical with FOB and FCA terms. The B/L must clearly state which applies as it affects who is responsible for shipping costs.

Main types include: Straight (non-negotiable, named consignee only), Order (negotiable, transferable by endorsement), Bearer (negotiable, transferable by possession), Through B/L (covers multiple carriers/modes), and Combined Transport B/L (multimodal shipments). Most international trade uses Order B/Ls for their flexibility in trade finance.

Traditionally, three originals are issued as a precaution against loss - one for the shipper, one for the consignee, and one for the bank. All three have equal legal validity, but only one needs to be presented to claim goods. Once one original is surrendered, the others become void. Modern practice sometimes uses fewer originals, but three remains standard.

Losing an original B/L creates significant problems. You cannot claim goods without it. Recovery options include: obtaining a bank guarantee or indemnity letter (expensive), applying for a court order, or waiting for the cargo to be declared abandoned. Prevention is best - handle originals carefully and consider Telex Release for trusted transactions.

Yes, a Bill of Lading must be signed by the carrier or their authorized agent to be valid. The signature confirms that goods have been received and the contract of carriage is in effect. For shipped on board B/Ls, the signature also confirms goods are actually loaded on the vessel. Electronic signatures are increasingly accepted under frameworks like the Rotterdam Rules.

A Clean Bill of Lading contains no clauses or notations indicating defects in the cargo or packaging condition. It states goods were received in apparent good order. Banks typically require clean B/Ls for Letter of Credit transactions. If cargo shows damage, the carrier issues a Claused (or Dirty) B/L noting the defects, which may cause payment issues.

Yes, you can create Bills of Lading for free on ovrseas. Our platform allows you to generate professional B/Ls with all required fields. Note that carriers typically issue their own B/Ls - this template is useful for draft preparation, shipper's instructions, or House B/Ls issued by freight forwarders.

A Master Bill of Lading (MBL) is issued by the ocean carrier to the freight forwarder for the entire container. A House Bill of Lading (HBL) is issued by the freight forwarder to individual shippers for their portion of a consolidated shipment. The HBL allows forwarders to consolidate multiple shipments under one MBL.

Generally no - the original B/L must be surrendered to claim goods. Exceptions include: Telex/Express Release (originals surrendered at origin), Sea Waybills (non-negotiable, no original required), and bank guarantees or indemnity letters (risky, expensive). Using Telex Release is the safest alternative when originals cannot be delivered in time.

Shipper Pacific Trading Co. 1250 Harbor Blvd Long Beach, CA 90802 United States	Consignee Sydney Import Ltd. 45 Circular Quay Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
Carrier Name MSC Mediterranean Shipping Geneva, Switzerland	Notify Party Sydney Import Ltd. 45 Circular Quay Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia

Pre-Carriage By Truck	Place of Receipt Los Angeles, CA	Vessel / Aircraft MSC AURORA	Voyage / Flight No AU2501E
Port of Loading Long Beach, USA	Port of Discharge Sydney, Australia	Place of Delivery Sydney, Australia	Final Destination Sydney, Australia