The relevance of Bills of Lading

There are numerous shipping services to meet your needs. Some of these services are door-to-door ground freight service, door-to-door transportation service and Mexico border service. Determine your requirements and check on which accredited companies can provide your desired service. A document that is commonly used, but most often overlooked, when shipping cargo is a bill of lading.  A bill of lading serves as a contract between a carrier and shipper for the transportation of goods, and serves as a receipt issued by a carrier to the consignee for the goods received. People sometimes take the document lightly and fail to complete the information correctly and accurately, causing inconveniences and problems at the destination point. Some information may be lacking or inaccurate in some portions of the documents, such as delivery information, freight charge terms, and quantity and weight.People write the consignee name erroneously or leave out the current address and contact number. This can be remedied by producing other documents that show the correct spelling of the consignee or shipper, and the current address and contact number might not be vital if the consignee is at the destination point. However, such conditions do not exist at times and people are at a loss on what to do with the goods when it arrives at its destination.  The shipper should list if the shipment is prepaid, collect, or third party billing, or it might cause confusion for everybody. Delays will be incurred if the quantity and weight are incorrect. The carriers are normally particular about the information as they are responsible for its transport. Doubts and misunderstandings could arise if the quantity and weight is different from what is transcribed in the bill of lading. Reconciling the differences could take time and result in detention fees for the carriers. You should retain a copy of the bill of lading. It serves as a record to all parties that the shipment was made and completed in accordance to the information contained in the document. The billing process can be initiated upon receipt of a signed bill of lading. The shipment of goods starts and ends with the bill of lading. If the information is complete and accurate, the process can be fairly simple and straightforward.

Bills of lading came into practice as documents to prove receipt by the carriers of cargoes shipped on board their transport. The cargo’s condition was assumed in the condition stated in the bill of lading since it was difficult for the carrier to inspect all the goods that were being transported. The bills of lading enabled the receivers of the cargo to establish if the cargo was complete and in the same condition as stated in the bill of lading. If not, the receiver could claim for loss and damages incurred in transit. Most people put on the bill of lading the words “shipped on board in apparent good order and condition” and carriers accept it at face value, rather than go through the time and effort of inspecting the goods. If the goods are not in good condition, the carrier is liable for the damages. The carrier will take note of the shippers and if the incidences happen too often, they might investigate and check on the shipper’s integrity.  There is a degree of trust and confidence between the parties which should be held in high esteem for a successful business transaction.