How many forms of bills of lading are featured within the MARITIME TRANSPORT CHAIN?

What is a bill of lading (B/L or Bol)?

This is a document issued by the carrier to a shipper as a receipt of shipment.

These documents have for many years dominated the carriage by sea, In a clear and simple way, we can define this document as a receipt of goods shipped on board a ship signed by the person consigned or his agent who contracts them and stating the terms on which the goods are carried.

Uses and purposes of the bill of lading.

It’s the carrier's receipt for carriage of goods by sea.

It’s a document of title of the goods.

A bill of lading is also referred as a contractual document between the carrier and the shipper.

Being a document of a title it’s the one required by the importer to clear the goods at the port of destination.

Bill of lading is usually made out of signed sets off two or three original copies known as negotiable copies any one of which can give the title to the goods.

         Forms of Bill of Lading.

    1.COMBINED BILL OF LADING

This is also known the port-to-port bill of lading with the advancement containerized services worldwide the need to provide a bill of lading embracing not only the maritime voyages portion of the transit but also overland distribution to the canals has been paramount. This is contained in the combined transport bill of lading which may be also used for port-to-port shipments.

In this form of bill of lading provides for the carrier to accept responsibility from the place of goods acceptance to the place of the merchandise destination after the discharge of the goods from the vessel.

This may involve road, rail or canal transit to the departure port.

The actual voyage may involve transshipment, the journey from the final destination port embracing road, rail or canal. This is ordered by rate quoted for the transit throughout.

2. ORDER BILL OF LADING

These have no consignee name in the consignee box it's only the word order inserted in the consignee box while the intended consignee is shown as a notify part immediately at the bottom.

This bill of lading should be endorsed by the shipper by signing his name and putting his stamp on the reverse of the bill of lading.

Also, he will also give instruction to the collecting bank to release the bills of lading only against payment or against acceptance of his accompanying bill of exchange

In this case, the shipper can retain the title of the goods if the buyer refuses to accept them.

 3. THROUGH BILL OF LADING.

This is a bill of lading which is used when goods are being transshipped.

Its issued by the major carrier.

Note: Transshipment traffic occurs either because there is no direct route or in order to get a faster transit.

It covers the whole spectrum of commodities and at the time of the original shipment to the final destination of a consignment is known so to make out a through bill of lading.

  4. COVER BILL OF LADING.

This one is used where cargo is short shipped from an earlier consignment which has been left by accident or the cargo being left in a shed in error.

In such a circumstance these bills of lading are used to cover the consignment which will be addressed to the first carriers agent in the port of delivery.

They are specific and explain the problem and action taken to rectify the subject matter.

Freight normally have been paid on the original bill of lading

Such cover bill of lading bears mostly funds in the case of conventional break-bulk shipping.

  5. Clean, dirty and stale bill of landing.

“Clean” indicates that the bill of lading has no clause indicating the shortage, damage to goods or insufficiency of packing. A clean shipped on board bill of lading is the normal requirement of the letter of credit.

“Claused” or dirty bills of landing have clauses relating to shortage or damage to the goods or sufficient packing and such are not normally acceptable under the letter of credit.

  6. Negotiable bills of lading

These are the ones capable of being negotiated by transfer or endorsement.

  7. Non-negotiable bill of lading

These are also termed as the straight bill of lading which is not capable of being negotiated. They are only printed on one side and bear not beer on the reverse side the detailed fine print conditions of carriage found in the ordinary bills of lading.

 8. MASTER BILL OF LADING.

This is a bill of lading which is issued by the main carrier or the shipping line to either non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) company or a freight forwarding company.

in this bill of lading also is always handed over to shipping agencies or consolidators by the main shipping line.

 9. HOUSE BILL OF LADING.

This is a bill of lading which is issued by the NVOCC to shippers. For instance the consolidators of cargo to individual shippers of LCL.