Bill of Lading Preparation Guide

Hold cursor over red numbers, or click, to show more information pertaining to that section of the bill of lading.

 

Bill of Lading Preparation Guide

  1. Date Shipped: MM/DD/YY freight was shipped or picked up by carrier.
  2. Bill of Lading #: Supplied by the shipper to reference shipment information.
  3. Purchase Order #: Supplied to the shipper by the consignee or buyer to reference their goods.
  4. Reference Numbers: Provided for any additional special reference numbers that should be carried on the Freight Bill such as Order Numbers, Load Numbers, etc. 
  5. Freight Charges: Terms of freight. Freight charges are prepaid unless marked Freight Collect.  Prepaid means that the shipper is responsible for the charges and Collect denotes that the consignee is responsible. 
  6. Shipper Section: Includes shipper’s name, street (no Post Office box), city, state, zip code, country and phone number.
  7. Consignee Section: List consignee’s name, destination street address (no Post Office box), city, state, zip code, country and phone number.
  8. Emergency Response Number: This phone number is optional unless shipment is marked for Hazardous Material. 
  9. Contact Name: This is the emergency contact and is required for Hazardous Material shipments.
  10. Bill To: (Third Party) List representative responsible for paying freight charges if different from shipper or consignee.
  11. Routing / Special Instructions: Include any special instructions relative to the shipment.
  12. Remit C.O.D. To: Address to where C.O.D. funds are to be sent.
  13. COD: Collect on Delivery amount here.   Note that COD cannot exceed $20,000 unless preauthorized. 
  14. Number of Packages: Total number of pieces for shipment.
  15. HM (X): Column should contain an X if hazardous materials.
  16. Body of Bill: Include type of shipping container (carton, skid, drum, etc.), freight description (completely describe contents), special markings (precautionary markings such as Keep Upright, Freezable, Glass, Do Not Double Stack, etc.).
  17. Weight: Total weight for each commodity with carrier’s right to weigh shipment if needed.  Weight should be provided in (LBS.) pounds. 
  18. Class: Shipper freight classification # or NMFC NMFC/Item # for commodity type for proper rating.
  19. Declared Value: Where the rate is dependent on value, shipper is required to state specifically the agreed or declared value of shipment.
  20. Shipper Signature: Shipper must sign to acknowledge billing terms. Consignee/debtor rates will apply. If HazMat, shipper must also sign that materials are packaged, labeled, classified, and marked according to DOT regulations.
  21. Driver Signature: For all shipments, this field is used for the driver’s signature.
  22. Package Labeling: Once the bill of lading is prepared, it is critical for the shipper to apply a shipping label to the freight in order for proper shipment identification and to help prevent loss of the freight. The labels should show the shipper name and address, consignee name and address, and the number of pieces and any reference numbers such as bill of lading number, purchase order number, etc. Click here to review where the labels are to be placed on various types of freight. We also offer the ability under MYSEFL to generate both the bill of lading and shipping labels for you online. Just sign-up for a MYSEFL customer id and password and let us help you automate these two important functions.