Container glossary
What is a bill of lading?
A bill of lading (B/L) is the document a carrier issues for goods it has taken on board: at once the receipt for the cargo, the contract of carriage between shipper and line, and the title that controls who may collect the goods at destination. Its number identifies the whole shipment, not one container.
From shipping instructions to an issued B/L
The shipper, or the forwarder acting for it, sends the line its shipping instructions before the documentation cut-off: shipper, consignee, notify party, a description of the goods, and the number, seal and weight of every container. The line returns a draft. Once the shipper approves it and the containers are loaded on the vessel, the line issues the final document, dated the day the cargo went on board.
It comes in three forms. An original bill is printed, traditionally as a set of three, and one original must be handed to the line before the cargo is released. With a telex release the originals are surrendered at origin and the line instructs its destination office to release without paper. A sea waybill is not a document of title at all: the cargo is simply released to the consignee named on it.
What a B/L number shows on a tracker
The number sits at the top of the document. The large lines start it with their four-letter SCAC, so MAEU… is a Maersk bill and COSU… a COSCO one. Below it the document lists every container in the shipment, each with its seal number.
Entered in the bill of lading field of the line’s tracker, the number shows all of those containers at once, where a container number shows one box. After a transshipment it is the better reference: on some lines the shipment view updates before the container view does. The tracking guide sets the three identifiers side by side.
The B/L errors that hold cargo at the port
The expensive mistake is approving a draft without reading it. A misspelt consignee, a container number with two digits swapped or a weight that disagrees with the customs declaration can each stop the release at destination. Correcting a bill after it has been issued means an amendment, for which the line charges a fee it sets itself, and days of waiting.
Those days are not free. While the paperwork is repaired the container sits in the terminal, its free time runs out and demurrage begins. The same happens when original bills are lost or arrive late by courier: without an original the line will not release, and the usual way out is a bank-backed letter of indemnity. Check the draft line by line; it is the one moment when a correction costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bill of lading number the same as a container number?
No — a bill of lading number identifies one shipment and its contract, and a container number identifies one physical box for its whole working life. A single bill can cover many containers, and the same container travels under a new bill on every voyage.
What is the difference between a bill of lading and a sea waybill?
A bill of lading is a document of title and a sea waybill is not. Under an original bill the cargo is released only against the paper, so the goods can be sold or pledged while at sea; under a waybill the line releases to the named consignee with no document presented, which is quicker but gives the shipper no hold over the goods.
Who issues a bill of lading?
The carrier or its agent issues it, after the cargo is loaded. When the shipment was booked through a forwarder or NVOCC there are two: the line issues a master bill to the forwarder, and the forwarder issues its own house B/L to the customer.