How to Read a Bill of Lading: Fields, Terms & Checklist

Bill of Lading review in brief

Start with the B/L number, carrier and parties; verify the vessel, voyage and ports; reconcile containers, seals, packages and weights; then check dates, freight terms, release type and originals. Compare the document with the commercial invoice and packing list before approval.

Shipper, consignee and notify party

Confirm the legal names and addresses against the commercial invoice and booking. A consignee shown as “to order” affects control and endorsement of an original negotiable B/L, so it should never be silently normalized to a named receiver.

• B/L number and carrier or SCAC
• Shipper legal name and address
• Consignee wording, including “to order”
• Notify party and contact details

Vessel, voyage, port of loading and discharge

The vessel, voyage, port of loading (POL) and port of discharge (POD) define the contracted ocean movement. Use UN/LOCODE references where available because similarly named cities, terminals and transshipment points can cause routing errors.

Containers, seals, packages and weight

Check every container and seal against the packing list and stuffing record. Recompute ISO 6346 container check digits, then reconcile package count, gross weight, measurement and cargo description. A missing container or unexplained total difference needs review.

Freight terms, dates and release type

Review prepaid or collect freight terms, shipped-on-board and issue dates, the number of originals, and whether the document is an original B/L, sea waybill or subject to an express or telex-release process. These details affect payment and cargo release.

Common Bill of Lading errors

Frequent problems include misspelled party names, old booking references, transposed container digits, inconsistent ports, vague cargo descriptions, and package or weight totals that disagree with the packing list. Correct the source or obtain an authorized amendment rather than editing downstream copies independently.

Bill of Lading review checklist

Use this final check before approving a draft or using B/L data in another system.

• Parties match the commercial documents
• Routing matches the booking
• Every container and seal is accounted for
• Packages and weights reconcile
• Dates and freight terms are plausible
• Release type and original count are understood