The language of the Bill of Lading

A Bill of Lading packs decades of shipping convention into one page. This glossary explains the terms Bol.ai reads on every freight document — from the difference between a master and house B/L to what a telex release actually does.

Bill of Lading types

Bill of Lading B/L

A document issued by a carrier to a shipper that acknowledges receipt of cargo for shipment. It serves three roles at once: a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and — when negotiable — a document of title that can be traded or used to take delivery.

Master Bill of Lading MBL

The Bill of Lading issued by the ocean carrier to a freight forwarder or NVOCC. It governs the leg between the carrier and the forwarder, under the carrier's terms.

House Bill of Lading HBL

The Bill of Lading a freight forwarder or NVOCC issues to the actual shipper for the same cargo, under the forwarder's own terms. A single shipment usually has both a house and a master B/L.

Straight Bill of Lading

A non-negotiable Bill of Lading consigned to a specific named party. The carrier releases the cargo only to that named consignee, and it cannot be transferred by endorsement.

Order Bill of Lading

A negotiable Bill of Lading made out "to order," transferable to another party by endorsement. Common in letter-of-credit trade, where title passes with the endorsed document.

Original Bill of Lading OBL

A signed paper original that must be surrendered at destination to take delivery of the goods. It is typically issued in a set of three originals; presenting any one makes the others void.

Sea Waybill

A non-negotiable transport document. The named consignee can take delivery by proving identity, without presenting an original — faster than a negotiable B/L, but it is not a document of title.

Telex Release

A message from the origin agent authorising the destination agent to release cargo without an original Bill of Lading, once all originals have been surrendered at origin. It avoids couriering paper originals across the world.

Parties

Shipper Consignor

The party sending the goods, named on the Bill of Lading. Usually the seller or exporter, or their agent.

Consignee

The party to whom the goods are shipped and delivered — the receiver named on the Bill of Lading.

Notify Party

The party the carrier notifies when the shipment arrives, so arrival and customs clearance can be arranged. Often the consignee or its customs broker.

Carrier

The company that physically transports the goods and issues the Bill of Lading — for ocean freight, the shipping line operating the vessel.

NVOCC

Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier: a carrier that issues its own Bills of Lading but owns no ships, buying vessel space from ocean carriers and reselling it. Most freight forwarders act as NVOCCs.

SCAC

Standard Carrier Alpha Code: a unique two-to-four-letter code identifying a transport carrier, assigned by the NMFTA. It appears on the Bill of Lading and in EDI and customs filings — for example MAEU for Maersk. Bol.ai returns it as a structured field.

Routing & locations

Booking Number

The reference a carrier assigns when vessel space is reserved for a shipment. It links the booking, the container and the Bill of Lading.

Port of Loading POL

The port where the cargo is loaded onto the vessel.

Port of Discharge POD

The port where the cargo is unloaded from the vessel.

Place of Receipt

Where the carrier first takes the goods into its care, which may be an inland point before the port of loading in a through-transport movement.

Place of Delivery

Where the carrier delivers the goods to the consignee, which may be an inland point beyond the port of discharge.

Cargo & containers

Container Number

The unique identifier of a shipping container under ISO 6346: four letters (a three-letter owner code plus a category identifier), six digits, and one check digit — for example MSKU 123456 5. Validate one with our free check-digit tool.

ISO 6346

The international standard that defines the shipping-container identification system, including the owner code, size/type codes and the check-digit algorithm used to detect a mistyped container number.

Check Digit

The final digit of a container number, computed from the preceding ten characters under ISO 6346. It lets a mistyped owner code or serial number be caught instantly — one of the verification checks Bol.ai runs on every extraction.

Seal Number

The number printed on the tamper-evident seal fitted to a container's doors. It is recorded on the Bill of Lading so any tampering in transit can be detected.

Gross Weight

The total weight of the cargo including its packaging, usually expressed in kilograms. It excludes the tare weight of the container itself.

CBM Cubic Meter

The volume of the cargo in cubic metres. Used alongside weight to calculate freight, since carriers charge on whichever is greater — weight or measurement.

Commercial terms

Incoterms

International Commercial Terms published by the ICC (such as EXW, FOB, CIF and DAP) that define exactly where cost, risk and responsibility pass from seller to buyer in an international sale.

Freight Terms Prepaid / Collect

Whether freight charges are paid by the shipper at origin ("prepaid") or by the consignee at destination ("collect"). Stated on the Bill of Lading.

Demurrage

Charges levied when a container stays inside the port or terminal beyond the allowed free time. The related charge for keeping the container outside the terminal beyond free time is called detention.

Related documents

Commercial Invoice

The seller's bill for the goods, stating the value, currency, terms of sale and party details. It is the primary basis for customs valuation and duty assessment — and one of the document types Bol.ai extracts and reconciles against the Bill of Lading.

Packing List

A document itemising the contents, package counts, weights and dimensions of a shipment. It supports the Bill of Lading and commercial invoice during handling and customs inspection.

CMR

The UN convention governing international carriage of goods by road. A CMR waybill (consignment note) is the road-freight equivalent of a Bill of Lading: it evidences the contract of carriage, but is non-negotiable and not a document of title.