# Bill of lading (BOL)

> A bill of lading (BOL) is the document issued for freight a carrier picks up: a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage and, in some forms, a document of title.

Every shipment moved by a for-hire interstate motor carrier needs one. Federal rules require the carrier to issue "a receipt or bill of lading" showing at minimum the names of the consignor and consignee, the origin and destination points, the number of packages, a description of the freight, and its weight, volume or measurement when that is used for rating (49 CFR 373.101). Everything else on a BOL is convention.

In practice the shipper usually prepares the BOL and the driver signs it at pickup as the carrier’s receipt. The signed copy then travels with the load, and the consignee signs it (or a delivery receipt) at delivery, noting any shortage or damage. That signed delivery copy is the [proof of delivery](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/proof-of-delivery) carriers and [factoring companies](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/freight-factoring) ask for before an invoice is paid. You can create a standard BOL as a PDF with the free [bill of lading generator](https://transportial.com/en-us/tools/bill-of-lading-generator).

## What does a standard (VICS) bill of lading contain?

Most US shippers use the GS1 US Standard Bill of Lading, still widely called the VICS BOL. Its mandatory fields are: ship-from and ship-to name, address and ZIP code; the bill of lading number; carrier name and SCAC; freight terms (prepaid, collect or third party); number of packages; weight; pallets or slips (Y/N); handling unit quantity and type; commodity description; a "trailer loaded / freight counted" indicator; and the shipper and carrier signatures.

Some fields apply only in certain cases: a [PRO number](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/pro-number) and the NMFC item and [freight class](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/freight-class) for LTL, a trailer number and seal number for truckload, and a hazardous materials indicator when the load carries hazmat. The 17-digit GS1 BOL number is assigned by the shipper and must not be the same as the PRO number, the order number or the date.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who fills out the bill of lading, the shipper or the carrier?

The law puts the duty to issue a receipt or bill of lading on the carrier, but in day-to-day trucking the shipper usually prepares it on a standard form and the driver signs it at pickup. Under the Carmack Amendment, a carrier that fails to issue a BOL is still liable for loss or damage to the freight.

### How long do you have to keep a bill of lading?

Carriers must keep copies of bills of lading, shipping orders and freight bills for 1 year (49 CFR part 379, Appendix A). Many companies keep them longer because claims and audits can run past that: a carrier may not set a claim-filing deadline shorter than 9 months, or a lawsuit deadline shorter than 2 years.

### What is the difference between a bill of lading and a proof of delivery?

The BOL is created and signed at pickup: it records what was tendered and on what terms. The proof of delivery is the consignee-signed receipt at the destination, often the same BOL signed again with any exceptions noted. You need both to bill the load and to settle a freight claim.

### Is a bill of lading the same as a waybill?

Not quite. A [waybill](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/waybill) is a shipping document that describes the freight and its route, and in some modes it is non-negotiable. A bill of lading adds the receipt and contract-of-carriage role, and an order (negotiable) bill of lading can transfer ownership of the goods. Most domestic truck freight moves on a non-negotiable "straight" BOL.


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