Bill of Lading Form

How to Fill Out a Bill of Lading

A bill of lading is the one document that follows your freight from dock to dock. Get it wrong and the shipment can be delayed or refused. A standard bill of lading asks for five things; fill them in order.

Here is what goes in each field, and the mistakes to avoid at every step.

Step 1: Enter the Shipper (Ship From) Information

The shipper is the party handing over the freight — that is you if you are shipping, or your customer if they are shipping to you.

• Company name and full address — use the physical pickup location, not a PO box. The carrier drives to this address, so a billing address here is a real-world error, not a paperwork one.
• SID# (Shipper ID) — your own internal reference number for the shipment. It is optional, but if you run multiple outbound shipments a day, it is the fastest way to find this BOL later.

If a third party is paying the freight, do not fill their details here — there is a separate Third Party Freight Charges – Bill To block further down the form.

Step 2: Enter the Consignee (Ship To) Information

The consignee is whoever receives the freight at the other end.

• Company name and delivery address — again, the physical receiving dock. If the delivery goes to a warehouse, put the warehouse address, not the customer's headquarters.
• CID# (Consignee ID) — the receiving-side equivalent of SID#. Same logic: optional, but it makes the shipment traceable when a customer calls asking about a delivery.
• Location No — the internal door or bay number at a large facility. Fill it if you have it; it saves the driver a phone call at the gate.

One common failure here: shippers copy the address straight from the invoice. Invoices carry billing addresses. If the two differ, the freight can go to the wrong place.

Step 3: Add the Carrier and Shipment Details

This is the block that turns a form into an actual shipment.

• Carrier name and SCAC — the SCAC is the carrier code.
• Bill of Lading No — your own sequential number for the document. Our form generates one automatically, and you can overwrite it with your own series if you keep BOLs in a numbering system. This is not the tracking number.
• Pro Number — assigned by the carrier rather than generated by the shipper. Leave it blank until you have it; this form never generates one.
• Trailer No and Seal Number(s) — for full truckload and sealed shipments. Record the seal number exactly as printed.

Step 4: Describe the Commodity

Every line on the bill of lading describes one item being shipped. Add a line for each distinct commodity.

• # Pkgs., QTY and Type — how many pieces, and what they are packed in (pallets, cartons, drums, crates).
• Weight per line — the weight of that line's goods.
• Commodity description — plain English, specific.
• NMFC No. and Class — freight classification fields, for shipments where they apply.
• H.M.(X) — check this box for hazardous materials when applicable.
• COD Amount and Fee Terms — when Collect on Delivery is applicable.

Our form totals the pieces and the weight automatically as you add lines, so you do not have to re-add the column by hand.

Step 5: Sign and Print

• Shipper signature — confirms shipment information from the shipper side.
• Carrier signature — carrier/driver acceptance field.
• Trailer Loaded By (Shipper / Driver) and Freight Counted By (Shipper / Driver).
• Pickup date — the date the carrier takes possession.

Once completed, download the PDF and print the copies you need.

Ready to fill one out? Use the free bill of lading form above — no sign-up, and you can save shipper, consignee and carrier details in this browser for next time.

Documents Used Along a Bill of Lading

A bill of lading rarely travels alone. Depending on what you are shipping and where it is going, it moves with three or four companion documents — and each one answers a question the BOL does not.

Commercial Invoice

The commercial invoice states what the goods are, what they are worth, and who is buying them. It is commonly used for customs.

Packing List

The packing list is the line-by-line inventory: how many pieces, of what, in what packaging, with what weight per package. It helps the receiving side reconcile what arrived against the shipment paperwork.

Proof of Delivery (POD)

The POD is the signed delivery receipt used to document that a shipment arrived and its condition.

Common Mistakes on a Bill of Lading Form

1. Putting your own number in the Pro Number field.
2. Getting the NMFC class wrong — or using it in the wrong freight mode.
3. Choosing the wrong Freight Charge Terms.
4. Signing only one side.
5. Writing a vague commodity description.

Also avoid accidental billing/delivery address swaps, understated weights and duplicate internal BOL numbers.