Bill of lading and sea waybill generator

How to make a bill of lading

1. 1

   Enter the parties and the routing

   Add the shipper, the consignee and the notify party, then the vessel, voyage and ports. For an order bill of lading, write "To the order of" and the bank in the consignee box, as the letter of credit asks.

2. 2

   Describe the cargo

   Add a line for each kind of goods with its marks, packages, description, HS code, gross weight and volume. For a full container load, add the container and seal numbers, which are checked as you type.

3. 3

   Download a draft or the full set

   Download a draft for the shipper to check, then switch to Final for the numbered originals and any non-negotiable copies in one PDF. Long cargo lists continue on a rider page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a bill of lading?

A bill of lading is the document a carrier issues when it takes goods for shipment by sea. It's a receipt for the goods and evidence of the contract of carriage, and an original bill of lading is also a document of title, so whoever holds it, properly endorsed, can claim the goods at destination. That's why banks ask for it under a letter of credit.

Who issues the bill of lading, the shipper or the carrier?

The carrier or its agent issues and signs it. The shipper supplies the details, usually as shipping instructions, and checks a draft before the vessel sails. A forwarder acting as an NVOCC issues its own house bill of lading to the shipper, while the ocean carrier issues a master bill of lading to the forwarder. Shippers can use this tool to prepare the draft they send their forwarder, and forwarders can issue house bills of lading on their own letterhead.

What's the difference between a bill of lading and a sea waybill?

A sea waybill is a receipt and evidence of the contract of carriage, but it isn't a document of title and can't be negotiated. The goods are released to the named consignee on proof of identity, without an original being handed over, which is quicker when the buyer has already paid or the shipment is between companies in the same group. Use a bill of lading when a bank is involved or the goods may be sold while they're at sea.

What does "to order" mean in the consignee box?

A consignee written as "To order" or "To the order of" a bank makes the bill of lading negotiable, so whoever holds the original, endorsed to them, can take delivery. Letters of credit usually ask for a bill of lading made out to the order of the issuing bank, which keeps the goods under the bank's control until the buyer pays. A sea waybill can't be made out to order, so the tool asks for a named consignee when you pick one.

How many originals should a bill of lading have?

The usual set is three originals, known as a full set, and the number is printed on each one. Any one original is enough to take delivery, after which the others are void, so a letter of credit normally asks for the full set. You can also add non-negotiable copies for the shipper's and the consignee's records. Pick Final and set the numbers, and the PDF has every original numbered, followed by the copies.

What is a shipped on board notation?

It records the date the goods were loaded on the named vessel. Under UCP 600 article 20, a bank checking documents under a letter of credit treats the date of issue as the date of shipment, unless the bill of lading carries an on board notation, in which case the notation's date counts. Fill in the shipped on board date and it's printed with the vessel and the port of loading.

How a letter of credit sets the latest shipment date →

How are container numbers checked?

Every container number follows ISO 6346: a three-letter owner code, a category letter (U for most freight containers), six digits and a check digit worked out from the other ten characters. The tool recalculates the check digit as you type and flags a number that doesn't match, which catches most typos before they reach the carrier. It also checks that the packages, weights and volume in the containers add up to the goods.

Should the bill of lading show HS codes?

Increasingly, yes. Carriers need at least a six-digit HS code for advance cargo filings such as the EU's ICS2, and some carriers and destinations want it on the bill of lading itself. Add it to each line of goods and it's printed under the description.

Can I make a bill of lading from my commercial invoice?

Yes. If you've filled in our commercial invoice generator in the same browser, the bill of lading form offers to copy its shipper, consignee, goods, packages and weights, so the two documents agree. It also sets freight prepaid or collect from the invoice's Incoterm.

Commercial invoice and packing list generator →

Is anything I type uploaded or stored?

Nothing is uploaded. The PDF is made in your browser, and the form is saved in your browser's own storage so it's still there if you close the tab and come back. The form shows whether saving succeeded and warns you if browser storage is unavailable or full. Clear form deletes the saved draft when storage is available.

Which languages and characters can I use?

Names and addresses can use Latin letters with accents, such as Polish, Czech, Turkish, German or French spellings, as well as Greek and Cyrillic. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic and Vietnamese tone marks can't be printed yet, so write those names in plain Latin letters, like the Pinyin spelling of a Chinese company. If something can't be printed, the tool tells you which characters to change.