Bill of Lading Template for Freight Shipments
Create a straight bill of lading with shipper, consignee, carrier, freight terms, package details, gross weight, special instructions and signature fields.
Your shipment details stay in your browser. Fill the template, review the preview, then print or save as PDF.
This template is built for basic non-negotiable freight handoffs. Ocean, negotiable, hazardous-material, retailer and carrier-specific shipments can require additional documents or wording.
Build a straight bill of lading in your browser
Enter shipper, consignee, carrier, pickup, delivery, freight terms, package, weight, instruction and signature details. The preview updates live and prints cleanly.
No shipment data leaves your browser. The draft is stored locally on your device when browser storage is available.
Use this as a structured straight bill of lading
This page creates a carrier-neutral straight BOL for a named shipper, carrier and consignee. Requirements vary by carrier, lane, retailer program and commodity, especially when hazardous materials or cross-border movement are involved.
What a Bill of Lading Does
Receipt of goods
A signed bill of lading records that goods were handed to the carrier and received at delivery. It helps shippers, carriers and consignees track what moved.
Carrier handoff
The form gives the carrier shipment details: pickup, delivery, package type, freight description, weight, freight terms and special instructions.
Delivery accountability
The signature section records who released, carried and received the freight. Keep the signed copy with shipment records.
Which Bill of Lading Template Is This?
The phrase “bill of lading template” covers several documents. This page focuses on a straight freight BOL because many searches are for form completion, short-form PDFs, Excel files, Word files and simple browser templates.
| Variant | Use it when | Template stance |
|---|---|---|
| Straight BOL | Goods move to a named consignee and the document is not negotiable. | Primary template. |
| Inland / LTL BOL | Freight moves by road or rail, often with an LTL carrier. | Covered by the same basic field set. |
| Ocean B/L | Goods move by sea and the carrier or forwarder issues the document. | Mention only; use carrier-issued forms. |
| Order / negotiable B/L | Title can transfer by endorsement or delivery. | Mention only; use the correct carrier and legal workflow. |
| Air waybill | Goods move by air under an air-freight document. | Mention only; use an air waybill process. |
Where This Template Stops
A straight bill of lading can be useful, but it is not every freight document. Check the carrier process before pickup and keep special lanes out of a generic form workflow.
Negotiable bills
Order and negotiable bills can involve title transfer. Use the carrier, forwarder and legal workflow for those documents instead of adapting a straight BOL.
Ocean shipments
Ocean bills are commonly issued by the shipping line or freight forwarder. Treat this page as inland handoff support, not a replacement for ocean documentation.
Carrier terms
The terms field is a reference field. Point to a carrier tariff, service terms or contract reference, and do not turn the template into contract text.
Special requirements
Hazmat, retailer routing guides, VICS forms, customs filings and temperature-sensitive freight can add fields, certifications or documents outside this template.
What to Include in a Bill of Lading
Shipment references
Add the BOL number, shipment date, PO number, shipper reference, service type and carrier name. These fields help match the form to the order and freight movement.
Parties and places
Add shipper, consignee, billing party, pickup location and delivery location. Use full addresses and contact details so the carrier can route the freight.
Freight details
List handling units, package type, description of articles, marks, NMFC or freight class, gross weight and any hazardous-material indicator.
Terms and signatures
Set freight terms, declared value, COD details, special instructions and signatures for shipper, carrier and consignee where needed.
| Field group | What goes in it | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| References | BOL number, shipment date, PO number and shipper reference. | Connects the freight handoff to order, warehouse and carrier records. | BOL-SG-2026-0815 |
| Parties | Shipper, consignee, carrier and billing party details. | Shows who releases, moves, receives and pays for the freight. | Summit Apparel, Marketplace FC |
| Route | Place of receipt, pickup point, destination and delivery window. | Gives the carrier pickup and delivery context. | Jurong to Shah Alam |
| Commodity lines | Handling units, package type, article description, marks and weight. | Lets the carrier compare the document against physical freight. | 4 cartons, apparel, 72 kg |
| Freight terms | Prepaid, collect, third-party billing, COD or declared value fields. | Reduces payment confusion during pickup, delivery and billing. | Prepaid |
| Instructions | Accessorial services, dock notes and handling requirements. | Helps prevent missed appointments, wrong equipment or delivery issues. | Call receiving dock |
| Terms reference | Carrier tariff, service terms or contract reference. | Points to the applicable source without inventing carriage terms. | Carrier tariff on file |
| Signatures | Shipper, carrier or driver, and consignee receipt names and dates. | Records the release, carrier acceptance and receipt trail. | Signed at pickup and delivery |
Browser Template, PDF, Word or Excel?
Static files are familiar, but the main risk is accidental formatting drift. A browser form keeps fields together, updates the preview as you type and still lets you print or save the final document as PDF.
PDF handoff
Use the print action when the carrier, warehouse or receiving team needs a fixed copy. Review the preview before saving.
Spreadsheet habits
Excel and Google Sheets can work for internal logs, but merged cells and manual edits can hide missing freight fields.
Word templates
Word files are flexible for branded paperwork, yet spacing changes can break tables once freight rows get longer.
Browser draft
Keep a local draft while you gather carrier details, then clear the browser storage when the shipment file is finished.
How to Use This Bill of Lading Template
- Choose the document date.Add a BOL number and any PO or shipper reference that your team uses for order matching.
- Enter shipper and consignee details.Use full legal or operating names, addresses, phone numbers and receiving contacts where available.
- Add pickup, delivery and carrier information.Include the place of receipt, delivery point, carrier name, account reference and service type.
- Set freight terms.Mark prepaid, collect, third-party billing or COD so the billing path is visible before pickup.
- Add each handling unit.List package type, description, marks, class, NMFC reference, weight and hazardous-material indicator if applicable.
- Add shipment notes.Use special instructions, accessorial services, broker references or emergency contacts when they apply to the movement.
- Review the preview.Check for missing addresses, vague descriptions, weight mismatches, missing terms and blank signature fields.
- Print or save the document.Keep the signed copy with shipment records and follow the carrier workflow for digital or paper submission.
Straight BOL Example for an Ecommerce Handoff
A US D2C brand ships four cartons of apparel from a 3PL warehouse in California to a marketplace fulfilment centre in Illinois. The seller uses a straight BOL for the carrier handoff.
Parties
Shipper: Summit Apparel LLC, Ontario, CA. Consignee: Marketplace FC, Joliet, IL. Carrier: regional LTL carrier.
Route
Pickup is a 3PL warehouse in Ontario, California. Delivery is the fulfilment centre receiving dock in Joliet, Illinois.
Terms
Freight terms are prepaid. The seller keeps carrier terms by reference and checks cross-border requirements before pickup.
Instructions
The carrier should keep cartons dry and call the receiving dock before arrival. Appointment delivery is requested.
| Field | Example value | Reason to include it |
|---|---|---|
| BOL number | BOL-SG-2026-0815 | Creates a unique freight document reference. |
| Shipper | Summit Apparel LLC, Ontario, CA | Shows who releases the goods to the carrier. |
| Consignee | Marketplace FC, Joliet, IL | Names the receiving party for a straight BOL. |
| Carrier | Regional LTL carrier | Identifies who takes the freight at handoff. |
| Freight terms | Prepaid | Shows how carrier charges should be handled. |
| Total packages | 4 cartons | Lets receiving teams compare documents to freight. |
| Gross weight | 72 kg | Gives the carrier a packed-weight reference. |
| Special instructions | Keep cartons dry. Call receiving dock before arrival. | Highlights handling and delivery expectations. |
| Handling units | Package type | Description | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Cartons | Cotton T-shirts and woven shirts | SKU batch Q3 | 72 kg |
Common Bill of Lading Mistakes
Using the wrong variant
A straight freight template is not the same as an ocean, order, negotiable, air, hazardous-material or retailer-specific document.
Vague freight descriptions
Use plain descriptions of the articles, packaging, marks and handling notes. Avoid one-word descriptions that leave the carrier guessing.
Weight and package mismatches
Check total packages and gross weight against the freight being picked up. Differences can cause billing, routing or delivery issues.
Missing freight terms
Mark prepaid, collect, COD or third-party billing clearly. Freight-payment confusion can delay delivery or create invoice disputes.
Connect the BOL to the Rest of the Shipment File
Purchase order
Start with a purchase order when the buyer confirms items, quantities, pricing and supplier terms before fulfilment.
Proforma invoice
Use a proforma invoice when the buyer needs a pre-shipment quote or estimate before the final transaction document.
Commercial invoice
Use a commercial invoice for cross-border shipments that need customs value, product, origin and invoice details.
Bill of lading
Use a bill of lading for the carrier handoff, freight description, delivery accountability and shipment receipt.
Freight documents work better when fulfilment data is clean
For ecommerce brands, carrier handoff quality depends on accurate inventory, packed weights, order routing, warehouse labels and receiving instructions. The BOL is one document inside that larger shipping workflow.
Bill of Lading Template Questions
Need Fulfilment and Shipping Support Beyond the Form?
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